A nose job is surgery that is used to reshape the nose. The technical name is rhinoplasty surgery. Sometimes a man or woman's nose is reshaped for strictly cosmetic reasons. A rhinoplasty patient may change or reshape the tip of the nose, the nostrils, or the bridge of the nose. A woman may not like a bump in the nose, or a man may think his nose is too broad, too pointy, too bulbous or not straight enough. Rhinoplasty may also be done to improve breathing or to correct damage or injury.

Information on Nose Jobs

A rhinoplasty nose job is done under anesthesia. The location of the incision for the nose reshaping surgery depends on what the surgery is trying to achieve. The incision may be located inside the man or woman's nose, or it may be just under the nose. During the nasal surgery, the doctor will make the changes that you have discussed prior to the surgery. These include:

• removal of a bump or hump in the nose
• widening or tightening the nostrils to change the nostril size
• shortening, lengthening or reshaping the tip of the nose
• reshaping the cartilage
• reducing the width of the nose
• repairing a deviated septum

If the goal is a reduction in size, tissue will be removed as needed. If a patient is looking to have an increase in size, the surgeon may use implants. Implants can be tissue taken from somewhere else on the patient's body, or they can be a man-made material like Gore-Tex. Talk with your cosmetic surgeon specifically about what you want to achieve, including preserving characteristics you don't want to lose.

After the surgery, patients will experience pain, oozing and swelling. Your nose may be packed with gauze following the nose reshaping procedure, or there may be a splint, which might stay in place for a week. In many cases, the swelling should subside in about two weeks. If you are concerned about side effects, talk with your cosmetic surgeon.

Cost of a nose job

The cost of rhinoplasty depends on how much work is being done. The cost of removing a small bump will be different from the cost of making changes in nose length or nostril size or shape. Cost also varies from one location to another. Generally a rhinoplasty done on the tip of the nose will average about $2000. The cost of a full nose job will start at $4000. There may be additional charges for anesthesia, hospitalization or other fees. Sometimes a nose job is combined with other facial procedures such as a face lift or neck lift, an eye lift, a forehead lift which raises the eyebrows, or even cosmetic ear surgery. It is not uncommon for someone getting a nose job to also consider chin surgery, either reduction or augmentation. This is done to balance the facial features.

If you are a woman or man considering a nose job, it is important that you select a qualified plastic surgeon. Look for a doctor who takes the time to discuss your needs, and who goes over all the options with you. Ask to see before-and-after photos of people with noses like your own, and facial features like your own. Make sure your doctor is highly experienced in rhinoplasty surgery. It does you no good to have a doctor who specializes in cosmetic butt surgery, if you are planning a nose job procedure. Risks of rhinoplasty include infection, bleeding, and the issue of anesthesia reactions. You should not try to remove too much of the nose tissue. Neither should you insist on a nose shape just because a certain celebrity has one like it. Your nose should go with the rest of your face. Possible problems include scarring, infection, anesthesia issues, loss of smell, a constant runny nose.

Age for a nose job

This is considered to be a serious surgical procedure. So don't consider this without examining many less drastic alternatives. Generally a nose job is done after the middle or late teenage years. The age issue is especially important when a nose job is done for cosmetic reasons. Most cosmetic surgeons won't operate on children, unless there is a medical reason to do so. This is because the face is still growing and forming until the middle to late teenage years.

Rhinoplasty can be combined with other cosmetic procedures. Your cosmetic surgeon may also perform other surgeries and want to discuss these with you, such as liposuction to remove fatty deposits, dermal fillers or fat injections for wrinkles and lines, even hair grafts for bald spots. Although a cosmetic surgeon may do other types of surgery, if you are looking for nose surgery, it is good to go with someone who specializes in rhinoplasty.