Rhinoplasty surgery, or as it’s more commonly known “a nose job”, is the surgical procedure that is responsible for reshaping the nose. Whether this is for purely cosmetic reasons where the patient wants to change their appearance or whether it’s down to a necessity due to their nose causing issues with their breathing, rhinoplasty surgery is an incredible surgical procedure that can give renewed confidence in addition to a renewed appearance.
Over the last few decades, nose jobs have become more and more popular, especially with advancements in the science behind them. In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, celebrities such as Jodie Marsh made nose job surgery, otherwise known as rhinoplasty surgery, incredibly popular thanks to the way in which it can change the appearance of the face completely (although looking back now, a lot of people may think that her nose didn’t look amazing once done). Nowadays, the advancements allow a well-trained surgeon to completely redesign and reshape the nose to fit the look that a patient wants, but is a nose job a safe procedure to undergo?
All about nose reshaping
To start with, it’s important to understand that the shape and size of your nose is something that you will inherit from your parents and by the time you reach age 16, your nose will have developed fully and will not grow any further. At this point, your nose can be larger or smaller than you want it to be and from here, you will be able to speak to a consultant about reshaping your nose.
Rhinoplasty surgery comes in multiple forms, for example, you can make your nose smaller if you undergo a reduction rhinoplasty, you can make it larger with a procedure known as an augmentation rhinoplasty and you can even alter the most minute details such as altering the tip in it’s own specific form of rhinoplasty surgery. In most cases, a patient will opt for one of the first two forms of surgery and these can be used to alter the size and shape of any part of the nose from the nostrils all the way up to the bridge. The surgeon can even alter the angle between your nose and lip so depending on your exact requirements, between yourself and your surgeon you can create the perfect shape to match your face and give you the confidence that you require in your own skin.
During a reduction rhinoplasty, the surgeon will work to make the necessary incisions within the nostrils (although in some cases external incisions are required) to access the bone and cartilage that is to be removed whilst simultaneously minimising any visible scarring.
Augmentation rhinoplasty is the opposite side of the spectrum and rather than just focusing on the nose, it also requires the addition of extra bone (usually removed from the elbow, rib, skull or hip) or cartilage (often removed from the ears) to be used as a graft to help to achieve the desired shape and size.
So what should you know before going under the knife?
Before deciding you want to have a nose job done, research is vital and going into the consultation, you need to have clear expectations with yourself and your surgeon for what results you are looking to achieve. Ensure that you have looked into your surgeons qualifications and experience with due diligence, as well as looking into photographs and case studies of their previous surgeries.
Moving on from here, even if you know the perfect nose that you are looking for, it will never be perfect. The majority of perfect symmetrical noses you’ll see in magazines or online are probably airbrushed or photoshopped to look that way and your surgeon will make you aware of this. You also need to understand that even if you want the “Kim Kardashian nose”, you probably won’t be able to have it as the chances are that it won’t actually suit your face, the nose you and the surgeon create will be one that looks right for you.
It is also important to know that it can take over a year for your nose to completely heal (and there’s even a 10-15% chance that a revision rhinoplasty will be required). In this period, your nose will be adapting to it’s new shape and taking it’s time to ensure that the surgery is successful.
You’ll also need some time to get used to the new face looking back at you in the mirror. If you work in a role where you see your own face a lot then this is something that you will be checking constantly and it may be quicker for you, but if you don’t then it could take a while for you to get used to it and during that long healing phase, you may even notice the appearance changing slightly on a day by day basis.
And lastly, people may tell you that you didn’t need to have it done and that you were perfectly fine before the surgery, but if it was something that made you feel insecure and you had to carry that weight around with you for years then it can be absolutely lifechanging to undergo the surgery.
So now let’s answer the question, is a nose job safe?
Well in short, yes! Obviously as with any form of surgical procedure, there is an element of risk associated with it as everyone reacts differently but the risks and complications associated with nose job surgery are small and rare, your surgeon will discuss these with your in detail before the operation and make you aware of this. There is also a chance of bruising but this should last no longer than a week or so. It’s also worth noting that the majority of patients rate the pain level
Otherwise, as long as you have done your research on your surgeon and ensure that you have checked out their previous work and qualifications thoroughly, you will be safe to go under the knife for rhinoplasty surgery and get the nose that you have always dreamed of.