Nose aesthetics (Rhinoplasty-Nasoplasty)

Nose job

Our nose is not just a smelling and breathing organ. It also plays a role in our social life. Even if we are not aware of it, in face-to-face conversations the nose of the person in front of us immediately catches our eye. With its position in the middle of the face, the nose has a very important contribution to facial expression and beauty. Even millimetric changes in the shape and size of the nose make an immediately noticeable change in expression. Just as the definition of beauty cannot be made, it is also difficult to define a beautiful nose. It would not be correct to give numerical dimensions for a normal nose. Because the nose looks natural when it is in harmony with other facial structures instead of being in predetermined fixed dimensions.

The reasons for asking nose aesthetics can be for:

• Breathing difficulty
• Significant curvature of the nose (visible deviation)
• Bone and cartilage on the nose back protruding more than normal (humpback)
• Excessive nose width
• Nose that is longer or too short than normal
• Collapsed nasal ridge (saddle nose)
• The nostrils are noticeably wide (open)
• The appearance of the two nostrils is not the same
• Transverse narrowing at the tip of the nose that appears to be pinched, or an extremely fleshy and wide nasal tip
• The most pointy part of the nose (called the tip) is low (close to the lip) or so high that insides of the nostrils are visible
• Inconsistent harmony between the bone structures in the upper half of the nose and the cartilage structures in the lower half
• Obvious asymmetries between both halves of the nose

At what age should rhinoplasty be done?

Until 15 years ago, the age of aesthetic nose surgery was considered to be 18 for girls and boys. However, today there are surgeons who reduce this age to 16. If the patient does not have a significant health problem, there is no upper age limit for aesthetic nose surgery. Prof. Dr. Ege Ozgentas prefers to perform aesthetic nose surgery on those who are at least 18 years old unless there is a mandatory condition, and his oldest aesthetic nose patient is a woman over 80 years old.

Preoperative evaluation

Just as everyone’s faces are different, noses are also different from each other. The procedure to be applied should be carefully planned for each patient in advance. Some patients may come with pictures of the nose they like and ask for this to be done. Nose surgery is different from shaping the hair at the hairdresser. It is not made by following a model. Everyone should have a nose suitable for their face shape and body structure. The surgery is usually planned to give the most appropriate image (1) according to the thickness of the nasal skin and nasal cartilages, (2) the shape of the bones and cartilages and(3)  their localization, during the examination of the patient. Patients often wonder what their nose will look like after surgery. One way of demonstrating this is to take pictures of the patient’s nose and print them, and then make changes with a pen on the printed pictures. The more modern way is to put the nose picture on the computer and then put the nose into different shapes with some programs. The following warning should be made here. A good computer user can show you on the screen with a very nice nose. But this does not mean that you will look like this after the operation, because the operation is different from computer drawing. Therefore, it is a mistake to believe in computer images and decide on surgery. If you have seen your doctor’s previous nose surgeries or if your doctor is recommended by reliable friends, you can trust him/her.

How is aesthetic nose surgery done?

Nose job surgeries are called nasoplasty or rhinoplasty. Depending on the length of the procedure, sedation and local anesthesia or general anesthesia (full sleeping) are applied. There are several methods for aesthetical reshaping of the nose. Today there is two basic approach “Open” and “Closed”. The difference between them is: in open technique a small cut is done in the columella (the column between lip and the tip of the nose in the middle). The surgery begins by entering from inconspicuous places (for example, inside the nostrils) and making the cartilage and bones visible under the skin. Depending on the condition of the nasal defect, cartilage and bones can be removed, their shape can be changed or additions can be made. The duration of nose surgeries can take between 1.5 hours and 4 hours or longer depending on the complexity of the procedure. Prof. Dr. Ege Ozgentas mostly prefers the open technique (open rhinoplasty) in nose surgeries.

Recovery after surgery

When the patient comes out of the operation, there is a bandage and plaster on the nose. Generally, the nostrils are left open after the surgery (without putting tampons inside the nostrils) and the patient immediately starts breathing normally. A slight bruising may begin around the eyes. The patient can be sent home on the day of surgery or after hospitalization for one night. After one week of plaster and one week of bandage application, normal life is returned in the second week. However, a blow to the nose should be avoided for a few months. Despite common opinion aesthetic nose operations cause little pain after surgery.

How should be the appearance of the face after a nose job?

According to my personal philosophy, a person who turns back to the routine environment after a nose aesthetic (not told to the friends) should be welcomed by a compliment like “Hey what happened to you? You look gorgeous. Did you change your makeup or hair style?”.  But nobody should understand the nose operation immediately. In daily life if people are pointing at this person and saying to each other: “Look this is an operated nose” then this operation is a failure whatever the shape is. That means the nose should be beautiful and natural.

New Advances In Rhinoplasty

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You may visit the website of American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery for pre and post-op pictures.  (please read)