How Can I Decide Whether Rhinoplasty Is the Right Choice for Me?
Rhinoplasty, often called a nose job, is among the most popular plastic surgery procedures. Patients undergo rhinoplasty for reasons that range from difficulty breathing to purely aesthetic reshaping.
While it’s not uncommon to find fault in the function or appearance of your nose, rhinoplasty isn’t for everyone. Choosing to undergo any surgery is a personal decision, and understanding the procedure can help you decide whether rhinoplasty is right for you.
What Is Rhinoplasty?
Rhinoplasty reshapes the nose surgically by altering its cartilage and bones. The surgery can offer the following benefits:
Adjust nose size to restore facial balance
Reshape nose profile to eliminate visible humps or depressions
Narrow nose width
Reshape and reposition nostrils
Correct nasal asymmetry
Reshape a nasal tip that’s overly bulbous, large, drooping, or hooked
In addition, patients with difficulty breathing through their noses may undergo rhinoplasty to correct a deviated septum or other structural defects.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Rhinoplasty?
Qualities of a good candidate for a nose job include patients:
Whose facial growth is complete
Who are in good physical health
Who are in good mental health
Who do not smoke
Additionally, patients need to understand the rhinoplasty procedure, be prepared for the recovery process, and have realistic expectations for their outcome.
Why Rhinoplasty?
The first step in determining whether rhinoplasty is the right choice for your needs is clearly understanding what you want to change about your nose. Nose shapes vary widely, and choosing a shape and size that will best suit your other facial features is a complex process.
There are four different areas of the nose to evaluate when choosing rhinoplasty.
The Upper Nose
The bony area close to the eyes is often reshaped to remove a bump or narrow a broad nasal bridge. In addition, many patients undergo rhinoplasty to create symmetry between the height of the nasal bones and the angle between the forehead and the top of the nose, making a straight nose.
The Middle Nose
The middle part of the nose is where patients with a deviated septum will need reshaping. Many patients want the central nose to appear straight and even from the front and equal to the nasal bones in height from the side.
The Tip of the Nose
Of the four areas of the nose, the tip receives the most reshaping in a rhinoplasty.
Ideally, the tip of the nose creates an aesthetically pleasing line when viewed in profile. In some cases, it can project slightly beyond that line. For example, when the nose tip droops, it can appear curved or hooked. Similarly, the tip can point too far upward if it lacks cartilage.
The Nasal Airway
The nasal airway is the most critical element of a rhinoplasty, though it has little effect on the nose’s appearance. Often patients can have their nose’s aesthetics altered while treating nasal blockages due to structural defects in the airway.
Therefore, it’s essential to choose a surgeon skilled in maintaining the integrity of your airway while aesthetically reshaping your nose.
The best way to decide whether rhinoplasty is right for you is by working with an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon who will accurately assess your goals and explain what to expect after a rhinoplasty.
