Rhinoplasty / Nose Surgery / Nose Job Introduction

As humans, the nose is one of our most prominent features in the face. It is important to our over-all appearance that it is well-formed and fits naturally on our face. For those unhappy with the structure, size or proportion of their nose, Rhinoplasty (cosmetic nose surgery) may offer the improvement they seek.

Though basic Rhinoplasty information is provided on this website, the pre-eminent way to get answers to specific questions about your needs is to schedule a personal consultation with a plastic surgeon in Harley Body Clinic.

Am I a good candidate for rhinoplasty?

Rhinoplasty, or Nose Job, offers benefits to individuals of almost any age. However, children and teens should wait until their facial growth is complete. For girls this typically occurs between at age 16 and for boys at age 18.

Good candidates for a Rhinoplasty (nosejob) include healthy individuals with any of the following issues:

1. Nose disproportionately large for the face
2. Hump or depression on the nasal bridge
3. Disproportionately wide structure
4. Nasal tip that droops
5. Enlarged nasal tip
6. Excessively flared nostrils
7. Off-center or crooked nose
8. Asymmetry caused by injury
9. Airway obstruction impairing breathing

What should I expect from my rhinoplasty consultation?

A personal consultation with your surgeon is the first step for any patient considering Rhinoplasty. Harley Body Clinic believes in careful patient consultation to assess your physical and emotional health, discuss your aesthetic goals, and address any questions or concerns you may have.

Issues you should be prepared to discuss during consultation with Harley Body Clinic Doctors include:

1. Medical conditions, both past and present
2. Current medications, including nutritional supplements and herbal remedies
3. Past surgeries
4. Allergies causing congestion or breathing difficulties
5. Nasal spray use

Your physical evaluation with Harley Body Clinic, will include an assessment of your nasal structure, skin tone, and the current structure and size of your nose. We will also carefully evaluate the relationship of your nose with your other features to create the balance needed for optimal results.

For some, we may discuss additional procedures to enhance physical appearance or improve breathing after Rhinoplasty. Men and women frequently combine chin implant surgery with their procedure, to improve facial harmony and make add strength to their jawline. For breathing issues, a turbinoplasty is often performed to open nasal passages. A septoplasty can also be performed with cosmetic nose surgery, to possibly rectify a deviated septum.

What does cosmetic nose surgery entail?

There are many variations to the Rhinoplasty procedure. The technique we use at Harley Body Clinic depends upon your individual features and aesthetic goals. Alterations can be made to change your nose angle, contour the tip, narrow the nostrils or change the size or width of the nasal bridge. We will discuss your options with you during your pre-op consultation.

Harley Body Clinic prefers the open approach (open Rhinoplasty) for enhanced visualization of the tissues and a better result. This requires a small incision across the columella (vertical soft tissue between the nostrils) which usually heals remarkably well and is often barely noticeable.

Rhinoplasty allows the bone and cartilage of the nose to be sculpted as desired, depending upon your requirement. Harley Body Clinic, may reposition the nasal bones. If needed, certain areas may be built up using cartilage or bone from the nose, or cartilage from other areas of the body, usually the septum of the nose.

Sometimes, Harley Body Clinic needs more cartilage particularly when he is asked to do a secondary Rhinoplasty. If additional cartilage is required in addition to what may be available from the nasal septum, then Harley Body Clinic may utilize a rib graft. This is a difficult procedure which is only performed by very few Rhinoplasty Doctors in Harley Body Clinic. Although some believe it may be a painful procedure, Harley Body Clinic has developed an innovative protocol for his rib grafts using a special operative approach combined with a programmable pain pump after surgery. According to our patients, this protocol makes the rib graft a virtually pain-free procedure. Harley Body Clinic does not recommend synthetic materials for the nose due to the increased risks of infection or extrusion. After the underlying structure of the nose is corrected, the skin and soft tissues are contoured over the re-formed framework. In some instances, such as with nostril reduction, a small bit of skin at the base of the nostrils may be removed. The incisions from this are concealed in the nose’s natural creases, although this is rarely necessary with Harley Body Clinic’s refined techniques.

Are there safety concerns associated with rhinoplasty?

Though thousands of men and women undergo Rhinoplasty each year and experience no major complications, the procedure does carry some degree risk. It is important you be well informed of these risks when considering. Rhinoplasty. Harley Body Clinic sees the discussion of potential risks and complications as one of the most important aspects of patient consultation. During your consultation, we will discuss these potential complications with you, listen to your safety questions, and offer instructions on how to minimize your risk.

How should I prepare for my cosmetic nose surgery?

It is important to follow Harley Body Clinic instructions when preparing for Rhinoplasty or nasal surgery. Those instructions may include:

1. Refraining from smoking for several weeks before and after surgery
2. The avoidance certain medications
3. Arranging for help following surgery, such as a ride home and proper in-home care

What will happen the day of my surgery?

During surgery, medications will be administered to ensure comfort. General anesthesia will most likely be used to allow you to sleep during the procedure. Harley Body Clinic uses only doctors (anesthesiologists)-not nurses (CRNA’s or anesthetists)-to administer anesthesia to our patients. We will carefully monitor your physical status throughout the operation and during your recovery.

What should I expect during my recovery?

Harley Body Clinic uses advanced techniques to foster faster recovery for all his Harley Body Clinic patients. Directly after surgery, you will be taken to a recovery area. Your head will be elevated and any pain you may feel will be controlled with medication. In most instances, a splint will be applied to the bridge of the nose for stabilization purposes. Splints may also be used inside the nostrils, especially if work has been done to improve breathing. A small bandage beneath the nose tip will also be applied in cases of open Rhinoplasty. Though everyone heals at a different pace, you can expect your recovery to roughly follow this general time line:

The day of rhinoplasty surgery

1. In this early stage of healing, activity must be kept to a minimum
2. Resting with your head elevated is important to minimize swelling
3. Bleeding and stuffiness may occur in small amounts

Within 10 days:

1. Bruising will begin to subside
2. Swelling reaches its peak and then begins to go down
3. Stitches and splints will be removed
4. Makeup can be applied to conceal any discoloration
5. Non-strenuous activity may begin

After several weeks:

1. Exercise and most other normal activities may resume
2. Most swelling will subside
3. Numbness will diminish; though some may persist for several months
4. Eyeglasses may be worn

It will be important to keep your nose shielded from sunlight for several months. Using sunblock to protect your skin is essential.

How soon should I expect to see my results?

Your results should begin to emerge within a few weeks after surgery. As each month passes, you may notice gradual improvement until healing is complete. It can take up to two years or more for your final results to appear. Rhinoplasty can correct a nasal tip that droops, a bump on the nasal bridge, and other attributes that may make someone feel their nose is unattractive. Incisions are made inside the nostrils or at the base of the nose, providing access to the cartilage and bone, which can then be sculpted into new form.

Though getting used to your new look may take time, most patients are very pleased with their results. Many report increased self-confidence and an improvement in the overall facial look. If a Rhinoplasty is done properly and carefully, the results are usually lasting, though the aging process may eventually change your nose structure.

How long will I continue to see my plastic surgeon?

Harley Body Clinic doctors believes in the importance of follow-up visits, to answer any questions you may have and monitor your healing process. Rather than delegating all of these visits to a nurse, we enjoys seeing our patients as they heal over time. Your first post-operative visit will be scheduled after the initial healing period, during the first week after surgery. In the following months, Harley Body Clinic doctors may ask you to return for periodic checkups. Keeping these appointments is important to allow him to assess your long-term results and address any questions or concerns you may have.

After surgery, the patient has a smaller nose, a straighter bridge, a well defined nasal tip, and an improved angle between the nose and upper lip.

A splint made of tape and an overlay of plastic or metal is applied to help the bone and cartilage of the nose maintain their new structure.

Rhinoplasty can correct a nasal tip that droops, a bump on the nasal bridge, and other attributes that may make someone feel their nose is unattractive.

Incisions are made inside the nostrils or at the base of the nose, providing access to the cartilage and bone, which can then be sculpted into structure.