What is rhinoplasty and Am I a good candidate?
Contrary to popular belief, there are many more reasons to have a rhinoplasty -also known as a nose job or nose reshaping - aside from purely aesthetic purposes. This common type of facial surgery can also help candidates with a cleft lip or palate, chronic sinus issues or breathing problems, and facial damage due to an accident or injury.
More commonly chosen to enhance the general appearance of their nose, for a renewed sense of self-confidence!
Before booking your appointment, be sure to consult our handy fact sheet to find out if this type of surgery is the right one for you.
What is Rhinoplasty?
Rhinoplasty is intended to either improve the function or enhance the shape of your nose. The procedure can be performed either under local or general anesthesia depending on your preferences and your specialist's recommendations.
During the procedure, small incisions are usually made within the nostrils - this is called a "closed” approach. More elaborate cases may require some additional cuts across the base of the nose, known as the columella, making it an "open” approach. These cuts allow the surgeon to reshape the cartilage and bone as necessary. Once the rhinoplasty is complete, candidates are typically treated on an outpatient basis.
Who is the ideal candidate?
The majority of individuals that choose to have a rhinoplasty wish to improve the shape, size, or general appearance of their nose.
Perceived imperfections can include asymmetry, wideness, crookedness, a bump on the nose's ridge, nostrils that are either too large or too pinched or a misshapen tip of the nose.
People seeking to undergo rhinoplasty for medical reasons are a smaller yet equally important percentage of the ideal candidate pool. As discussed above, a cleft lip or palate, sinus or breathing issues, and facial damage are perfectly good reasons to consider this type of procedure. The same goes for other internal nasal issues, such as a deviated septum.
Healing and aftercare
Due to the small size of the incisions required to complete a rhinoplasty, the scarring that results from this procedure is usually very minimal. During a closed procedure, the scars will be located inside the nose, making them essentially imperceptible.
Post-surgery patients commonly wear a nasal splint and bandage for the week following the rhinoplasty and can experience some swelling and bruising in the surrounding facial region - namely around the eyes. These visible side effects should begin to fade within a few days, though it can take up to two weeks for them to disappear entirely.
Barely-perceptible swelling may occur around the nose for up to six months after the procedure.
Before and after results
With the help of a skilled cosmetic surgeon, a rhinoplasty should banish any insecurity that you once felt about your nose. For patients with medical concerns, your procedure should either greatly improve or entirely eliminate the adverse health effects that afflicted your pre-surgery nose.
