Rhinoplasty Basics: For That Perfect Nose

So you want that unsightly nose chiseled to perfection? Easier said than done. Even the most highly skilled plastic surgeon and all the money in the world can’t always produce the perfect nose.

Many people are unaware of the complexity of the nasal structure. One wrong move and you may have difficulty breathing for the rest of your life or a nostril might cave in. This is why it is important to understand the basics of rhinoplasty before consulting a plastic surgeon.

Rhinoplasty Expectations

The most important thing to know and remember about a nose job is that it rarely comes out just as you had envisioned. Dissatisfaction rates for rhinoplasty are higher than many other surgeries, often due to people’s unreasonable expectations.

You can’t simply cut out a picture from a magazine and have a plastic surgeon recreate it with exactness on your face. Not only is this impossible due to individual limitations, but someone else’s features may not always match yours. In fact, the sign of a good rhinoplasty is a nose that blends in well with the other features of the face-neither a distraction nor the main attraction.

Rhinoplasty Types

For some people, their nasal gripes are simple enough to solve. A large bump on the bridge can generally be shaved down with ease, creating a nice straight or sloping appearance. A drooping tip can be carved into a more upturned, button nose. But once you begin to deal with issues such as, a deviated septum, bulbous tips, and weak bridges-things get tricky.

Next to aesthetic reasons, breathing problems are another cause to undergo this surgery. These troubles can include difficulty in breathing, snoring, and sleep-related issues.

Often the culprit is a deviated septum, which is a twisted nasal cavity that prevents the smooth intake and outtake of breath. Depending on the individual structure of the nose, a plastic surgeon will fix the cartilage, allowing the person to breathe easier and often adjusting minor aesthetic problems in the process.

Another tricky rhinoplasty request is the narrowing of a bulbous nasal tip. The boxier the tip, the more difficult it is to shape and position. Those with a drooping tip will find that reducing its size is fairly simple as the plastic surgeon will cut wedges of cartilage from the tip, resulting in a more refined appearance.

The main difficulty is the combination of a bulbous tip that is already somewhat rotated upwards. Removing cartilage will result in a “pig” nose effect, so it must rather be sewn down and stitched into a more appealing shape. Although this is possible, it takes a skilled surgeon and the results are not always as dramatic.

A weak or shallow bridge is another aesthetic challenge that surgeons face. For this procedure to be successful, a new bridge must be constructed either from existing cartilage or by using nasal implants. Usually the bridge can be built up somewhat, but there are many limitations to this type of procedure as well.

Research and maintaining realistic expectations of your rhinoplasty outcome will help ensure that you are more satisfied with the results. Find a plastic surgeon who is not only highly skilled, but will explain in detail his surgical plans and his own expectations of the outcome.

Author: Unhappy with your nose? If you are looking to enhance your look with an aquiline shaped nose, Washington DC rhinoplasty surgeons offer an array of customized enhancement options.