Rhinoplasty, or a “nose job”, is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures in the world, but do you really need one? Can you benefit from it in some way? Plastic surgeons have a specific set of criteria that they apply to individuals to determine whether they are candidates for rhinoplasty.
The Criteria for Rhinoplasty
If you think you might need rhinoplasty, there are a few things that you should consider. Most plastic surgeons stick to a strict moral code when it comes to providing their services, and their candidates need to meet all of the following criteria:
- Patients must be at least 13 years of age. Although many surgeons will not perform elective surgeries on people under 18 years of age, there are some who will if it is obvious that the rhinoplasty will change the patient’s life. Children who have deformities or unusual facial features may be able to improve their quality of life with surgery.
- Patients must have no physical health issues. Rhinoplasty is an elective surgery more than 90% of the time. Very few people have the surgery due to medical need. Because of this, your surgeon will make sure that you are healthy. If you have any sort of medical condition that may compromise your health during an operation, a surgeon will not perform the surgery.
- Patients must have clear goals and a firm understanding of the procedure. Oftentimes, patients go in for a nose job in hopes of coming out of surgery a supermodel or a brand new person. Unfortunately, it rarely goes that way. You need to understand that changing your nose can change your entire appearance, and some patients are quite shocked by the results. As such, your surgeon will ensure that you have a firm understanding and very clear goals for your procedure.
- Patients must not smoke. Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches the extremities such as the fingers, toes, and the tip of your nose. Patients who smoke are not good candidates for rhinoplasty since lack of oxygen can compromise the healing process, leading to infections and necrosis.
Why People Seek Surgery
Many people come to plastic surgeons in hopes of scheduling a rhinoplasty. Some of them want the procedure for aesthetic reasons, and in some cases, they may even have medical need. For example, an individual who has melanoma on his or her nose may need plastic surgery to reshape and reform the nose after the removal of the cancer. On the other hand, someone who feels that his nose is simply too large for his face has no real medical need for that surgery. A few people want to look like their favorite celebrities, and it is cases like this when you should really stop and ask yourself if you need that rhinoplasty. After all, once you have surgery, there is no going back to the way your nose was before.
If you are considering rhinoplasty, it is important to take the time to determine why you want the surgery in the first place. If you have a medical need, or if you truly feel that reshaping your nose will improve your quality of life, then you are a good candidate if you meet the aforementioned criteria.