Rhinoplasty can fix cosmetic issues with your nose and make you feel more confident in your appearance. During the surgery, your doctor will remove or rearrange bone, cartilage, and other tissue to change the shape and structure of your nose.
If you’re considering a rhinoplasty surgery, the first step is to determine whether or not you’re a good candidate. Here are four criteria you should meet to be a candidate for rhinoplasty:
- Specific Goals
To be a candidate for rhinoplasty, you should know exactly what you want to change about your nose. Many people say they dislike their nose but can’t figure out why. Without knowing what you want to change, you won’t be able to communicate your goals and expectations to your surgeon.
If you’re not sure exactly what it is that you dislike about your nose, your surgeon might be able to help you figure it out during your consultation. There might be an issue with the bridge of your nose, or your nostrils may be too wide or narrow. However, if you still can’t figure out what should change after speaking to your surgeon, you’re probably not a good candidate for rhinoplasty.
- Reasonable Expectations
During your consultation, your surgeon will discuss your goals and expectations for the procedure. Your surgeon will want to make sure you have reasonable hopes. Candidates for rhinoplasty should want to improve their appearance, but they shouldn’t expect to look perfect after the surgery. Even the best surgeons can’t always achieve perfect results, so if your expectations are too high, you’ll only be disappointed.
Candidates should also have reasonable expectations about how the surgery will affect their lives. Rhinoplasty can make you feel much more confident in your appearance, and the confidence boost can make you more outgoing and positive. It won’t fix every single problem in your life, though. You shouldn’t expect the surgery to have a major impact on your life.
- Correct Age
Your nose should be done growing before you undergo rhinoplasty. For most people, the nose keeps growing until the mid-teens, so it’s not recommended to have rhinoplasty before this time. If you do get the surgery before your nose is done growing, your nose might continue to change after the procedure, which could affect the results.
Most doctors won’t perform rhinoplasty on anyone younger than 15 or 16. In addition to waiting until the nose is fully grown, surgeons also want to make sure their patients are mentally ready to handle a cosmetic surgery. Young teens might rush into a decision without giving it enough thought, and they may regret the choice later.
- Physically Healthy
Doctors usually only recommend nonessential surgeries to people who are physically healthy. You shouldn’t have any preexisting medical conditions that may cause complications during or after the surgery. Before approving a rhinoplasty procedure, your doctor will probably give you a physical exam and ask about your medical history. Some health conditions can cause excessive bleeding or poor healing, which is risky during any surgery.
The best candidates for rhinoplasty are nonsmokers. Smoking increases the risk of poor healing, infection, or other complications after the surgery. If you do smoke, your doctor will advise you to quit at least four to six weeks before your rhinoplasty.
Dr. Andrew Frankel is certified by the Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the Board of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery. He specializes in rhinoplasty and other nasal surgeries, and he has won several awards for his surgical research. He has contributed to many scientific publications and FDA research trials.
