Filipinos are known to embrace and celebrate anything that evokes our culture and identity, whether it’s Jollibee, one-half of Vanessa Hudgens, or our uncanny knack for conquering Miss Universe—except for our nose shape.
There are many physical features that most Filipinos share, from our kayumanggi skin (brown skin) to our dark hair, but perhaps none as prominent and popular as our distinctly flat noses. “Tayo’y mga Pinoy, tayo’y hindi ‘Kano; ‘wag kang mahihiya kung ang ilong mo ay pango,” is a lyric and sentiment iconicized by Filipino folk rock superstar Heber Bartolome in the ’70s, sampled and remade by other musical legends like Francis Magalona, Freddie Aguilar, Aegis, and Ely Buendia. In English, this iconic line translates to: “We are Filipinos, we are not Americans; so don’t feel ashamed if your nose shape is flat.”
While the song encourages Filipinos to be proud of our signature nose shape, most Filipinos still feel insecure about our wider, flat noses. The fact that we have a specific word for it—Pango—in Filipino just shows how entrenched this insecurity and hostility are in our culture and identity.
The Filipino Nose
“Southeast Asian noses are among the smallest nose structures in the world,” describes Dr. Eduardo Yap, an ENT surgeon as well as an expert on rhinoplasty in the Philippines and the Southeast Asian region, in an interview with Dr. Cameron Mackintosh. Compared to Westerners, Filipinos have shorter, wider, and less projected noses. We typically have small, weak septums (the thin wall made of cartilage that splits the inside of your nose into two), contributing to a flat, undefined nose bridge.
But aside from the flatness, Filipino noses are also known for rounded, very bulbous nose tips, with very thick, globular sides (called alar). “It’s like the fusion of three mushrooms,” says Dr. Yap when referring to how wide and flared the tip and the alar look on Filipinos. That’s why, when viewed from the front, Filipino noses tend to have a more triangular shape, with a much wider base.
A study in PLOS Genetics has shown that nose shapes across the world may be related to temperature and absolute humidity—wider noses are more common in warmer, more humid climates, while narrower noses are more common in opposite climates. Narrower nasal airways may help people in colder, drier climates warm and humidify air, so it may explain why Asians and Africans typically have wider nostrils and nasal airways. But that evolutionary advantage doesn’t stop Filipinos from feeling insecure about their noses.
Thanks to our centuries-long enslavement under the Spanish, and constant exposure to Hollywood stars and K-Pop idols on screens today, colonialism and pop culture have made us believe our nose shapes are inferior. Whose parents or grandparents haven’t encouraged them to pinch or put a clothespin on their noses bridges every night, in the hopes of turning them more matangos? (Yet another Filipino word to refer to “sharp noses” and likewise reveals our fixation with nose shapes.)
The Impact of Nose Enhancement
“I always had an insecurity with my nose,” admits Pete*, a 36-year-old telecommunications executive. In high school, he started to notice how wide his nose looked, compared to others in real life and in media. He decided to start wearing glasses so that he could cover it up a bit. “Dapa!” he describes it sadly.
“Dapa,” or “fallen” sounds like a dramatic visual, but it’s a specific complaint that patients bring up consistently, according to Dr. Alexandra Jaro of Alexandra Jaro Aesthetics Clinic, a medical doctor and a trained cosmetic surgeon under the Philippine Academy of Aesthetic Surgery. Many Filipinos really see their noses as sprawled awkwardly and generously across their faces, an unfortunate and distracting condition that they want to correct. According to her, rhinoplasty, a surgical procedure that reshapes the nose, is her most in-demand procedure at the clinic. (In fact, most clinics and surgeons will have a waiting list for rhinoplasties.) “[My patients] tell me, ‘Doc, my nose is too flat or wide,” she reiterates, sharing how many of them had to resort to contouring their noses with makeup. Many of them bring photos of their pegs, mostly from Korean personalities and Filipino celebrities with more narrow and defined noses.
Being ‘pango’ or flat-nosed is one of the reasons some kids get bullied when they are young, and many of them bring that worry when they get older, so it’s no wonder why they seek out ways to improve it.
Fixing one’s nose seems the most obvious and urgent to most Filipinos. “It’s right in the center of the eyeline,” says Dr. Jaro. When you look at yourself in the mirror, it’s the most prominent and dominant feature staring back. But a rhinoplasty can actually help improve the whole face’s symmetry and proportions as well. “Enhancing the nose can make your face look narrower,” says Dr. Jaro.
Pete realized the impact of a good nose enhancement on local celebrities who, with close inspection, he discovered underwent procedures to improve their nose. “Their whole face would improve so much!” he said. “That’s when I got encouraged to explore nose enhancements.”
Sheila*, a dermatologist, remembers meeting a patient who looked particularly good that day. “You’re blooming! Did you lose weight?” she asked. “Something changed!” When her patient said that she had her nose done, she immediately asked who her doctor was. Sheila had already been considering rhinoplasty to remove a bump she had on her nose but was looking for a doctor who wouldn’t overhaul her nose or face. “I didn’t want to change the way I looked,” she explained. “I just wanted improvement. I didn’t want people to look at me and not recognize me.”
A new age of self-care
Of course, aside from the physical changes, the right nose enhancement can definitely boost someone’s confidence and self-esteem, especially if their nose has been a source of insecurity for many years. Being pango is one of the reasons some kids get bullied when they are young, and many of them bring that worry when they get older, so it’s no wonder why they seek out ways to improve it.
But even with no traumatic childhood memories, people can still seek enhancements to their noses to augment their overall look. Sheila never actually felt insecure about her nose until fellow dermatologists pointed out some things that could be improved at a conference. “‘Your bone, it’s protruding,’ they told me. From the side, you could see there was a bump, and it was making my nose point downwards. And the tip was a bit bulbous, too.” She sighs. “When someone tells you something about your nose, you can’t unsee it!” She decided to start looking for the right doctor who could get what she wanted done.
These days, Dr. Jaro’s patients are usually in their mid-20s and 30s, and generally, this demographic is more comfortable with and open to cosmetic procedures and surgeries. “Nose enhancement before was a taboo,” she says. “Before, people were very secretive. Even if you can see from the photos that they had something done, they’ll deny it.” Today, people are exposed to more information and seem to accept that cosmetic procedures are the best and most effective way to enhance your facial features. Her youngest patient was about 20 years old and wanted to get non-surgical enhancements to her nose.
While Sheila was completely comfortable telling others about getting a procedure done, her mom was aghast. “My mom tells me to deny it, and I’m like, why? There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look good. But I understand; before it was taboo. People would think you were too vain or materialistic. But now it’s all about self-love, self-care, and loving yourself first.”
Different types of enhancements
Self-love can also mean appreciating your unique features, and neither Sheila nor Pete wanted a completely different nose. They were simply looking for improvement, so it was important for them to look for a doctor who was familiar with and used to Filipino noses—someone who could work with their noses instead of replacing them. “Our [rhinoplasty] is exactly the opposite of European and Western [rhinoplasty],” says Dr. Yap in his video. Most Westerners seek rhinoplasties to reduce a large or overly projected nose, and typically involve breaking or narrowing the bones. For Filipinos, the aim is to lengthen the nose, augment the length of the nose called the dorsum (“Almost always!” says Dr. Yap), project the tip, and modify the alar structure. Sheila concurs: “I wouldn’t want to go to a doctor who does Caucasian noses every day. I might end up looking Caucasian!” This is why she sought out Dr. Yap to do her procedure.
Rhinoplasty is a major surgical procedure, so for some people who are interested in enhancing their nose but tentative about going under the knife, there are non-surgical options like fillers and threads. Dr. Jaro prefers threads, rather than fillers which can be more prone to complications. A thread lift entails inserting threads on the nose bridge and tip to help lift them, and the effects can last from one to two years. “It creates a subtle enhancement if you don’t like the idea of surgery,” she says. She shares that a lot of her patients eventually decide to go for the rhinoplasty a few months after getting threads. (Dr. Jaro notes that if you get a rhinoplasty after getting threads, it’s already considered a revision surgery, and ends up being more expensive as it becomes a more challenging procedure for the doctor.)
Aside from a rhinoplasty, there are also certain surgical procedures that focus on just the tip and alar, ideal for those who are content with their nose bridges. For Filipinos, a tip plasty can elevate the nose tip, while an alar plasty trims and shapes the thick skin of the sides and nostrils. Once he was ready to get a nose enhancement, Pete did extensive research, including joining Facebook Groups to check before-and-after photos, feedback, and advice from those who had gotten their noses done. He soon realized that he only wanted an alar plasty—it was the thickness of his alar that really made his entire nose look wide. “My issue with my nose is that it was big. It wasn’t really the bridge,” he explained. “I thought, sure, it would be nice to have a better bridge, but it was really the width that bothered me.”
Do your research
Knowing his concern helped Pete make decisions about what he wanted to do with his nose. “You have to know your end in mind,” says Pete. During his consultation with his doctor, he was asked if he wanted a tip plasty also, but he declined, considering his budget as well as what he really wanted out of the procedure. Doc Alex agrees that prioritizing what your concern is incredibly important, and will help you and your doctor agree on what you’d like to have done. “Cosmetic surgery is not cheap,” she reminds everyone. Your doctor can help discuss your needs and budget so that you can properly choose procedures. For example, for a rhinoplasty, silicone implants will be cheaper than Gore-Tex. If you’re ready to spend more, you may consider a tip plasty as well.
But Doc Alex reiterates, “You shouldn’t be going into debt because of a nose job,” she warns. “This is a want, not a need.” She also cautions people from cutting corners and going into non-accredited “clinics” where the non-doctors do the procedure. “Don’t be stingy. This is your face!” agrees Sheila. “Surgery is irreversible.” Even if you decide to get revision surgery, any prior procedures will leave scar tissue and make it a harder, more expensive surgery.
“A rhinoplasty is not like having a dress. It’s not something you throw on to fit a mood or a look. It’s a physical, permanent enhancement to yourself, meant to bring out the best version of you.” —Dr. Alexandra Jaro
For both Pete and Sheila, doing research was an important first step. Sheila made sure she found a doctor who matched the aesthetic that she wanted, instead of those who have “template” noses. “I know doctors who specialize in ‘pixie’ noses (a small, delicately curved nose with an upturned tip). For people who have small faces, that might work out, but for those with wider or larger faces, it might not fit.” She recommends asking your doctor for before-and-after photos, but also looking at TikTok or YouTube since many people share their experiences online.
“The Facebook groups are so helpful,” adds Pete. “Aside from the before-and-after shots and their inputs, people share a lot of tips aftercare, like what to watch out for and what worked for them.” That’s how he found his doctor as well, when he looked specifically for those who were good in alar plasties.
“Talk to your doctor,” urges Sheila. “You have to feel comfortable with that doctor. If you feel that he is not answering your questions from the start, that’s not gonna change. Post-care is as important as the procedure, if not more important.”
Life after rhinoplasty
It shouldn’t be a surprise that a rhinoplasty, as it is, in fact, a surgical procedure, has some downtime. For Pete, the stitches from his alar plasty stayed in for a week, and he was swollen for a couple of days. “I needed a lot of strong painkillers!” he laughed.
But Sheila was surprised at how long it would actually take for her nose to settle into its natural shape. “Dr. Yap told me it would be one year before I would see 90% of the result. The pain will go away on the third month, and by the sixth month, you’ll be happy.” Surprised, she checked online and many people agreed with this timeline. It will really take several months before the swelling of the nose will go down.
“The days after your surgery, it will take some getting used to—the nose seems more swollen.” Every time she looked at herself in the mirror, she would get taken aback and had to remind herself she had gotten a nose job. “It was really swollen,” she emphasized. “My husband said I looked like I had a prosthetic nose on. It was swollen around the alar and the bridge. When I would drink wine, my nose would hit the wine glass because it was swollen!” Her nose also still hurt for a few months when she would accidentally snag against it, like when she would remove her t-shirt.
While waiting for the swelling to go, Sheila couldn’t help but feel twinges of regret, but once her nose started to settle into its natural state, all that went away. “I only became comfortable and confident after six months!” she admitted. Now, it’s been about eight months after her rhinoplasty, and she’s already quite content and happy with what she sees in the mirror.
“To me, it was a fulfillment of a childhood dream,” says Pete. He happily signed up to get professional photos taken to capture his upgraded look, and he still gets a kick out of looking at his “before” photos. There were a few people who noticed a change in him, and despite his procedure only focusing on his alar, they said that his nose looked taller and more matangos. “They asked me if I had gotten threads,” he said. For Sheila, most of the people she hadn’t seen in a long time had no idea, but her colleagues noticed an improvement, especially those who saw her regularly. They didn’t realize it was a rhinoplasty until she told them. “Everyone thought I did something with my eyes!”
Know your why
When people decide to get procedures done, Dr. Jaro urges them to be ready for the comments of other people as well. “Even if you try to ignore them, people will still make comments,” she says. “Filipino culture is like that.” But a nose enhancement can have a big, positive impact on yourself and body image, she says, and happily reports that most of her clients emerge happy and confident. “They become more vain!” she chuckles. “Every time they pass by a mirror, they want to look at their face.”
While a cosmetic procedure can enhance your appearance and impact your confidence, it is never a guarantee for happiness. For both Sheila and Pete, their doctors started by asking them why they wanted to do it, pointing out that they didn’t really need them. “I didn’t feel it was a reverse psychology tactic,” said Pete. “I think he wanted to see if I really wanted to do it, and if I was really ready and willing, both physically and psychologically.” As a dermatologist herself, Sheila understood that doctors want to make sure, as much as they can, that their patients have the right motivation and expectation from the rhinoplasty. “A rhinoplasty is not like having a dress,” says Dr. Jaro. It’s not something you throw on to fit a mood or a look. It’s a physical, permanent enhancement to yourself, meant to bring out the best version of you. This means that after the procedure, your Filipino nose will still be your Filipino nose—only now, improved to allow you to put your best face forward, always.
*Names have been changed.
A Quick Overview of Nose Enhancements
Just as not all noses are the same, neither are the procedures. Once you have an idea of what you’d like to address or improve about your nose, it’s always best to consult with a certified doctor and surgeon. They have the expertise and experience to assess you properly and customize their recommendations and procedures based on your personal history and unique physical condition, as well as any other concerns you have. Procedures and price ranges will also vary, depending on your condition, needs, and chosen doctors. In the meantime, here’s a quick overview of some procedures you may want to consider and discuss:
SURGICAL PROCEDURES
Rhinoplasty
Commonly called a nose job or nose enhancement, rhinoplasty is the general term for plastic surgery that reshapes your nose and changes your nose’s shape and size. For Filipinos, it often involves augmentation, where an implant is used to increase height and provide definition to the nose bridge and dorsum.
Tip Plasty
Tip plasty focuses on refining the shape of the tip, based on its relationship with the nasal bridge. The aim could be to reduce it or make it more pointed, but for most Filipinos, tip plasties help lift and project it more. There are two general types:
Non-Autologous
Doctors will insert an implant made from a synthetic material, carefully shaped based on the patient’s precise needs, into the nose. Silicone has been used and tried and tested for several decades already, but there are newer materials like Gore-Tex.
The pros: Silicone is the most popular material because of the low possibilities of side effects, but also because it’s easier to insert, adjust, or remove in the future. Recovery from non-autologous is said to be faster as well. Some people also like Gore-Tex because it integrates with our nasal tissues, so the result is more stable and looks more natural.
The cons: Silicone implants can feel hard and unnatural under the skin, and since it doesn’t integrate with the nose, there is a possibility of migration or movement. Meanwhile, using Gore-Tex implants may also be more expensive than silicone, and because the material is also harder to remove because of the fusion with the tissues that happens.
Price range: P25,000 (for promos) to P80,000 for silicone, P100,000 to P180,000 for Gore-Tex.
Autologous
One’s own cartilage is used to augment the shape of the nose. Typically, doctors will harvest it from the rib or ear, and then sculpt it into an implant they can use.
The pros: Because it’s harvested from your own natural tissue, there are fewer risks of infection or inflammation. It blends and heals with the body, gets incorporated with the nose, and has a more natural, softer appearance.
The cons: Harvesting the cartilage is another separate surgical procedure, and this is more expensive.
Price range: P160,000 to P200,000
Alar Plasty
This involves trimming tissue from the sides of the nose, ideal for patients with wide noses, large nostrils, or those with thick alars.
Price range: P20,000 to P40,000
NON-SURGICAL PROCEDURES
For those who don’t want to undergo the knife, these non-invasive options may address your concerns and provide definition, height, and structure to your nose. Procedures are quick, significantly more affordable than a rhinoplasty, and have little to no downtime, but effects are also temporary. Depending on your doctor, these procedures can also be done together. As mentioned, these will cause scar tissue in your nose, so should you later decide to get a rhinoplasty, it will be considered a revision surgery.
Fillers
This procedure involves injecting dermal fillers strategically into the nose to achieve a better definition. This may be appropriate for those looking to add height to or enhance their nose bridge. Fillers typically last anywhere between six to 18 months.
Price range: P30,000 to P40,000
Threads
Fine, absorbable threads are inserted along your nasal bridge, septum, or columella (the bridge of tissue that separates the nostrils at the bottom of your nose), and these can be used to lift the tip, sharpen the contour, and narrow the width. As they dissolve, the threads stimulate more collagen as well. The number of threads will depend on the desired outcome, but generally, the effects last one to two years.
Price range: P25,000 to P40,000 (depending on the number)
