Detroit Surgeon Dr. Ali Answers Your Nose Job FAQs

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Why do People Get Nose Jobs?

The most obvious reason for considering a nose job is that it can improve your appearance. Nasal restructuring can make your nose more in balance with your other features, as well as make it smaller, straighter, less wide, more defined, etc. 

But a rhinoplasty can also help you live a better and healthier life.  A nose job not only improves the look of the nose, it can improve its function, too. In many cases people undergo nose jobs to correct breathing, sleeping or snoring problems. 

How Old do You have to be to Get a Nose Job?

From a technical standpoint, rhinoplasty can be performed any time after the nose’s growth is complete. Everybody is different, but nasal growth is typically complete in girls by age 15 and in boys by age 16.

A person’s nose remains child-like until puberty when their adolescent growth spurt generates growth of the nasal skeleton. Usually no later than age 17, skeletal growth is complete and the nose will reaches its final adult shape. Dr. Ali will assess a young patient’s nose and determine if they have finished developing before scheduling a nose job.

What is the Recovery Period for a Nose Job?

You will go home the same day after your nose job  typically with a small, aluminum frame to cover your nose. This will ensure your nose is protected adequately during the first week of recovery.

Swelling will occur after surgery, so you can expect to feel congested for a while after. However, splints can prevent complete blockage. To ease this congestion, you can take an over-the-counter decongestant (with your physician’s approval). To reduce swelling, keep your head elevated higher than your heart.

Bruising varies with how extensive your nasal procedure was. Some people may have slight “black eyes” but many patients do not. Bruising and swelling are usually worse on the second day after your surgery, but will improve after that. For about 48 hours after your nose job, you will have nasal discharge and will have to keep a drip pad under your nose. 

Any external sutures used will be removed about a week after your surgery. If splints were used, they will be removed when your cast is removed. After 1 week the pain and discomfort should have subsided substantially.

You may experience some numbness in your nose, and/or some temporary loss of smell. Over the weeks following surgery, all sensation should return to normal.

How Painful Is a Nose Job?

Recovery from any medical procedure is a very personal experience and can greatly differ from person to person. But a nose job is among the least painful surgeries – because it primarily only involves manipulation of the cartilage and does not impact muscles, bones or deeper tissue.

Use of long-term anesthetic during your nose job procedure means you will not feel a thing. And medication prescribed afterwards will fully manage any pain or discomfort after the surgery.

Depending upon how extensive the procedure, some patients even report experiencing very little pain following surgery. And all of our patients unanimously agree that any short term discomfort was well worth having a beautiful nose on their face for the rest of their lives.

I Had a Nose Job from Another Doctor, but I’m Dissatisfied! Can Dr. Ali Fix it?

Revision surgery is sometimes appropriate to touch up or repair a problem or imperfection from a previous nose job. However,  a second nose job is considerably more complicated and more costly.  If, however, your nose is truly misshapen or you are breathing poorly from a “botched” nose job, Dr. Ali will offer you a consultation to assess the integrity of your nasal structures to ensure they can withstand a second surgery.

Detroit Area’s Best Nose Job Surgeon

If you are considering a nose job, and have questions, the best idea is to schedule a consultation with double board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Ali. He has helped thousands of men and women in the Detroit area get the nose they love. He will explain which procedures are right for your unique goals.

Today’s rhinoplasties are very routine, yielding exceptional outcomes with very little downtime or discomfort. And the results last a lifetime. So there’s no reason to wait to get the nose you’ve always wanted! If you live in the Detroit area, call all top rated, board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Ali for a consultation today.
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Schedule a Consultation with the Detroit Area’s Best Nose Job Surgeon: 248-335-7200

Who is a Good Candidate for a Nose Job?

Good tissue and favorable healing responses are necessary for any surgery to be successful – including a rhinoplasty (nose job). A smooth clear complexion, firm nasal cartilage, elastic skin, and good general overall health make a person an ideal candidate for a nose job.

Who Can’t Get a Nose Job?

Certain hereditary conditions, however, can make an individual a less than ideal candidate for a nose job. Genetically weak cartilage or nasal bones, or skin that is too thin, too thick, or prone to scarring (such as keloids) can make a person a less than ideal rhinoplasty candidate.

Thick skin, for example, is difficult to shrink and sometimes doesn’t conform to the underlying framework of the new nasal shape – leading to limitations on what the surgeon can accomplish if the skin won’t contract.

Individuals taking immune suppressants, people with diabetes and/or bleeding disorders, and/or smokers typically do not heal as well and are more prone to infection and complications and should typically avoid elective surgeries.

Is there an Age Limit for a Nose Job?

There is not a specific age limit to have a nose job – but teens should not have rhinoplasty surgery until their nose has reached its adult size. This typically happens at about age 15 or 16 for girls. And, usually happens a year or so later for boys.

Dr. Ali will assess the patient’s nasal growth during a teen’s consultation to ensure the nose has stopped growing. Minors (under age 18) will, of course, need parental consent, as well.

Teenagers also need to have the emotional maturity to deal with the rigors of a somewhat difficult and painful surgical procedure – and the ability to fully comply with post-surgical care and recovery requirements.

They must be emotionally ready to deal with wearing the cast, a good week of nasal discharge and congestion, and the unsightly surgical swelling that can distort the nose for several months.

And teens must be willing and able to refrain from activities that could injure the nose while it is healing – including sports, bike riding, roughhousing, cheerleading, dance, etc.

That being said, for many young people the teenage years are an ideal time for a nose job. The young skin and body of a teenager heals quickly. And, for a teen who is extremely self-conscious about a misshapen or unattractive nose, a nose job can instill confidence in their appearance and help them enjoy the remainder of their high school or college years.

Can You Be Too Old For a Nose Job?

As with any surgery, good tissue, elastic/supple skin and favorable healing responses are necessary for a successful rhinoplasty. And as we age the skin becomes thinner and less elastic, and the bones and cartilage can become weakened.

So, for a nose job, there is not a set age that is “too old” – but rather the patients skin tone, cartilage strength and overall health must be assessed.

Also, while a nose job is a relatively minor procedure in terms of stress to the body – with any surgical procedure there is concern about the affect the surgery and the anesthesia, can have on the heart, lungs, or any underlying medical condition.

Can I Have a Second Nose Job?

Revision surgery is sometimes appropriate to touch up or repair a problem or imperfection from a previous nose job. However, in most cases, the risk of complex revision rhinoplasty is only justified for repairing a truly misshapen or poorly breathing nose.

A second nose job is considerably more complicated, far more costly, and often less effective than a first-time rhinoplasty — so your plastic surgeon will have to carefully assess the integrity of your nasal structures to ensure they can withstand a second surgery.

Best Detroit Area Nose Job Surgeon

Today’s nose job techniques are more advanced, safer, more accurate, and more effective than previous rhinoplasty surgeries. In the hands of a skilled board certified plastic surgeon like Dr. Ali, a nose job can successfully be performed on most people in good health with favorable tissue.

If you are considering a nose job, call Detroit area Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Ali for a rhinoplasty evaluation and consultation to see if you are good candidate.  He will assess your nasal structure, consider your appearance goals, and explain your surgical options  – to ensure that you achieve the best possible nose job results!

Schedule a Nose Job Consultation with Detroit area Plastic Surgeon Dr. Ali: 248-335-7200

Differences Between Rhinoplasty (Nose Job) Techniques – 

Board Certified plastic surgeon Dr. Ali has performed hundreds of rhinoplasty surgeries – giving women and men the attractive and natural looking nose they have always wanted. Rhinoplasty surgery is truly part art and part science, in order to create an attractive nose that is still natural looking, as well as “structurally sound.”

In the early years of “nose jobs” the only way surgeons knew how to alter the shape of the nasal tip was the removal of skeletal tissue. This was called an “excisional rhinoplasty” – because cartilage was actually crudely cut away.

The results of these early, aggressive excisional rhinoplasties were not always pretty, and often lead to the nose becoming progressively deformed over time. Many celebrities, such as Michael Jackson and Joan Rivers, altered their appearance for the worse with overly-aggressive excisional rhinoplasty.

In this article we explain the difference between traditional excisional rhinoplasty and new techniques in structural rhinoplasty that can create a more perfect non-surgical-looking, natural-appearing cosmetic outcome.

Excisional Rhinoplasty

While the current trend in rhinoplasty surgery is gradually shifting toward cartilage preservation, many surgeons still practice excisional rhinoplasty with, aggressive cartilage removal (excision). Unfortunately the result can be deformities, some of which may not fully manifest for months, years, or even decades later.

In theory, just enough cartilage is removed to narrow the tip, but adequate cartilage is left to remain stable and prevent future nasal tip deformities. However, the degree of cartilage needed to maintain nasal stability is nearly impossible to determine at the time of surgery. As a result, eventually the remaining cartilage can buckle from skin shrinkage; or get pulled upward due to scar tightening, or both. And these ill effects can worsen over time as cartilage weakens with age.

Structural Rhinoplasty

Fortunately, there is now an effective alternative nose job technique to excisional rhinoplasty. Structural Rhinoplasty preserves skeletal support in order to avoid the complications of too much cartilage removal.

Instead of cutting, removing, and discarding large amounts of nasal cartilage – which can cause a collapse of the nasal framework – structural rhinoplasty utilizes repositioning and reshaping (folding) the tip of the cartilage to achieve a more attractive contour.

Because structural rhinoplasty “folds” rather than cuts off cartilage, it preserves the skeletal integrity. This dramatically improves the accuracy, reliability, and safety of the rhinoplasty.

In some cases, some tissue excision is still unavoidable – for example in removing a nasal bridge “hump”. However, reducing or reshaping the tip can now be accomplished with little or no cartilage removal. And the resulting tip shape is more natural, and much sturdier – with far less risk of airway collapse or progressive deformity over time.

Birmingham’s Best Rhinoplasty & Nose Job Surgeon

A successful rhinoplasty requires a skillful surgeon to artfully reconfigure the nose, while also ensuring that the attractive new nose will withstand wound-healing, disease, and aging – now and over time.

Dr. Ali follows the four R’s of structural rhinoplasty — Retain, Reposition, Reshape and Reinforce — to achieve the gold standard for contemporary nasal surgery.

If you are considering rhinoplasty, schedule a consultation with Dr. Ali to discuss your options. He will explain how he can give you the nose you have always wanted – attractive, natural looking – with the safety and long term benefits of structural rhinoplasty.

Schedule a Nose Job Consultation with a Birmingham Rhinoplasty Surgeon: 248-335-7200