Michael Jackson’s Nasal Tragedy

A Blog on M.J. by Dr. Loftus

Michael Jackson was born with a broad flat nose, wide nostrils, and a full nasal tip which had weak support (floppy), all of which you can see in his 1976 photo. I am not saying that he was unattractive – just that his nose had these specific features and that he apparently was not happy with them – right or wrong. As a result, he chose to have a rhinoplasty.

Following his first rhinoplasty, you can see in his 1979 photo that his nasal tip is narrower and less flat. Compared to his earlier photos, this was a substantial change, and I would have recommended stopping there. MJ, however, was presumably only partially satisfied with his results, as he sought an additional rhinoplasty.

After his next rhinoplasty (see 1984 photo), you can see that he has even greater projection and support of his nose. It is also more narrow, but not pinched or unnatural in appearance. Overall, this was a great result and would by all accounts have been considered a home run in the arena of plastic surgery by every plastic surgeon I know.

He really should have stopped after his second rhinoplasty, but he went ahead and had 3rd, 4th, and likely 5th (or more) rhinoplasty, each time with the goal to make the tip narrower and thinner. Unfortunately, each effort to refine his tip resulted in deterioration of support of the nose with a tiny narrow pinched tip and nostrils which collapsed inward (see 1997 photo).

Finally, in an effort to really thin out the fat of the tip, so much fat was removed from the tip that it caused interference with circulation, resulting in dead skin along the rims or each nostril. That particular skin in that particular location simply cant be fixed. It can’t be skin grafted. Other skin can’t be moved or rotated to cover it. It just has to heal in (scar together) by itself…which it did, leaving him with a deformed nasal tip and nostril rims. So, with only scar tissue along the rim, the nose could not undergo additional surgery, as healthy skin is essential to any attempt at rhinoplasty. This left him (after it finally healed) with a dainty nasal tip which had pulled upward as it healed, causing an up-turned nose (see 2004 photo).

A nasal tragedy? Yes. Not only because the final result was so unnatural, but also because it was entirely preventable. Had he stopped after his first or second procedure, he would have had a successful result. Equally – if not more – to blame, is the plastic surgeon who performed the subsequent rhinoplasty after his early home run rhinoplasty. This plastic surgeon should have just said No.