If you’re considering coming to us for a consultation about rhinoplasty, also known as a nose job, you’re in good company. Each year, half a million people consult with plastic surgeons about changing their appearance.
Whether you’ve always been unhappy with the nose you were born with, an injury has distorted the way it looks, or you’ve just recently decided that you want to change it, we at Sule Plastic Surgery can help.
The nose is the single most defining feature that affects the appearance of your face; it’s the most prominent characteristic of any visage. Even a slight alteration of the nose can change the way a person looks.
A nose job can drastically improve your appearance. And rhinoplasty can be performed not only for cosmetic reasons but also for functional reasons. If an injury or defect is blocking nasal passages, a nose job can improve a patient’s health by correcting that issue.
How Nose Jobs are Done: Understanding Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty means “shaping the nose” — the word has Greek origins, created from the root words “rhis” (nose) and “plassein” (to shape). During these procedures, a surgeon makes small incisions to access the cartilage and bones that form the structure of the nose.
In many cases, the surgeon makes incisions inside the nose. This keeps them hidden from sight once the nose heals after the procedure. Sometimes, it is necessary to make an incision in the skin that separates the nostrils. Incisions in this location should not be visible after they heal.
Once incisions are made, the nose can be reshaped as the surgeon carefully manipulates underlying cartilage and bone. Bone and cartilage can be removed, rearranged, or added to in order to create a newly shaped nasal structure.
These are the three most common requests for rhinoplasty procedures:
- To reshape the tip of the nose
- To change the way the nose is angled
- To change the linear path of the bridge of the nose
Changing the angle of the nose is an effective way to create a more youthful appearance.
If the tip of the nose is too large, the cartilage can be sculpted to reduce its size. The nose tip can also be sculpted to a different shape, as well.
When the sculpting is finished, the tissues are rearranged over the new structure of the nose, and the tiny incisions are sealed. A splint will be put on once everything is finished. This splint will remain for a few days to help the nose retain its new shape as it heals.
Planning Procedures for Nose Jobs
The lower portion of the nose is cartilage, while the upper part of it is bone. Rhinoplasty can alter cartilage, bone, skin, or all three.
You will plan your nose job with a surgeon during a consultation. We’ll talk about whether rhinoplasty is suitable for you, and we’ll consider and discuss your other facial features with respect to what you would like to change.
During your consultation, you’ll learn what rhinoplasty can achieve for you. It’s essential that we make sure that the plans will meet your needs and goals.
Your Consultation
Before we schedule nose jobs for our patients, we discuss several important things during an initial consultation. We’ll want to know the following about you:
- Your medical history
- Medications and supplements you are taking
- Current medical conditions
- Your specific expectations for the procedure
We may also take photographs of your nose and the facial area surrounding it. These photos will be taken from several different angles. After you recover, we will use them for before and after assessments.
They might also be used for long-term reviews, or we may refer to them during your surgery. Photos taken during your initial consultation will also make discussing your goals much easier.
Make sure to let us know about any history of nasal injuries, surgeries, or obstructions when we talk with you about your medical history. During your consultation, you must be open and honest about your history and your expectations of the procedure.
After the Rhinoplasty Procedure
Rhinoplasty requires either general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation, depending on the complexity of your surgery and a few other factors.
In some cases, we can perform rhinoplasty from inside your nose. If incisions on the outside of the nose are needed, however, they are extremely small and discreetly positioned.
Dissolving sutures are used after the procedure is finished. This way, you don’t have to come back just to have stitches removed. Your body will absorb them on its own over time. The nasal splint and dressing will be removed six to seven days after your rhinoplasty.
Nose Jobs in Dallas, TX
At Sule Plastic Surgery, we approach rhinoplasty as a way of improving more than just a person’s appearance. We look at it as improving overall health and well-being.
Rhinoplasty can be done as an independent procedure. Sometimes, it can be performed together with other procedures.
For example, some patients are interested in getting a chin augmentation if they have a small chin. When a chin is small, it can actually make the nose appear bigger on the face than it actually is.
Whether you’re interested solely in rhinoplasty or you want to learn about additional possible treatments and procedures, we would enjoy meeting you and hearing about your aesthetic goals.
How much is a nose job at Sule Plastic Surgery? It depends on many specific factors. To learn more about how much a nose job costs and why it might benefit you, contact us today.