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What is Rhinoplasty? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
What is Rhinoplasty?
Rhinoplasty, most commonly known as a “nose job,” is one of the most popular types of cosmetic surgery in the world. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, it even topped the list last 2020.
But what really is rhinoplasty? Whether you are considering having one or just plain curious, then this article is definitely a great read for you.
History of Rhinoplasty
According to medical history documents, rhinoplasty has been used for thousands of years. It started in ancient times due to their high regard for the nose as it symbolizes a person’s pride. Let’s see where it started and how it evolved into the rhinoplasty procedure that we know today.
Rhinoplasty in Egypt
The first documented rhinoplasty surgery was in Egypt in 3,000 BC. Ancient Egyptian doctors documented the procedure in hieroglyphics known as Ebers Papyrus but it is far from the nose job that we know today. The procedure was for reconstructing the people who have been punished with rhinectomy. The technique written in the ancient medical document has become a great groundwork for the evolution of rhinoplasty.
Rhinoplasty in India
In 500 BC, a doctor named Sushruta Samhita, who is now considered as the father of plastic surgery, created a technique that is still being used today called the “forehead flap rhinoplasty”, which uses the flap of skin in the forehead to create a new nose.
How the ancient practice spread throughout the world
The Roman Empire Era made a significant contribution to the progress of rhinoplasty by creating detailed medical documents such as “De Medicina” authored by Aulus Cornelius Celsus and Synagogue Medicae or Medical Compilations created by royal physician Oribasius.
The medical documents are significant for the progress of rhinoplasty as they go over how to avoid post-op facial distortion by avoiding loose sutures, cleaning exposed bones, removing damaged tissue, and avoiding infection. These documents were then translated and the knowledge has been spread to the rest of the world.
Surge of popularity of rhinoplasty
Traditionally rhinoplasty was only performed on people who had experienced rhinectomy or broken noses due to injury. In fact, there had been a surge in demand for nose jobs after World War I & 2.
It was only in 1887 that rhinoplasty nose surgery was used for cosmetic purposes.
A surgeon named John Orlando Roe, who is known for doing head and neck surgery, created a method called close rhinoplasty, wherein the incision is done inside the nose, thus hiding the stitches and making scars invisible.
The first patient who received cosmetic surgery had agraphobia due to the insecurity of his large nose. After the nose reshaping surgery, the patient had an improvement in his quality of life. This marks a pivotal moment in the field of plastic surgery since a nose job can now be used for cosmetic reasons. This is also the first documented case that a surgical rhinoplasty can help with a person’s mental health.
The discovery of the cosmetic use of rhinoplasty nose eventually became part of fashion for the opulent. In the 1950s, a nose job was considered to be a stylish procedure only reserved for the rich and famous of the American society due to high rhinoplasty costs. It was only Hollywood stars and heiresses who can afford it.
Today, rhinoplasty is not just for the privileged and is now considered a common procedure that helps not just those with nose deformities but also the esteem of others who have insecurities that are rooted in their physical appearance.
What does Rhinoplasty do?
We now know how rhinoplasty nose surgery has evolved throughout the years, but at the present time, what does rhinoplasty do?
Rhinoplasty is a nose surgery procedure that reshapes the nose. It can be done to improve your appearance, correct a birth defect, or make it easier for you to breathe.
Plastic surgeons can do the following changes to your nose:
- Nose reshaping to improve breathing or form it to your desired shape
- Make the size of your nose smaller or bigger to enhance facial harmony
- Straighten crooked nose
- Fix broken nose
- Change the shape of the nose tip
- Narrow nose’s shape and nostrils
Oftentimes, rhinoplasty is confused with septoplasty. Septoplasty nose surgery focuses on correcting the inside structure of your nose, such as a deviated septum, to correct the nasal structures and improve nasal function. A deviated septum is a common cause of obstructed nasal passages and breathing impairment.
There are cases that plastic surgeons will do both rhinoplasty and septoplasty to achieve nasal symmetry, reshape nasal tips, and help those with difficulty breathing.
What is the best way to have a nose job?
If you are going under the knife, it is always the best idea to consult with a board-certified cosmetic surgeon or plastic surgeon. It is also good to know and consider the reason why you will undergo a rhinoplasty, so you know what kind of surgery you need.
Plastic Surgery
Plastic surgery is defined as a surgical specialty that focuses on the reconstruction of deformities caused by birth defects, trauma, burns, and disease. Plastic surgery is reconstructive in nature and is meant to address malfunctioning aspects of the body.
Cosmetic Surgery
Cosmetic surgery is part of the field of plastic surgery, but its purpose is to improve beauty and create facial balance. The procedure is more on the outside physical structure and will not have much to do with functionality. That’s why you can call cosmetic surgeons plastic surgeons but not vice versa.
So if you need a nose job, i.e. nose reshaping or resizing, to gain more confidence by getting a prettier looking nose, then you can go to a cosmetic surgeon. A plastic surgeon is what you need if the reason for your nose surgery is to correct breathing problems or fix the internal structure of your nose.
Another thing to consider if you will be getting rhinoplasty is your age. Although, there is no written rule on what age you can have a nose job. Ideally, you should be at 18 years old since it is the time your facial growth is complete. Having surgery at a younger age may not give a more permanent outcome since your facial bone structure is still developing.
Lastly, since rhinoplasty is performed under anesthesia, you should advise your plastic surgeon of the current medications that you are taking. In some rare cases, certain medications can counter interact with the anesthesia and may cause an allergic reaction.
As with any other surgery, rhinoplasty should be done by a licensed surgeon and in an accredited facility with a registered anesthesiologist to ensure that you can be treated in case you have an adverse reaction to the anesthesia.
Basically, if you are careful in finding the right dermatologist for you, then you should also be meticulous in choosing your plastic surgeon.
How is Rhinoplasty Nose Surgery Performed?
The surgeon performs rhinoplasty with either local or general anesthesia. You’ll sleep through the procedure if you have general anesthesia and as for local anesthesia, you will be sedated with intravenous sedation and your nose will be numbed, so you will be unable to feel the pain.
For cases where there is a need for additional cartilage, it can be taken from the patient’s nasal septum. But surgeons can also use the cartilage grafted in other parts of the body such as rib cartilage or cartilage from the ear.
Since the procedure on how rhinoplasty is done depends on the patient’s need, the next part is about the different methods of rhinoplasty to give you a better idea of how the procedure is done.
Different Methods of Rhinoplasty
Open Rhinoplasty
To gain access to the internal nose, the surgeon incises the exterior skin between the nostrils, thus completely opening your nose. This method gives a lot of elbow room to your surgeon to work on your nose, which makes this method best for nose reshaping.
Closed Technique Rhinoplasty
The surgeon makes incisions from within the nostrils during a closed rhinoplasty so that the scars are not visible. Patients who do not require sophisticated straightening of the lower regions of the nose or complex work on the nasal tip can have this type of nose operation done. Thus, it is better for nose resizing than nose reshaping.
Rhinoplasty with fillers
This is the least invasive rhinoplasty treatment, in which a surgeon injects dermal fillers into the nose to reshape it. Because there are no incisions or stitches, some people don’t even consider it surgery and call this procedure a nonsurgical rhinoplasty.
This is popular among most patients who want to have a nose lift with less downtime and you can only experience swelling up to a week and the effects can last up to a year. The drawbacks of this operation are that fillers cannot reduce the size of the nose and eventually, will dissolve. Thus, it will not give you the same permanent outcome that surgery does.
What to Expect after a Nose Job
It will be uncomfortable but not painful
Since a nose job is an outpatient procedure, you will be immediately sent home after the procedure. Your surgeon will provide a long-acting numbing drug or prescribe pain medication, so you should only experience mild to moderate pain or discomfort. If you feel severe pain, then immediately tell your surgeon about it.
It will not look pretty for the first few weeks of recovery
Your nose will be covered by a bandage. To maintain the new shape of your nose and protect your nasal bones, either a plastic or plaster splint will be used.
Your surgeon will insert nasal packs in between your nostrils to decrease bleeding or a nasal drip pad to catch any blood that may leak from your nose. Within two days of operation, the packing and nasal drip pad will be removed. The splint will be taken away in about a week.
Expect that you will have stitches and staples due to the incisions. In most cases, stitches in your nose and mouth will dissolve on their own in a few days. If you have staples, your doctor will remove them within the first week of your recovery.
There will be lot of swelling
For a few weeks, your nose will be bruised and swollen, and there will be a big possibility that you will have black bruises around your eyes. Within two to three weeks, the majority of the swelling should subside but will take months for the swelling to completely go away. Patients are advised to keep the head elevated while sleeping to help reduce swelling faster.
It will take time to go back to your normal activity
For obvious reasons, you will be advised to refrain from doing heavy physical activity including strenuous exercise during the first 4-6 weeks after surgery. But even small things such as blowing or rubbing your nose should be avoided for a minimum of 8 weeks. And if you love hot baths, then it is something that you need to sacrifice for the first phase of your recovery period, as well as attending social gatherings. You can do these things after 4 weeks when the swelling and bruising have already faded.
The Final Shape of your nose will not appear after the removal of your bandage
Unfortunately, the nose reveals in the movies are not the same in real life. The final shape of your nose will show after you had completely healed and this usually takes 6-12 months. If you feel that the tip of your nose was upturned or that you feel that it is not the shape or size that you want, you may want to wait for up until a year to decide if you would want to do a revision surgery.
How Long Does a Rhinoplasty last?
Some plastic surgeries do need an upgrade after a few months or years but not for rhinoplasty nose surgery. As long as you choose the right surgeon, your rhinoplasty will last a lifetime unless you want to do a revision surgery. So be sure to do your research first and choose a well-known surgeon with extensive experience and who uses advanced surgical techniques.
Final Note
Whatever your reason may be to decide to go for rhinoplasty, I hope that this blog helped you gain more confidence and a better quality of life.
