A nose job, or rhinoplasty, is a surgical procedure to change the shape of your nose. It’s one of the most common plastic surgery procedures performed at Barr Aesthetics and many other practices. In fact, over 350,000 rhinoplasties are performed annually in the United States. You might have this surgery for cosmetic reasons or to correct a birth defect or injury.

How Is Rhinoplasty Performed?

Rhinoplasty is usually performed as an outpatient procedure, which means you won’t need to stay in the hospital overnight. The surgery takes between one and three hours, depending on the complexity. General anesthesia or intravenous sedation will be used to keep you asleep and pain-free during the procedure.

Rhinoplasty can:

  • Change the size of your nose
  • Change the width of your nose bridge
  • Alter the shape of your nostrils
  • Correct a deviated septum

During the procedure, the surgeon will make cuts inside your nose or across the columella, the fleshy tissue that separates your nostrils. Then she will:

  • Reshape your bone and cartilage
  • Graft bone, cartilage, tissue, or artificial implants to change the shape of your nose
  • Reposition your skin over your new nasal structure and suture it closed 

Open Nose vs Closed Nose Rhinoplasty

There are different approaches to rhinoplasty, such as open nose vs closed nose. 

OPEN NOSE RHINOPLASTY

This procedure does what the name implies; your nose is fully open and exposed to give the surgeon access to the entire nasal cavity. With more visibility and access, the surgeon can be more precise and improve the accuracy of the procedure. Since more of the skin is peeled back, the likelihood of scarring is higher. However, the surgeon still tries to make the scar as discreet as possible.

CLOSED NOSE RHINOPLASTY

Because this type of nose reshaping is done without making any exterior incisions on the nose, the options for reshaping are more limited. Changes can still be made in closed rhinoplasty, but they are less significant than in open rhinoplasty. A big benefit of closed-nose rhinoplasty is that there are no external scars to worry about.

In order to get the results you want, it’s important to communicate with your surgeon about your goals for surgery. You’ll be informed of the realistic results you can expect based on your current features and anatomy. Together, you will look at imaging that simulates the results the surgery will most likely offer you.

What You Experience After a Nose Job

A splint will be placed outside your nose to support and protect it during healing. A drainage tube might also be placed under your skin to prevent fluid buildup. 

You can expect some bruising and swelling around your eyes after surgery. These side effects should subside within two weeks. However, it can take up to a year for all the swelling to go down and for you to see the final results of your surgery. 

Complications from rhinoplasty are rare but can include infection, bleeding, and difficulty breathing through your nose. 

Not Sure About Surgery?

If you’re not sure about going under the knife to alter your appearance, Barr Aesthetics does offer non-surgical procedures that can change the shape of your nose.

LIQUID RHINOPLASTY

Fillers are used in many different non-surgical cosmetic procedures, and rhinoplasty is no exception. Barr Aesthetics can make subtle changes to your nose with the use of hyaluronic acid or Botox if you want to go the non-surgical route.

In a liquid rhinoplasty, one of these fillers can be injected into the nose to reshape the bridge of the nose or the tip. Correcting asymmetry with a non–permanent procedure is ideal for many patients who want to see results without the recovery period that follows a surgical rhinoplasty. There may still be swelling or bruising at the injection site(s), but it will be nominal, especially in comparison to a more invasive procedure.

Just like with traditional, surgical rhinoplasty procedures, you’ll discuss your goals with your doctor and look at simulated images to see what your most-likely outcome will be with liquid rhinoplasty injections. Patients typically enjoy the results for up to a year before they need to repeat the procedure.

If you’re considering getting a nose job, talk to Dr. Barr or one of her associates about what you hope to achieve with surgery and whether it’s right for you.