The Best Age to Get a Nose Job (Rhinoplasty)
At What Age Can You Get Rhinoplasty or a Nose Job?
Board Certified plastic surgeon Dr. Ali has performed hundreds of rhinoplasty surgeries – giving women and men of all ages the attractive nose they have always wanted. However, as with any surgery, ensuring that you are a good candidate for rhinoplasty is important.
In this article we explain who is and is not a good rhinoplasty patient
How old do you have to be to get rhinoplasty?
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.
However, it is important that a young person is also emotionally mature enough to be a willing and cooperative rhinoplasty patient. Rhinoplasty is a big decision that will affect the person’s appearance for the rest of their life and so they should possess sufficient maturity to make such an important decision.
With today’s emphasis on celebrities, social media and selfies many young people are unnecessarily hard on themselves in the search for perfection. A young person with an attractive and natural nose should not jump into a nose job, just to try to look more like a certain celebrity. Parents can help their teen be realistic about when rhinoplasty is worth the expense and the risk of surgery – and when it really isn’t necessary.
Additionally, healing from a nose job requires that the patient be willing to follow aftercare instructions meticulously, to ensure proper healing and avoid complications. This includes being willing to refrain from exercise or rigorous activities for up to a month.
Rhinoplasty younger than age 16
In some rare cases, rhinoplasty surgery may be performed at younger ages if a child has a severe functional impairment, physical malformation, or other medical condition dictating that rhinoplasty should not wait. For example, a nasal distortion can affect a child’s ability to breathe. In these cases insurance may also cover the procedure.
How old is too old for a nose job?
Some adults have always wanted to change the appearance of their nose – but simply were not in a position to afford surgery until a later point in their life. For many adults, this point arrives after their kids are out of college and have “left the nest”.
Other adults, however, may have had an attractive nose when they were younger which has not aged very gracefully. While the nasal skeleton stops growing after adolescence, the adult nasal shape is far from static and continues to change as we age. Sometimes the results are subtle, but sometimes nasal cartilage becomes thinner and loses its elasticity causing noses to lengthen and/or droop dramatically.
Other older patients seek rhinoplasty not only for cosmetic reasons, but also to help maintain or improve good breathing.
Whatever the reason, Dr. Ali can perform rhinoplasty on adults of all virtually ages – provided they are in good health, maintain a healthy lifestyle and have no complicating factors.
Like any surgery, however, cosmetic rhinoplasty becomes more challenging with age. Ideally rhinoplasty is performed between early adulthood and the forties. However, many adults in their fifties have had excellent results with rhinoplasty surgery. Beyond age 60, due to decreased healing responses and thinning and less elastic skin, a patient should be carefully assessed to determine if the cosmetic results will still be optimal.
Birmingham’s Best Nose Job Surgeon
If you are considering a nose job, call Birmingham Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Ali for a rhinoplasty evaluation and consultation. He will explain your surgical options for correcting imperfections in your nasal contours – and ensure that you achieve the best possible rhinoplasty results!
