How you look is most important these days. Especially for women. Show me a young (or old) woman who can walk past a mirror without having a peek. Cosmetic surgery is even thought by many to be the answer for personal problems.
There are many cosmetic surgical procedures available these days, and in fact, rhinoplasty (nasal remodeling) is one of the commonest cosmetic surgery procedures carried out in Thailand, since Thai ladies all seem to want the foreign larger style nose. For example, when our daughter was born, my wife said she was worried about the size of baby’s nose – it wasn’t big enough!
Rhinoplasty can reduce or increase the size of your nose, change the shape of the tip or the bridge, narrow the span of the nostrils, or change the angle between your nose and your upper lip. It may also correct a birth defect or injury, or help relieve some breathing problems.
One of the biggest problems facing cosmetic surgeons is not the surgical techniques, but the patient with unreal expectations of what the procedure is going to do for them. The person with a poor self-image may decide that the reason they are not the most popular person in the group is because of the shape of their nose. Unfortunately for this group of people, nasal remodeling will not change their personality, they will still not be the most popular person, and the rhinoplasty will have “failed”.
The best candidates for rhinoplasty are people who are looking for improvement, not perfection, in the way they look. If you’re physically healthy, psychologically stable, and realistic in your expectations, you may be a good candidate.
Age is also an important consideration. Young teenagers, a group that is very aware if their appearance, may not be ideal candidates for rhinoplasty, or most cosmetic surgery for that matter. There are growth spurts which change the features, and psychologically teenagers are not really mature enough to make decisions which will affect their appearance for the rest of their lives.
One other factor that must always be taken into consideration, when contemplating cosmetic surgery, is that in medicine there are no 100 percent guarantees. All surgery and anesthesia carry risks. In the situation of rhinoplasty, that risk is very low, but there is still that little uncertainty, that nobody can deny. There is always a possibility of complications, including infection, nosebleed, or a reaction to the anesthesic. After surgery, small burst blood vessels may appear as tiny red spots on the skin’s surface; these are usually minor but may be permanent. As for scarring, when rhinoplasty is performed from inside the nose, there is no visible scarring at all; but when an ‘open’ technique is used, or when the procedure calls for the narrowing of flared nostrils, the small scars on the base of the nose are usually not visible, but again, no guarantees.
In about 10 percent of cases, a second procedure may even be required to correct a minor deformity. Again, such cases are unpredictable and happen irrespective of the skill of your surgeon. Living, breathing human beings are all different, never forget that.
So let us assume that you have understood all the pitfalls, have a realistic attitude, and still want that nose remodeled. The next step is to indicate to the surgeon just what you are aiming for. This is when you bring in your 100 photos of Tata Young! But once again, it is not all that simple. The surgeon has to look at what you currently have and see if your bone structure can support the nose of your choice.
Remember, too, that the vast majority of cosmetic procedures are not covered by the usual health insurance policies. Another point to remember is that after the operation you will have a swollen, bruised face, which takes a few days to settle. Take some holidays to allow this to fade.
Finally, be sure that your surgeon really is a Board Certified Cosmetic Surgeon. All doctors have skills in basic surgery, but rhinoplasty is not basic. This is surgery that changes the way the world sees you. Pick the best!
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