5 Basic Facts About Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty, more commonly referred to as a nose job, is one of the most commonly sought after cosmetic surgeries. Whether it’s to change the original shape of your nose, correct the result of an accident or previous surgery, or to improve your air passages, rhinoplasty can improve your most prominent facial feature.
In 2008, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reported rhinoplasty as one of the top five most frequently performed cosmetic surgeries.
With its continued growth in popularity, it is important that patients educate themselves on the rhinoplasty procedure, including what it is, reasons why it is used, who is a good candidate, expected results and, as well as the risks involved.
1. What is Rhinoplasty or Nose Reshaping?
Nose reshaping surgery, or rhinoplasty, is a surgery that modifies the outer appearance of your nose and should maintain or improve your breathing.
2. Reasons Why Someone Would Want or Need a Nose Job
Usually a rhinoplasty is performed to:
- Decrease the overall size of the nose if it is too large
- Remove a bump from the bridge of the nose if it is visible on the profile view
- Narrow the tip of the nose if it is too wide
- Change the size and orientation of the base of the nose if it is too flared, wide or asymmetric
- Rotate the tip up if it is too droopy
- Narrow the nose if it is too wide
- Increase the bridge and tip if it is too small
- Straighten a crooked nose if it is off-center
- Improve breathing due to trauma or a narrow breathing passage that someone was born with
3. Age Considerations
Patients of all ages may be interested in reshaping their nose. Because the nose is an important growth center for the mid-face, patients are usually advised to wait until their growth is complete. If rhinoplasty is performed to before the completion of puberty, it is usually for reconstruction, to repair a condition a person was born with, or to repair the nose after trauma or another abnormality.
In recent years, the United States has seen an increase in the number of teens seeking plastic surgeries. Although this topic can be controversial, the Today Show recently aired a short segment on legitimate reasons for a young person to seek surgical corrections: What Makes Teens Want Plastic Surgery.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, there is no upper age limit to having rhinoplasty, as long as the person is in good health.
4. What kind of results can you expect to receive?
The goal of rhinoplasty is to improve of the outer appearance of your nose so that it is more balanced with the rest of your face and to improve breathing. There are limitations, however, to what can be altered and this must be understood and discussed between you and your doctor.
It is important that you have realistic expectations and they should be thoroughly discussed with your surgeon. Although results can be fairly dramatic compared to your original nasal features, it is important to maintain your natural appearance and enhance your overall natural beauty.
Different ethnicities have different shapes and esthetic ideals for the shape of the nose and the face in general. These differences should be respected and celebrated.
5. What are the risks involved?
As with any surgical procedure, there are risks, both cosmetic or non-cosmetic., that you should be aware of. Cosmetic risks include asymmetry, under-correction or over-correction of the area of concern.
Non-cosmetic risks include worsening of breathing. While it is normal to have some difficulty breathing through your nose initially after the surgery, persistent difficulty breathing is a complication. Fortunately, complications after rhinoplasty are uncommon. Please take the time to understand all the risks prior to your surgery.
When considering facial plastic surgeries such as rhinoplasty, take the time to educate yourself and understand the procedure. Check our my next blog post on the rhinoplasty process, including pre- and post-opp expectations, the surgical process and important questions to ask your doctor.
