Rhinoplasty Cosmetic Nose Surgery in Culver City, CA

What Can a Nose Job Do for You?

Rhinoplasty surgery is primarily a cosmetic procedure. Health insurance rarely pays for plastic surgery. Functional nose jobs treat some health issues, such as difficulty breathing through the nose, broken noses, deviated septum, and snoring. For functional rhinoplasty, health insurance may cover part of the cost.

Common cosmetic uses for a nose job include:

• Eliminate humps and bumps on your nose
• Add definition to the tip of your nose
• Change the size of your nose to fit your facial symmetry
• Change the nostrils to fit the size of your nose

Nose jobs eliminate humps and bumps by slightly shaving the bone or cartridge that cause the bumps or humps. We can add definition to the tip of your nose by grafting cartridge from other parts of the nose, a rib, or ear. Similar methods of adding and subtracting are used to change the size of the nose and nostrils.

Who’s a Good Candidate for a Nose Job?

If you need a nose job, you’re probably a suitable candidate. Those who aren’t a good fit for a nose job include:

• People who have not yet reached adulthood or whose face hasn’t finished growing
• People who are in weak health for which a functional nose job can’t help their condition
• People who don’t understand the limitations of nose job surgery
• Smokers
• People who don’t want a nose job but are doing it to satisfy someone else

It’s a bad idea for young people to have nose jobs unless their physical growth is complete. Further growth of the nose after the nose job can lead to unpredictable results.

Nose jobs are outpatient surgeries, but they’re still major surgeries. If you’re in poor health, the risk associated with a purely cosmetic nose job makes little sense.

Some people don’t understand that plastic surgery is not magic. We’re all familiar with some celebrities that take plastic surgery to the extreme. It’s usually better to take a more conservative approach. You don’t want to reinvent the wheel. Slight changes can make be a huge upgrade to your appearance.

Smoking makes it more difficult for your body to heal. Stop smoking shortly before surgery and don’t restart until the end of the recovery period. Otherwise, you may suffer unwanted complications. It would be best to never restart.

What Happens During Nose Surgery?

We usually perform nose jobs on an outpatient basis. It’s usually performed under either general anesthesia or heavy sedation. Either way, you’ll be too impaired to drive legally. That means you must have a friend or relative to drive you or we can’t perform the surgery.

You can have a closed nose job or an open nose job. With a closed nose job, the incisions are inside the nostrils. This is sometimes called scarless, since there are no visible scars.

An open nose job involves incisions on the outside of the nose. The surgeon lifts the nasal skin so they have a better view of the nose’s structure. This is a more modern technique.

At least one plastic surgeon says the closed method is like working on a car’s engine through the grill, while the open method is like working on the engine with the hood raised. Clearly, the open method is easier for the surgeon. Which option is best in your case is something you should discuss at your office consultation.

The incision is only the first step. Once the surgeon has access to bone and cartridge, the reshaping of your nose begins. Within 1-2 hours, the surgeon will construct your new nose.

Like a building just constructed, it takes some time for your new nose to settle in. Though you’ll see results much sooner, it can take up to a year to see the completed product.

How To Prepare for Nose Surgery

If you’re older or have chronic medical conditions, you’ll need a physical workup to make sure your body is fit enough for a major elective surgery.

If you haven’t already quit using nicotine, it’s imperative that you quit. It’s even more necessary to quit than usual when you’re preparing for plastic surgery. Nicotine can affect the outcome of all plastic surgery. But rhinoplasty is more vulnerable to tobacco or vaping since those products usually pass through your nose.

As with any surgery that requires anesthesia, you’re instructed not to eat or drink anything for a period of hours before surgery.

What To Expect When Recovering From Nose Surgery

You can expect some bleeding, bruising, swelling, nose aches, and mild headaches for a few days after surgery. You’ll receive medication to address these issues. You’ll have cotton gauze packed into your nose for 24-48 hours. You’ll have a splint on your nose for 7-10 days. When the splint comes off, you should see positive changes in your appearance. It can take up to a year before the new nose completely settles in.

You’ll usually be ready to go back to work after a week. It’s a good idea to avoid lifting heavy weights for four weeks.

Be careful not to bump your nose for at least six weeks. It takes that long for the nasal structure to heal fully. A hard knock on the nose before it has completely healed could be enough to ruin your nose job.

Visit True Jewel For Your Rhinoplasty Surgery

As you can see, there’s a lot to do before getting a nose job. You’ll need to attend a consultation appointment with a plastic surgeon. You’ll have some decisions to make. You may decide it’s best to quit smoking a while before trying the procedure. Then, it can take up to a year for the results to settle in completely.

The quicker you get in to see our board certified plastic surgeon, the quicker you will see the results you want. Contact your plastic surgery experts in Culver City, CA today. It’s time to get the ball rolling towards the new and better version of you.