The nose is such a central feature of the face that it has a decisive impact on the entire appearance. When it is not proportionate or presents quite an unattractive shape, it can even significantly alter a pleasant expression.
There is a solution
Cosmetic rhinoplasty allows to correct disproportionate noses that lack harmony, thus endowing the entire face with grace and beauty, also making the most of areas, such as eyes, chin and mouth, that were previously ‘shadowed’ by a ‘cumbersome’ nose.
Surgery
Rhinoplasty corrects the shape of the nose by reducing and remodelling both cartilage and skeletal bone. It can be performed either only for cosmetic purposes or to correct any deviation of the nasal septum (thus improving respiration).
Generally this surgical procedure does not leave scars because the incisions are made especially inside the nostril (closed rhinoplasty). If it is also necessary to intervene on facial skin (open rhinoplasty), small cuts are performed in strategic areas to be practically invisible.
Generally carried out under total anaesthesia, rhinoplasty requires the skin to be mobilised from the underlying skeleton, after performing the incisions inside the nose (in the vestibular region). Then any dorsal hump that might be present is removed and the cartilage is isolated (alar, septal and triangular) and reduced to the measure required to remodel the tip. When surgery is combined with correction of nasal septum deviation, the incisions already performed are used for rhinoplasty. At the end of surgery, the site is medicated with tampons (in both nostrils) and a plaster cast is applied on the dorsal region of the nose to immobilise the bones.
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The subsequent period
The nasal swabs are removed about 12-48 hours after surgery. If nasal septum correction was, instead, performed, the swabs are left on site for 5-7 days. When the plaster is removed (after 10-12 days), the nose will already look presentable, though its position is not final as yet. The patient can rise from bed starting from the day after surgery, but a gradual return to routine activities is only allowed after at least a week (2 weeks to perform light physical exercise once again, and at least one month to practice the most demanding sports in total safety).
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The only important recommendation concerns the sun
It must be absolutely avoided for at least 15-30 days after surgery. Its action might cause skin reddening and irremediably stain the operated area.
Necessary information
The degree of improvement that can be obtained by submitting to cosmetic rhinoplasty varies from person to person, and depends, in good measure, on the initial situation, on the characteristics of the skin, on the dimensions of the underlying skeleton and on the presence of any previous traumas and/or past surgical procedures. It must be said that nasal surgery is a very personal procedure that must be carefully studied (with the surgeon) to obtain the best results based on individual needs and characteristics. When a person decides to submit to rhinoplasty, he or she must have realistic expectations without focusing on models of ‘standardised’ or predefined noses (that, moreover, might not be feasible for the specific case or might not harmoniously suit the face).