Fleshy nose

What is a fleshy nose?

The bone and cartilage underneath can be any shape. What you see is a layer of thicker skin and soft tissue over all of it. Edges blur, and the nose looks smooth and full rather than sculpted.

Compare it with a bulbous nose. A bulbous nose is full mainly at the tip. A fleshy nose is full from the bridge down.

Skin thickness is the main factor

The skin on the nose is thinnest at the root and the middle of the bridge and thickest at the tip. On a fleshy nose it is thick all along.

Thick nasal skin often has more oil glands. It shows up more often in some families and populations, and it tends to hide small bumps and irregularities underneath.

This is why two people with similar cartilage can have very different noses. On thin skin every edge shows. On thick skin the same edges disappear.

The width of your nose is the part a front photo can measure. Our nose shape analyser gives you that in seconds; the profile is for your side photo.

How to tell if your nose is fleshy

• Pinch the skin at the tip gently. Thick skin feels firm and does not move much.
• Look at a front photo in daylight. A thin-skinned nose shows small points of light on the tip. A fleshy nose shows one soft, broad highlight.
• From the side, the line of the bridge is smooth with no visible bone edge.

What thick skin means for surgery

Surgeons often say thick skin is forgiving but limiting. It hides small flaws, but it also hides fine changes. A very refined tip is hard to achieve under thick skin, and swelling lasts longer after an operation.

If you are considering surgery, ask the surgeon to judge your skin thickness first. It shapes what result is realistic.

Makeup and photos

A fleshy nose often looks shiny in photos. A light layer of powder on the nose before a photo removes the shine without adding contour.

If you contour, use soft, wide shading rather than thin lines. Sharp lines look unnatural on a nose without sharp edges.