Rhinoplasty is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures performed year after year, with over 350,000 rhinoplasties performed in the United States in 2020 (according to statistics provided by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons).
What Is Rhinoplasty?
Rhinoplasty is cosmetic nose surgery. This is performed to address a wide range of aesthetic concerns. While rhinoplasty can help with some functional aspects of the nose (and improve breathing), it is performed for cosmetic reasons. That being said, rhinoplasty can be combined with other nose surgeries (such as septoplasty) to improve nasal function.
Rhinoplasty is performed to correct the following:
- Nose that is too large for the face
- Nose that is too small for the face
- Humps or bumps on the bridge
- Downturned nasal tip
- Upturned nasal tip
- Flared nostrils
- Crooked nose
- And more
What Surgical Techniques Are Used in Rhinoplasty?
There are many rhinoplasty surgery options. Rhinoplasty can be performed using the closed or open method.
- During closed rhinoplasty, incisions are made within the inside of the nostrils. With this technique, there are no external incisions made (and, therefore, no external scars). All adjustments are made within the nose. This technique is ideal for minor to moderate corrections, such as minimizing a nasal bump or hump. The closed rhinoplasty technique is not ideal for complex nose surgeries as it does not allow for as much visibility by the surgeon.
- During open rhinoplasty, an incision is made across the columella (the skin between the nostrils). This allows for the skin to be lifted and pulled back, giving the surgeon better visibility of the internal structures. While this technique does require an external incision, this heals very well and does not leave much — if any — noticeable scarring.
What Happens After Rhinoplasty Incisions Are Made?
The techniques used in rhinoplasty vary depending on whether you are reducing or augmenting your nose.
If you are “reducing” the size of your nose, such as removing a bump or hump, the excess bone or cartilage is actually shaved or filed down.
If you are augmenting your nose to increase its size or shape, cartilage will be taken from your nasal septum (the cartilage separating the nostrils) or your ear. In rare cases, cartilage may be taken from your rib; however, this is a more extensive technique and requires a longer recovery period.
Have More Questions About Rhinoplasty?
Can rhinoplasty improve my breathing?
Rhinoplasty is a cosmetic procedure. However, it can be combined with other techniques like septoplasty (to correct a deviated septum), which can improve breathing.
What is rhinoplasty recovery like?
Rhinoplasty recovery happens in stages. Immediately after your surgery, your nose will be packed and a splint will be placed over the nose to protect it from any external trauma. You can expect for your eyes and upper cheeks to bruise and swell.
While it will be difficult to breathe through your nostrils immediately (due to the packing and swelling), this will improve with time. The packing and splint will be removed after a few days to a week, and the noticeable bruising and swelling will subside within one to two weeks.
Rhinoplasty can take time to heal. Even though most of the lingering swelling will be inside of the nose (and only noticeable to you and your surgeon), it can take up to a year for all of the swelling to subside. Your results will be final at this point.
How old do I need to be for rhinoplasty?
Rhinoplasty can be performed as soon as the nose reaches full maturity. For women, this traditionally happens around the ages of 14 to 15. For men, this usually occurs between the ages of 15 or 16.
What happens if I am unhappy with my rhinoplasty results?
Rhinoplasty is known to be the most complicated plastic surgery procedure around. This surgery is so complex that it is very important to find a surgeon with a particular background in nose surgery. Because of this complexity (and the fact that there is no guarantee in the way that your rhinoplasty will heal), revision procedures are not completely uncommon.
While there are some extra steps that need to be taken for a revision rhinoplasty (due to the increased scar tissue in the nose), the process for revision rhinoplasty is very similar to initial rhinoplasty.
