Hispanic/Mestizo Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty is one of the most common facial plastic procedures performed in the Hispanic/mestizo ethnic group. Today, emphasis is placed on ethnic and cultural backgrounds, definition of facial and nasal characteristics, and a clear understanding of patients’ desires. This article highlights the different types of problems encountered in mestizo patients. It describes a graduated approach to the nose whereby support structures of the nose are strengthened by careful placement of sutures and grafts, trying to achieve greater definition and support without necessarily making the nose look bigger.

There are many different ethnic groups in the world. Wars and the search for better working opportunities have changed migration patterns around the world. Rich developed countries are constantly receiving immigrants from poor countries who seek opportunities for a better quality of life for themselves and their families. This has changed the racial composition of many countries and pure races are being replaced by more mixed multiracial groups.

The United States, Spain, and, in a lesser proportion, Canada and the European countries have had big migrations from Latin American countries. The largest minority ethnic group in the United States is the mestizos or Hispanics.

Cosmetic rhinoplasty has grown in demand over the years and today, with the exception of minimally invasive cosmetic procedures, it is the most frequently performed facial plastic surgery around the world. Through the ages, the ideal facial characteristics have been defined following the characteristics of whites whereby the ideal nose is defined as moderately thin, with a strong bony dorsum, and a tip that is angular and slightly projecting. Each ethnic group has its own defined beauty patterns that are influenced by cultural backgrounds and religious upbringing, but globalization and communication media have popularized the white or western look worldwide.

Today, facial plastic surgeons are faced with patients who come from many different ethnic groups, and they find that what had been established as a standard of beauty when performing rhinoplasty does not necessarily give these patients what they want. Mestizo patients are not the exception and, for surgeons, it has become a priority to define exactly what the patient wants and whether the surgical result is attainable.

Mestizo race

The term Hispanic is defined as coming from a Spanish-speaking country (Larousse American Pocket English Dictionary). Most Latin American countries are Spanish-speaking countries, and patients who come from these countries are commonly referred to as Hispanic, Latino or mestizo.

Mestizo is a definition that takes into account racial characteristics. It literally means a mixture of races. The history of Latin American mestizos started more than 30,000 years ago when people with Asian and Mongolian features crossed the Bering Strait and formed the different Indian tribes that inhabited the region when the Spanish discovered America in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Africans were brought over as slaves during the eighteenth century. For this reason mestizo is defined as a mixture of 3 predominant races: Indian, white, and negroid.

In Latin America, mestizos do not have a specific racial pattern, and the predominant features vary depending on the geographic zone from which the patient originates. People from Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, and many of the Central American countries exhibit stronger Indian facial characteristics, whereas in Argentina and Chile there is a strong influence from the different European countries. Furthermore, in countries such as Brazil, the Caribbean islands, and the coasts of Colombia and Venezuela, there is a stronger African influence. Today, the mestizo race is characterized by diversity and mixtures; and one cannot find a single element, culture, or racial feature predominating over the rest in a persistent pattern.

In the United States the Hispanic or Latin population comes mainly from Mexico, Central American countries, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru. This population is concentrated in the southwestern border area (California, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico), Florida, and New York City, some of which are the main ports of entry into the country. Once established, the mestizo population has blended with the surrounding environment, and they can be found in all states of the nation.

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