Nose job surgery, known in the medical world as rhinoplasty, is an incredibly popular surgical procedure that patients undergo when they are unhappy with the size and shape of their nose. The cosmetic benefits are obvious (as they should be with a surgery performed on the face) but the nose job procedure also has a number of functional benefits as well, such as improving the nose’s ability to function or to assist with breathing problems.
The overall goal of the nose job surgery is to revise and alter the appearance of the nose so that it matches the desired appearance or functionality of the individual patient, whilst keeping in mind the existing facial features and structure.
What happens during a nose job?
Well, it depends on exactly what type of nose job you’re planning on undergoing, a reduction rhinoplasty or an augmentation rhinoplasty. As the name suggests, a reduction rhinoplasty is the surgical procedure that is performed to reduce the size of the nose, whereas an augmentation rhinoplasty is the surgical procedure associated with changing the nose or making it larger.
During a reduction rhinoplasty, the surgeon generally makes a number of small cuts inside the nostrils in order to reach the bone and cartilage. This is what is known as “closed rhinoplasty” and is performed in a way that should leave no visible scarring after surgery has been carried out. There is also “open rhinoplasty” which requires a cut to be made across the skin between your nostrils which can result in some form of visible scarring, but this should fade quickly and be barely noticeable.
Once the incisions have been made, the bone and cartilage inside the nose are either removed or rearranged as appropriate to decrease the size or shape of the nose before the incisions are sealed again. After undergoing a nose job surgery, it doesn’t matter whether the procedure was open or closed, your skin will need to be lifted and will take some time to re-drape itself over the new shape of the nose.
During augmentation rhinoplasty, the same rules apply as with a reduction rhinoplasty in the need for having an open or closed surgery. The main difference is that instead of having bone or cartilage removed, extra bone or cartilage is required to be used to build up the shape of the nose and this is known as a graft. The graft is generally taken from either the nose, rib or ear depending on exactly what is needed.
Any incisions made inside the nose are likely to be closed with dissolving stitches as this means that they don’t need to be removed afterwards, but those outside the nose will need to be removed approximately 1 week after undergoing a nose job surgery.
What happens after a nose job?
As it’s generally performed under anaesthesia, the first step is to recover from the anaesthetic which can cause some discomfort as this wears off, generally the surgical team will provide some form of pain relief if it is required.
After the initial post-surgery recovery, your nose is going to feel like it’s blocked or as if you have a cold but this is nothing to worry about and is completely normal. You are required to breathe through your mouth, at least for the first couple of weeks, to ease any possible strain on the nose when breathing.
It’s also likely that you’re going to have some bruising around your eyes and pain across your face, but this should be manageable with over the counter painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen. The bruising associated with a nose job is something that you may have seen in photos or articles but it’s not something that you should be worried about, it’s completely natural and it will ease and fade.
Whilst every patient is different and so is their recovery, there are a few things you can do to help recover from nose job surgery which are;
- Try to keep your head raised as much as possible, a good tip for this is to have an extra couple of pillows handy for when you sleep
- Try to avoid any activities that will increase the blood flow to the face, including hot baths or heavy lifting
- Don’t blow your nose for the first week or two after surgery and try to avoid sneezing through your nose
- Avoid any form of strenuous exercise or contact sports for around four to six weeks after surgery
- If you wear glasses, using a bit of tape to stick them to your forehead as opposed to resting them on the bridge of your nose may also help
How old do I have to be to get a nose job?
As a general rule of thumb, applicable candidates for nose job surgery should have stopped growing before trying to book their consultation in. In young teens and adults, facial growth can cause a knock-on effect to the look and function of the nose so it’s always advisable to wait it out. The only major exception to this rule is for people who have some form of facial defect, such as a cleft palate or a defect related to an injury. Ideally, age 18 would be the best age to start looking to book your consultation.
How much does a nose job cost?
Our prices for nose job or rhinoplasty surgery start from just £5495, to find out more or book your completely free, no-obligation consultation today, take a look at our rhinoplasty surgery page.