Is Rhinoplasty for You?

from plastic surgery

Indisputably, the nose is a pivotal facial feature. A nose in harmony with the rest of the face blends and is unnoticed. A nose in disharmony draws attention. Because the nose is a focal point, any minor unattractive feature may seem magnified and can alter self-image, which is why many women choose to alter this feature. Cosmetic nose surgery is known as rhinoplasty. Find out if you are a good candidate for rhinoplasty.

Not everyone is a good candidate for rhinoplasty. To have successful surgery, you must meet four criteria:

• You can describe specifically what bothers you.
• You are young enough to adjust to your new nose.
• You do not use nasal medications or drugs.
• You accept that revision surgery may be needed.

If you fail to meet any of these criteria, your chance for a satisfactory outcome will be much lower.

Describe Specifically What Bothers You

It is difficult for a surgeon if you simply say, "I want mv nose to look better." Be specific about the changes you seek, and do not assume that the changes you desire are necessarily the changes your plastic surgeon would make without your input.

Before you see your plastic surgeon, spend time with your mirror. Decide which nasal features specifically bother you. Write them down so you do not forget to mention each concern. Careful discussion is the only way to ensure that your goals are aligned.

Cosmetic nasal surgery results in specific structural changes in the nose. If you are unable to identify specific features of your nose that you dislike, it is unlikely that any change will result in satisfaction.

Be Young Enough to Adjust to Your New Nose

Every day of your life, you look at yourself in the mirror. The image you see is what you identify as yourself. The older you are, the more you have looked, and the more deeply you associate your mirror image with your identity.

By the time you reach your fifties, you will be so used to your facial structure that any change in appearance, no matter how positive, will make you look different and therefore not like yourself. You might look in the mirror and say, "I like what I see, but it just does not look like me." It might take years for you to incorporate your new image into vour self-identity.

Younger women do not have this problem. In general, if you are younger than thirty, you will easily become accustomed to your new appearance. If you are thirty to forty years old, it may take one to two years for you to embrace your new look. If you are older than forty, it will take longer. Some may never adjust. This is why younger women are better candidates for rhinoplasty than older women.

This issue of adjustment applies to structural changes in bone, cartilage, and muscle that alter basic facial features. It usually does not apply to rejuvenation procedures such as eyelid surgery or forehead lift, because they do not typically affect the underlying structure of the face.

Do Not Use Nasal Medications or Drugs

If you use nasal medications or drugs, you will be at increased risk for bleeding and healing problems. You should stop using nasal medications for at least three months before surgery to ensure the safest outcome. If you abuse cocaine, then it is probably safe to assume that you have more problems than potential healing difficulties. Regardless, do not seek any nasal surgery until you have refrained from cocaine use for one year and notified your surgeon of your previous abuse.

Accept That Revision Surgery May Be Needed

About 20 percent of all women who have rhinoplasty will seek a revision. The reasons are many. Perhaps the result appears unnatural. Perhaps the changes were inadequate. Perhaps the initial results were promising, but the nose changed unfavorably over subsequent months.

Operations on the nose are fraught with difficulty and unpredictability. Before you have your first rhinoplasty, you must accept the fact that at best there is a one in five chance that you will be dissatisfied.