Rhinophyma: A Treatment Review

Rhinophyma is the overgrowth of sebaceous glands in nasal tissue and its etiology unclear. Without treatment, rhinophyma can be progressive and cause concern both with respect to function and cosmesis.The objective of this work is to describe treatment options for rhinophyma and their respective risks and benefits.A PubMed search was performed to include the terms "rhinophyma" and "treatment."Numerous physically destructive modalities exist for treatment of rhinophyma, falling primarily into 3 categories: mechanical destruction, directed electrical energy/radiofrequency, and directed laser energy.There are multiple treatment modalities available to dermatologists for the treatment of rhinophyma. To the best of our knowledge, there are no randomized, prospective, control studies for any treatment, which makes it difficult to recommend a single treatment over another. Nonetheless, it is important to recognize that scarring and hypopigmentation most often occur on or near the nasal ala. Moreover, risks may increase if tissue destruction extends to the papillary dermis or pilosebaceous units are ablated.