Rhinoplasty
The most attractive nose is the one that fits your face and is pleasing to you, a natural-looking nose that creates a harmonious balance with your other facial features. At Julene B. Samuels, MD, FACS, in Prospect, KY, we specialize in rhinoplasty, a precise form of nose surgery designed to refine the balance and proportions of your nasal features. Our commitment to customizing each rhinoplasty to the patient’s unique facial anatomy ensures optimal results that enhance natural beauty while addressing any structural concerns.
What Is Rhinoplasty?
Rhinoplasty, commonly called nose surgery or a nose job, is a surgical procedure designed to reshape the nose to improve its appearance and function. This treatment can correct a range of imperfections, from altering the bridge or tip of the nose and adjusting the nostrils’ size to resolving structural issues that may impede breathing.
These conditions could indicate that rhinoplasty surgery is right for you:
- Nose is not in proportion to the rest of the face
- Nasal tip is drooping, upturned, hooked or enlarged
- Nose bridge has humps or depressions
- Nostrils are too large or wide
- A history of nasal obstructions or breathing problems.
Rhinoplasty may be postponed for young patients until the nose has completed its growth, typically at 15-16 years old.
Benefits of Rhinoplasty
Improved Facial Symmetry
Rhinoplasty can greatly enhance facial harmony by adjusting the size or shape of the nose to better match other facial features. This precise alteration often makes the nose appear more naturally suited to the individual’s face.
Corrected Nasal Breathing Issues
By correcting structural abnormalities such as a deviated septum, rhinoplasty can significantly improve airflow through the nasal passages. This benefit is especially crucial for those who suffer from chronic breathing issues.
Proportionate Nasal Size
Reduction rhinoplasty helps bring the nose into proportion with the rest of the face by resizing it appropriately. This is beneficial for individuals who feel their nose is too large or dominates their facial features.
Refined Nasal Tip
The procedure allows for detailed reshaping of the nasal tip, which can be made smaller, turned upward, or made less bulbous depending on the patient’s needs. This refinement helps achieve a more defined nasal tip that enhances the nose’s overall appearance.
Smoother Nasal Contour
Rhinoplasty can remove or minimize noticeable bumps on the nose, creating a smoother and more appealing nasal contour. This change can significantly alter one’s profile and frontal appearance.
Narrowed Nasal Bridge
Rhinoplasty can effectively narrow a wide nasal bridge, refining the nose to better complement the facial structure. This alteration often enhances symmetry and balance across the face, leading to improved overall facial aesthetics.
Customized Aesthetic Changes
Rhinoplasty is highly customizable, allowing surgeons to tailor changes to meet the unique aesthetic goals and needs of each patient. Whether the desired changes are subtle refinements or more dramatic transformations, this procedure can be adjusted to achieve the specific results the patient desires.
Lasting Results
The outcomes of rhinoplasty are permanent, offering a lifelong resolution to many cosmetic and functional nasal problems without the need for repeated treatments. This permanence provides patients with enduring satisfaction and a stable, improved nasal profile.
What to Anticipate for Rhinoplasty
What Happens During Surgery?
The external shape of the nose is created through the relationship of skin, bone, and cartilage which make up the anatomy of the nose. To change the shape of the nose, Dr. Samuels alters the shape of the bone and cartilage underlying the skin with carving, suturing, and removal of excessive structure. The skin is redraped over the altered internal anatomy to create a new look.
How Do I Prepare for Surgery?
To identify the aesthetic goals of the surgery and ensure that the result reflects the best shape for you, Dr. Samuels will study the relationship of the nose to other facial features, especially the lip and chin. In some cases, the chin may need to be altered to achieve the best proportion and balance. (See our Chin Implant page for more information). You can view the anticipated changes to the nose through computer imaging at your second office visit.
How Long Is the Recovery Period After Rhinoplasty?
Recovery varies by individual, but typically, patients can expect to return to normal activities within two weeks. Swelling and bruising may persist for a few weeks longer, with final results becoming more apparent as the nose fully heals over several months.
Rhinoplasty Considerations
The best candidates for rhinoplasty are interested in improving the appearance or function of the nose and have realistic expectations. Before you decide on rhinoplasty, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with Dr. Samuels.
These conditions could indicate that rhinoplasty surgery is right for you:
- Nose is not in proportion to the rest of the face
- Nasal tip is drooping, upturned, hooked, or enlarged
- Nose bridge has humps or depressions
- Nostrils are too large or wide
- A history of nasal obstructions or breathing problems
Rhinoplasty may be postponed for young patients until the nose has completed its growth, typically at 15-16 years old.
Frequently Asked Questions About Rhinoplasty
You may be a good candidate if you have any of the following conditions:
- Your nose appears too large for your face
- There’s a hump on the top of the nose when viewed from the front
- The nose appears too wide when viewed from the front
- The nasal tip droops or plunges
- The tip is wide, enlarged or asymmetric
- The nostrils are excessively flared
- The nose is off-center or crooked
- A previous injury has changed the appearance of the nose
- An airway obstruction impairs breathing
There are two different surgical approaches: open rhinoplasty and closed rhinoplasty. Patients considering nose surgery should be aware of the differences.
The open rhinoplasty approach or external rhinoplasty uses a few hidden incisions made inside the nostrils and adds a small bridging incision to connect the right and left nostril incisions. With the addition of this tiny visible incision, the nasal skin can be folded upward to give Dr. Samuels more access to the nose’s internal structures. This allows for precision and ease while sculpting the nose. The open rhinoplasty incision heals remarkably well and becomes nearly invisible.
The closed rhinoplasty approach or endonasal rhinoplasty uses surgical incisions positioned inside the nostrils to avoid visible scars. The endonasal approach may reduce swelling, numbness, and recovery time. However, this approach limits surgical access to the internal structure of the nose, so it may be more difficult to perform complex rhinoplasty maneuvers and repositioning of the nasal skin.
The approach you choose greatly depends on your needs and desired results. Dr. Samuels will recommend the approach that’s most appropriate for you.
In most cases, rhinoplasty incisions are made inside the nostrils or along the columella, making scars well-concealed and typically unnoticeable once healed. We employ techniques specifically aimed at minimizing and disguising any potential scarring.
Before & after Results
Schedule a Rhinoplasty Consultation With Us in Prospect, KY
At Julene B. Samuels, MD, FACS in Prospect, KY, we excel in rhinoplasty through our dedication to advanced surgical methods and deep understanding of facial aesthetics. Our nose augmentation procedures significant improvements in facial symmetry, nasal function, and customized aesthetic enhancements based on each patient’s needs. Opting for our rhinoplasty services ensures corrected breathing issues, refined nasal shapes, and lasting results.
For more information about rhinoplasty surgery or to see if you’re a good candidate for this procedure, schedule a consultation with us by calling (502) 897-9411 or contacting us online.