Of all of the bodily features people are most likely to want to change, your nose is right up there near the top of the list. It’s this kind of thing both men and women have a lot of self-consciousness about. And how can you not? It’s right there in front of your face. Last year alone, over 207k people underwent rhinoplasty surgery (nose job), according to the Plastic Surgery Statistics Report. It was rated 4th in its Top Five Cosmetic Surgical Procedures list for 2019.
Cosmetic Reasons for Rhinoplasty
So, why is rhinoplasty so popular? The most common reasons people want a nose job to begin with are the most obvious: they want to remove or reduce a nasal hump, correct any asymmetries, or refine the shape of the nose. They are also many cases where a poorly performed rhinoplasty resulted in functional or cosmetic issues that now need correcting.
Rhinoplasty to Help You Breathe and Sleep
Beyond the aesthetic appeal, rhinoplasty can greatly improve breathing due to nasal obstruction or a deviated septum (septoplasty), which can be simply due to genetics or the result of an injury. This obstruction can cause sleep apnea, snoring, or make it difficult to maintain and active lifestyle. If you tend to get sinus pressure headaches, you find yourself mouth breathing most nights, or are prone to sinus infections, it could be a nasal obstruction. Rhinoplasty can open the airways from the inside, making it much easier to sleep at night.
Other medical reasons for rhinoplasty are cleft lip or cleft palate. These birth defects can inhibit children from eating and getting the nutrients they need. Cleft palate and cleft lip often come with misshapen cartilage, deficient inner lining of the nose, and facial bone abnormalities. By undergoing rhinoplasty—often more than once over the patient’s lifetime—rhinoplasty can drastically improve the cosmetic appearance of the nose and face but also restore the proper function of the nose.
New Technology in Rhinoplasty
While the traditional method of rhinoplasty is still the most widely practiced form of this procedure, there’s been a recent development in technology for this procedure. A new technique, called ultrasonic rhinoplasty, reshapes the nose with an ultrasonic device called a piezotome using fast vibrations instead of the traditional hammers and chisels. These vibrations happen so quickly, it’s almost impossible to see. This technology is so new, in fact, only a handful of surgeons perform ultrasonic rhinoplasty in the country.
The benefit to this procedure is that there is no bleeding, very little bruising, and a quicker recovery time. It does tend to be much more costly than traditional rhinoplasty, which is a hard pill for many to swallow, especially since the conventional method has great results
Whatever your reason for wanting rhinoplasty, cosmetic and medical reasons are usually taken care of in tandem. If you are interested in discussing this procedure to see if it’s right for you, schedule an appointment with The Derm Group by calling 973.571.2121.