5 Reasons to Consider Rhinoplasty

Often called a “nose job,” rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure designed to change the shape or structure of your nose. It can also repair damaged tissues, improve facial symmetry, and/or correct structures that impair breathing. 

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that rhinoplasty is the most common facial surgery, with over 220,000 procedures done each year.

At 817 Surgical Arts, facial and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Emily Johnson and her team routinely perform rhinoplasty procedures for their patients in the Fort Worth, Texas, area who either aren’t satisfied with the size and/or shape of their nose or who have structural problems that lead to breathing issues. If you’re unhappy with your nose, here are five reasons to consider rhinoplasty.

5 reasons to consider rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty can be performed for either cosmetic or medical reasons. Here are five reasons why you should consider the procedure.

1. Cosmetic reasons

The most common cosmetic reasons for a rhinoplasty include:

• Nose is asymmetrical
• Nose size disproportionate to facial balance
• Nose is too narrow or too wide
• Nostrils with displeasing size or position, such as flares
• Visible humps on the bridge
• Bulbous tip, or one that’s drooping, upturned, or hooked

Though the problem may seem gargantuan to you, many of the changes Dr. Johnson makes can be measured in millimeters — even a minute change can help meet your expectations and aesthetic goals. Keep in mind, though, that faces, by nature, are all asymmetrical to some extent, so you may never achieve the “perfect” balance.

2. Breathing issues

If you develop a nasal obstruction that prevents you from breathing well –– or at all –– through your nose, you may experience complications ranging from difficulty exercising to obstructive sleep apnea. One such issue related to breathing is enlargement of the nasal turbinates. Turbinates help with air flow but can obstruct breathing if enlarged. 

3. Deviated septum

Your septum is the cartilage that splits the right and left nostrils. If it’s bent –– that is, one side of the inside of your nose is smaller than the other –– Dr. Johnson performs a septoplasty as part of a rhinoplasty to straighten the tissue and correct the problem.

If your deviation is severe or interferes with the support of the nasal tissues, she uses cartilage grafts strategically placed to alter your nose’s shape and improve breathing.

4. Cleft lip and cleft palate

Rhinoplasty can also be used to fix a cleft lip and palate. A cleft lip/palate is a congenital disability affecting about 1 in 1,600 babies in the United States. During development, the facial tissues fail to close completely, forming a split in the mouth’s upper lip, soft palate, and sometimes up to the nose. Rhinoplasty becomes part of a more extensive procedure to reconstruct the child’s features, solving both functional and cosmetic problems.

5. Broken nose

Broken noses are common, often due to car accidents or other facial traumas. The break can be both cosmetically unappealing and a medical issue. Depending on the nature of the break, it can lead to chronic breathing problems and sinus infections, and you can even lose your sense of smell. Rhinoplasty restores the nose’s normal shape (or tweaks it if you want a change) while opening blocked airways and allowing for proper drainage from the nose and sinuses.

It’s important in your consideration of rhinoplasty that you have realistic expectations of what the procedure can and can’t do. While it can fix a wide variety of cosmetic and medical issues, it can’t alter the basic structure of your nose; if you want a nose that your facial structure can’t support, you’re going to be very disappointed. In addition, the procedure may not resolve any self-esteem issues you’re dealing with. Dr. Johnson discusses all of these aspects of rhinoplasty when you see her for your consultation.

If you’re unhappy with the look or shape of your nose, or if you’re having difficulty breathing because of the nasal structure, a rhinoplasty may be just the thing to set things right. To learn more, or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Johnson, call 817 Surgical Arts at 817-241-5375, or book online with us today.