Aesthetic (cosmetic) surgery of the nose, also called rhinoplasty, can improve the shape, size and general appearance of your nose. The goal is a nose that looks natural and achieves a harmonious balance with other facial features. Plastic surgeons usually recommend that patients wait until they are This is because the nose may not be fully developed at a younger age. If you are a teen, your plastic surgeon will want to be certain that you have thought carefully about surgery and that the desire to change your appearance is based on your own feelings rather than those of your parents or friends. Assuming that you are in good health, there is no upper age limit for having your nose reshaped. Rhinoplasty is sometimes performed in conjunction with a face lift or other rejuvenative surgery to correct aging changes of the nose such as a drooping tip. Sometimes certain breathing problems related to the internal nasal structures can be corrected at the same time as nose reshaping is performed. Your plastic surgeon will be able to help you determine whether these structures should be modified along with reshaping your nose.

Am I a good candidate for rhinoplasty?
Some of the indications that you may be a good candidate for rhinoplasty are:
• Your nose appears too large for your face
• There is a bump on the nasal bridge when viewed in profile
• Your nose seems too wide when viewed from the front
• The nasal tip droops or plunges
• The nasal tip is thickened or enlarged
• Your nostrils are excessively flared
• Previous injury has made your nose asymmetrical

How is rhinoplasty performed?
Because of individual factors, not everyone will achieve the same results from rhinoplasty. Your surgeon's goal is to obtain the best possible results for you.
Alterations may be made to increase or decrease the nasal bridge, reduce the size or width of the nose, narrow the nostrils, change the angle between the nose and upper lip, or reshape the tip. The surgical techniques employed will depend primarily on the goals established by you and your plastic surgeon. In many instances, all of the inactions will be placed inside your nose, where they will not be visible. If the base of the nose is narrowed or the nostrils reduced, small wedges of skin at the base of the nostrils will be removed. Incisions are hidden in the natural crease where the nostril joins the cheek. Sometimes very short incision is made across the vertical strip of tissue that separates the nostrils, called the columella. This technique is called an "open rhinoplasty." Whatever incisions are used to reshape your nose, they will ultimately be very inconspicuous.

How is my plastic surgeon able to reshape my nose?
Through the small incisions described previously, work is done on the cartilage and bone that form the framework of your nose. Sometimes, the position of certain bones may need to be altered slightly in order to make your nose look narrower and straighter. If your nose needs to be built up in some areas, this can be done using nasal cartilage, or perhaps bone or cartilage from another site. The skin and soft tissues then redrape themselves over this new "scaffolding."