Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty, commonly known as a nose job, is surgery to reshape your nose.

Being a central feature of your face, your nose influences your overall facial appearance and nose re-shaping and re-sizing is commonly performed for cosmetic reasons. It is also carried out for medical reasons such as a nose injury or breathing problems.

Often patients feel the size of their nose is disproportioned with their facial features. Nose surgery can modify the size, shape and overall appearance of your nose.

Your surgeon can make your nose smaller known as a reduction rhinoplasty, or larger by augmentation rhinoplasty. The size of your nose can be changed from your tip to your bridge including your nostrils. The angle between your nose and top lip can also be altered.

Rhinoplasty is usually carried out under general anaesthetic and takes between an hour and a half to three hours depending on how much of your nose needs to be altered.

A rhinoplasty involves either making one cut across the skin between your nostrils (open rhinoplasty), or tiny cuts inside your nostrils (closed rhinoplasty). A closed rhinoplasty will leave no visible scars and causes less swelling.

During reduction rhinoplasty surgery your surgeon may treat these areas of your nose to create your desired look:

Bridge (or dorsum) your surgeon will remove the bone and cartilage causing your hump. They may break your nose to move the remaining pieces of bone closer together and to create a narrower nose.

Tip your surgeon will remove or reshape the cartilage that makes up your tip-support through your nostril, or by making a small cut in the area between your nostrils (known as the columella) in an open rhinoplasty.

Length your surgeon will reduce your central nose structure called the septum to reduce the tip and overall length of your nose. Your tip cartilages may also be adjusted.

Width your surgeon will break and reposition your side nasal bone to achieve a narrower appearance.

During augmentation rhinoplasty your surgeon may:

Increase the bridge or tip of your nose the contour of a flat bridge or tip can be changed using bone, cartilage or an implant. Bone or cartilage can be taken from your nasal bone or septum, or from other places such as your rib, hip or ear.

Change your septum to straighten or improve the appearance of your nose after a nose injury or if you have breathing difficulties. Your septum can be altered as part of your rhinoplasty or as a separate operation.

The skin over your nose will shrink or expand to its new shape.

The benefits of a rhinoplasty are both cosmetic and medical.

Cosmetically, you may be self-conscious about the shape of your nose and choose rhinoplasty to improve its appearance and make your nose look right for you.

Medical reasons for reconstructive rhinoplasty may include correcting a nose injury where it has been broken or bent or your nasal airways that are causing breathing problems.

The cost of a rhinoplasty will depend on the exact procedure you have.

At Ramsay we give all patients a written cost quote when they choose a nose job with us and this is guaranteed for at least three months.

Following your consultation, you will receive a TotalCare package price where a single one-off payment at a pre-agreed price delivers direct access to all the treatment you need for complete reassurance. All packages include unlimited* post discharge outpatient care commencing the day you leave hospital plus one follow up consultation.

We also offer a number of finance options to pay for your surgery, including 0% Finance. 

You can expect to stay in hospital for one to two nights afterwards.

Your nostrils will be dressed and a protective splint held over your nose with tape to help it reset in the correct position. The splint will be removed after seven to ten days.

Initially you may have some pain and painkillers should control this.

You may also have some difficulty breathing completely from your nose. A nasal spray or drops may help. After three weeks you should be able to blow your nose and your breathing will clear.

Your sense of smell may be affected but will normally settle down after a few weeks.

You may have bruising where your nasal bone has been restructured but this should settle in a week to ten days.

Nasal bones take three months to heal and during this time you need to take extra care not to injure it.

When the splint is removed you will be able to see the major changes but your nose may still be swollen. Swelling will improve over time and the changes to your nose will become more apparent.

A nose job is permanent surgery with long-lasting results. Subtle surgical changes and minimal nose restructuring tend to last the longest.

You should be aware that as you age so does your facial skin including the skin on your nose and your nasal cartilages can weaken, whether you have had a rhinoplasty or not. Other individual factors such as genetics, weight change, lifestyle, post-operative healing, trauma and medical conditions can all influence the results of nose surgery over your lifetime. 

Yes, rhinoplasty can be performed to make your nose smaller. It is called a nose reduction. Your surgeon will make your nose smaller by carefully removing some of the cartilage and bone in your nose. Before you book your nose reduction you should discuss with your cosmetic surgeon what you are hoping to achieve from the operation and understand the results you can expect. Our experienced surgeon will be able to advise on your individual rhinoplasty for a smaller nose.

No, your nose does not get bigger after rhinoplasty.

During a rhinoplasty your plastic surgeon will permanently remove cartilage, bone and tissue. The cartilage that is left behind will continue to grow slightly over the years. Cartilage growth will happen throughout your life, with or without rhinoplasty.This may cause a post-rhinoplasty nose to appear to regain a small amount of the fullness it had prior to surgery.