With any cosmetic procedure, it is crucial that the patient be old enough to thoroughly understand the procedure, as well as the potential risks and complications that can arise. Regardless of how “routine” a procedure has become, there are always risks.

It is also important that patients seeking out rhinoplasty have finished growing, as this is not a procedure recommended for children. Beyond these 2 constraints, there is no set age at which it is appropriate to have a rhinoplasty procedure; patients range in age from 15 to 50 years or older. The best time for a rhinoplasty is when the patient decides it is time for a change..

When consulting about a nose surgery, a patient and the performing surgeon should always discuss the end goals extensively. There are 2 major factors that contribute to the final results of a rhinoplasty: the skill of the surgeon and the patient’s existing nose structure.

Characteristics that are unique to each individual patient — including thickness of skin over the nose and interior nasal architecture — will affect the end results of each rhinoplasty procedure. Again, managing expectations and having realistic goals are extremely important aspects of the cosmetic surgery process.

Following the procedure, patients will experience some swelling and/or bruising. Bruising usually resolves within 10 days of surgery, and the majority of the swelling will resolve itself completely in 3-6 weeks. However, full recovery can take as long as 12 months in some rare cases.

With any surgical procedure, there is a risk of complications. However, rhinoplasty is no more risky than any other elective procedure. In a few rare cases, patients have experienced some numbing in the nasal tip, septal perforation, or cartilage warping. Again, these complications are few and far between.