Nose Reshaping: An Overview

Nose Reshaping: An Overview

Your nose is perhaps the most defining characteristic of your face, and if the size or shape of your nose is out of balance with the rest of your facial features, you may be self-conscious about it. Of course, this is all relative. For some individuals, a small bump on the bridge of the nose is embarrassing, while for others, a slight bump may not be an issue. One person may be embarrassed about having a large nose, whereas another person may not be bothered by it.
If you have long been uncomfortable with the size or shape of your nose, you may be considering nose reshaping. For years, surgery to reshape the nose has ranked among the five most popular facial cosmetic surgery procedures. In fact, each year more than 300,000 Americans undergo procedures to sculpt the nose.

What Is Nose Reshaping?

Nose reshaping, called rhinoplasty, is a surgical procedure that redefines the contours of your nose. Rhinoplasty, commonly referred to as a nose job, can be performed for purely cosmetic reasons, to create a nose that is more harmonious with the rest of your face. It can also be performed to improve a person's breathing function if structures inside the nose block the passage of air. In most cases, rhinoplasty can address both cosmetic and functional issues.

Among facial plastic surgeons, nose reshaping is considered to be one of the most complex of all facial cosmetic procedures. Why? Because the nose is a complex structure, including bones, cartilage, skin, mucous membranes, hair follicles, glands, muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, and nerves. Making changes to any of these elements can affect the other structures within the nose and can ultimately affect functionality as well as appearance. When making refinements to a nose, a surgeon must consider all of these elements in order to achieve a pleasing, aesthetic result while preserving function.

Improvements to your nose may be subtle or dramatic depending on your circumstances. However, even minor alterations to your nose can significantly enhance your appearance and self-confidence. It's important to understand that having nose surgery isn't like shopping for a new outfit. There is no catalog of noses in different sizes and shapes that you look through to choose your new nose. A surgeon can make improvements softening a hump, straightening a crooked nose, or reducing the size of the tip, for example. In general, your surgeon will fine-tune specific features you don't like about your nose while maintaining its uniqueness and character.

Ideally, following surgery, your nose should look natural and be more balanced with the rest of your face. It shouldn't look like you've had a nose job. Following rhinoplasty, you may be surprised to discover that friends and coworkers don't realize that your enhanced appearance is due to nose surgery. Your mom or best friend may be the only one to
notice the difference in your nose.

Types of Rhinoplasty Procedures

Although each procedure is tailored to individual needs, there are two basic types of rhinoplasty: open and closed. The type your surgeon chooses to perform will depend on the complexity of the reshaping to be done to your nose and on his or her personal preferences.

Closed Rhinoplasty

When closed, or endonasal, rhinoplasty is performed, all the incisions are made inside the nose. Working solely within the nose means that the surgeon has a limited view of the bone and cartilage that is being reshaped. In spite of the challenges presented by the limited view, many surgeons are well trained in this method and achieve excellent results
with it. In general, closed rhinoplasty may be considered sufficient for simpler rhinoplasty procedures but may not be the best choice for complex procedures or revision of a previous nose surgery.

Open Rhinoplasty

In open, or external, rhinoplasty, the surgeon makes incisions inside the nose but also makes a small incision across the columella, the strip of tissue at the base of the nose that separates the nostrils. The nose skin is then lifted away from the underlying nasal structures, providing the surgeon with a clear view of the cartilage and bone to be reshaped. Greater visibility is a major benefit that allows the surgeon to make precise refinements. This method leaves a small scar from the incision on the columella, although it is often virtually invisible when completely healed. Open rhinoplasty may also lead to increased swelling. Open rhinoplasty is often preferred for more complex or challenging procedures, including revision of a previous nose surgery.

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