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October 6, 2023
Why A “Smaller Nose” Isn’t the Best Goal
Nose surgery (rhinoplasty) can help improve your breathing problems caused by a fractured nose or past nose injury. Rhinoplasty can also help with cosmetic concerns, especially if you don’t like how your nose looks.
However, if you want a “smaller nose,” you may be surprised that this could negatively impact you. Instead, your consultation can discuss ways to preserve function and achieve your desired appearance.
How Can I Change How My Nose Looks?
While rhinoplasty can help fix airway issues, you might also have some aesthetic changes you want to make, including:
- Straightening a crooked nose
- Smoothing off a “dorsal hump”
- Narrowing the nose
- Creating a daintier nasal tip
- Fixing a “plunging” tip or rotating a downturned tip up
- Deprojecting the nose or nasal tip
- Narrowing the nostrils
While these alterations are possible, any changes depend on your nose function. It’s necessary to ensure breathing function remains adequate in any nose surgery, so a smaller nose needs discussion in your consultation.
Making a nose smaller by itself can worsen breathing, so it’s important to counter this potential complication with internal work if you’re at risk for breathing issues. Always choose a surgeon that prioritizes short- and long-term outcomes of both functional and cosmetic nose surgery.
How Different Will My Nose Look?
You might want to look very different with a dramatic change. Or, you may want a subtle alteration that isn’t that noticeable. In either goal, your surgeon will help you visualize your future results using computer-generated imagery in your consult. You’ll also agree on realistic goals for your upcoming nose surgery.
If you want to see and discuss possible nose surgery results, ask your surgeon to see rhinoplasty before and after photos. These examples can also help you decide if nose surgery is right for you.
Rhinoplasty Recovery
Immediately after surgery, your main job is to rest! As you recover, you’ll have some guidelines to follow. Typically, there are very few complications associated with nose surgery, and you may return to work a week to ten days after your procedure.
At 6+ weeks, you can likely resume all everyday activity, including heavy lifting and heavier contact sports. However, it will depend mostly on whether your bones were broken as part of the procedure.
Nose Surgery Results
Within a week of your surgery, you’ll get a good sense of how your new nose will look. However, because the healing process is gradual, you may not see the final result for up to a year.
Remember that natural aging may cause some gradual changes to your face (including your nose) as you age, but most of your rhinoplasty improvements and results should be relatively permanent.
How Can I Book My Nose Surgery?
If you’re considering nose surgery (rhinoplasty) for either cosmetic appearance or to help with breathing issues (or a combination of both), rely on the leaders of plastic surgery in Portland, Maine. Our Plastic + Hand team has the most qualified rhinoplasty surgeons in Maine.
It’s time to discover the results you’ll love. The first step begins here. Call us at 207-775-3446 or submit this request form to schedule your consultation with our Patient Care Coordinator to determine whether nose surgery is right for you.
