Rhinoplasty Then And Now
Rhinoplasty, or a nose job, is a surgical procedure that changes the way the nose looks. Rhinoplasty is actually very common. It is not only able to create a straight, small nose, but it’s also able to create balance to an individual’s facial structure, improving symmetry and definition. The procedure has actually gone through some changes over the years. While traditional nose jobs are still being done, it’s important to know that newer techniques serve many purposes and often give better results.
Previous Methods
Before, nose jobs were generally conducted in a reductive manner. These days, there are still numerous surgeons that conduct nose jobs in this way. With the reductive method, the surgeon takes out much of the cartilage and bone to create a smaller nose. The nasal tip is minimized in size by taking out parts of the nasal tip cartilage. Essentially, the structural foundation of the nose is weakened and eliminated.
While the majority of these noses have a good outlook immediately after surgery, their shape can continuously alter for the years to come. This happens as the scarring and recovery process take over a nose that no longer has its structural foundation. Usually, the end result is a nose with a surgical look to it. Removal of nasal tip cartilage also carries the risk of developing breathing problems that would require corrective surgery. Newer methods generally avoid taking out essential, structural portions from the nose.
New Techniques
Cartilage from the ribs or ears may be grafted to reproduce a supportive foundation for the cartilage and bone of the nose. While recovery and the surgery itself may take longer, the outcome can be very complimentary cosmetically and functionally. Sutures can also be applied and carefully manipulated to reshape the nose without causing structural damage to the nose. In addition, cosmetic problems can be fixed with artistic methods used via injectibles. Hyaluronics as well as hydroxyapatite can fill in depressed cartilage parts on the nose, producing a smoother look.
More Individualized Results
In the past, only the one-nose-fits all approach was being used in every nose job. What’s problematic about this approach is that the balance of the whole face was not considered. These days, ethnic rhinoplasty caters to the specific concerns of patients of different racial and ethnic backgrounds who want to improve their appearance while preserving their ethnic identity.
What’s considered ethnic traits recognized by newer procedures today include the low or flat bridge in Asian patients, the dorsal hump and drooping tip oftentimes found in those of Mediterranean descent, the weak and broad drooping tip of several Hispanic patients, and the lack of cartilage in African American patients. Advanced rhinoplasty is now able to provide a balance that’s unique to the patient’s facial attributes.
