Every third person on the planet has thought about nose correction at least once. 70% of patients choose rhinoplasty because they are 100% dissatisfied with their appearance and want to solve aesthetic problems: remove the hump, make the nose thinner, smaller, smoother. 30% of patients decide on rhinoplasty for medical reasons - nose injury, difficulty breathing, deviated nasal septum or frequent sinusitis.
Problems with the shape of the tip of the nose are not uncommon. But don't be shy, everything can be fixed. If figure flaws can be corrected with clothing, diets or sports, then you need to contact a plastic surgeon to correct your nose or lips.
We will talk about all the features of the procedure, preparation for plastic surgery and other important stages in this article.
Indications and contraindications: medical, aesthetic, indirect, absolute
Rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure that takes 1–2 hours. As a result, the patient's appearance changes and the face becomes more attractive. Before carrying out the plastic, it is necessary to agree on all the points with the doctor and thoroughly prepare for its implementation: pass tests, follow a diet, give up cigarettes and alcohol at least a week before the operation.
Indications for surgery
Indications for the procedure are congenital and acquired.
Congenital indications for plastic surgery are various aesthetic as well as physiological defects: hook-shaped, forked, thick or hanging tip, its displacement to the side, too wide or narrow nostrils.
The operation may be necessary after injuries or diseases in which a curvature of the nose occurs, as well as in case of difficulty breathing due to the structure of the organ or changes associated with age (aging of the skin). The above indications are considered acquired.
To restore or correct the tip of the nose, you need to consult with a surgeon, if surgery is necessary, the density of cartilage, thickness of skin and tissues, length, width of the nose, and other factors will be taken into account. The wishes of the patient are always taken into account, and also realized as much as possible, but the final decision is made together with the doctor, because excessive removal of cartilage can lead to poor health.
Before the operation, you need to examine the nasal cartilage, and also make sure that the skin in the area of the respiratory organ is healthy - there are no inflammations or signs of infections.
Contraindications to surgery
Correction of the tip of the nose is a serious procedure and must be approached consciously. What are the contraindications to the procedure?
- Age.The operation is performed from the age of 18. By this age, the formation of tissues occurs completely. However, surgeons recommend correcting the tip of the nose between the ages of 20 and 35. It is then that the formation of bones and cartilage is complete, the skin is elastic, and regeneration after the procedure is active.
- Blood clotting problems.When a patient has poor blood clotting, the risk of surgery is higher than usual and therefore it is better to refuse to perform it.
- Exacerbation of chronic diseases.Surgeons do not recommend performing an operation during an exacerbation of diseases. It is better to wait until the state of health is normalized and undergo an examination. Only in case of positive test results can one decide on rhinoplasty.
- Viral diseases, infections, inflammations.It must be remembered that if there are at least minimal health problems, it is better to postpone surgery until complete recovery.
- Oncology.Rhinoplasty is contraindicated in patients with oncology.
- Menstruation.Operation is contraindicated during menstruation. Correction is desirable to be done within two weeks after the end of menstruation.
It is also contraindicated to carry out plastic surgery during pregnancy or lactation. Before the operation, the patient must be examined and tested in order to provide the necessary preparation for rhinoplasty.
Other ways of correction. Why rhinoplasty is the safest method
To correct the nose, surgeons use different surgical techniques, depending on the wishes of the client and the result that the patient expects to receive. However, you can find other methods for correcting the tip of the nose on the Internet.
Clamps
In online stores you can find the so-called "clamps for the correction of the nose. "Manufacturers assure that when wearing correctors 2-3 times a day, the effect will be noticeable, comparable to performing a surgical intervention. But, naturally, this is far from the truth. For nose correction, no clips or other devices from pseudo-specialists will work. If there is any effect, it will be short-term - for 2-3 weeks, and the correction is insignificant.
Exercises
There is a set of exercises for the face that allows you to correct its shape. These exercises are useful for maintaining muscle tone, cheekbones and double chin, but they will not work to correct the shape of the cartilage. The effect after systemic exercise persists for 2 weeks.
Correction with threads
The threading technique is carried out by a specialist with a special needle through micro-punctures. Specially designed notched threads are inserted into the skin of the nose, which form a frame. The threads are inserted through small punctures, and the framework keeps it in position. After two days, the doctor removes the ends of the threads and the patient sees the final result, which lasts for about 3 years.
Use of hormonal drugs
To correct the tip of the nose, you can also take a course of administration of hormonal drugs. First of all, you need to consult an endocrinologist. If there are no contraindications, a hormonal drug can be administered. This procedure is performed to remove excess soft tissue and lift the tip. For correction, you need to undergo a course of procedures that will last from 2 to 3 weeks. It is worth noting that the drugs give a temporary effect - from 3 months to 2 years, depending on the chosen drug.
Surgical correction
According to experts, rhinoplasty is the most reliable and effective way of correction. Unlike previous methods, rhinoplasty provides a lifelong result. The procedure lasts 1–2 hours under local or general anesthesia. The main advantages of the operation:
- all possible correction options (lower or raise the tip, reduce, straighten or narrow the tip of the nose);
- elimination of breathing problems;
- lifetime result;
- correction of injuries, birth defects.
3 Techniques for performing the operation. What is the difference
There are several types of rhinoplasty: classical closed, open and hybrid methods. Surgeons resort to different types of plastic surgery depending on the result to be achieved, the shape of the nose, the position of the bone and cartilage tissues, and other factors.
A feature of the classic closed plastic surgery is that it can be used to correct the nasal dorsum, but the tip correction will be more difficult than using the open one. In the case of this method, incisions are made inside the nasal passages and access to the tip is possible only when the cartilage is removed into the incision. But there are also pluses - no visible scars remain after the operation. Closed plastic is suitable for removing a hump or correcting bone tissue in case of its curvature.
In the case of open surgery, the surgeon makes an additional incision between the nostrils. This contributes to better access to the structures of the nose, wide possibilities for changing its size and shape. The scar after the procedure will be almost invisible and small. With this method, you can more effectively reshape the tip of the nose (compared to the closed method). Its disadvantage is the possible formation of a small scar on the outside of the nose and a longer recovery period. The scar becomes smaller after a couple of months after the operation, and it can also be removed with the use of additional healing agents and creams, which the surgeon will recommend, if necessary.
Since the above methods have their drawbacks, surgeons have developed a combined plastic technique. It makes incisions inside the nose, which are typical for both methods, but, unlike the open method, there is no external incision on the skin.
The combined (also known as "hybrid") method has been developed taking into account all the advantages and disadvantages of the closed and open methods.
The main advantages are the ability to change the structure of the nose as much as possible and not leave visible scars. Recovery after the combined method occurs within 2 weeks, and there are no visible scars on the skin.
When using the hybrid method, the surgeon has the opportunity to make corrections during the operation, as well as control the desired result, avoiding the possibility of excessive or insufficient correction. The combined method has only one drawback - it is more complicated from the technical point of view.
A few words about something important. Preparing for surgery
Before performing rhinoplasty, you need to undergo training. You will need to consult a plastic surgeon to discuss the desired changes. The surgeon examines the nose and explains the reality of getting the desired result. During the consultation, questions about the limitations, the operation, the peculiarities of its preparation, rehabilitation after it, as well as possible complications are discussed.
Before the operation, the patient needs to be examined in order to make sure that there are no contraindications, and to pass the following tests:
- blood for HIV infection and hepatitis C and B;
- clinical blood test;
- blood biochemistry;
- laboratory analysis of urine;
- analysis of the prothrombin index;
- fluorography;
- electrocardiography;
- test for tumor markers;
- roentgenogram.
Also, the patient needs to listen to the doctor's recommendations and adhere to them. Avoid drinking alcohol a week before the operation, stop smoking, do not use blood thinners, do not drink water or eat food for five hours before the procedure. It is important to refrain from active pastime and walking under the scorching sun a couple of days before rhinoplasty.
On the course of the operation and its main stages
Rhinoplasty is performed under general or local anesthesia. The choice of the type of anesthesia depends both on the wishes of the client and the features of the operation, and on the method that the plastic surgeon will use during its performance. The patient can always share his wishes regarding anesthesia, but the final decision is made by the doctor. The process and quality of rehabilitation after rhinoplasty also depends on the choice of the type of anesthesia.
Local anesthesia is used in case of minor correction of the nose with hormonal injections, fillers or threads. These correction methods do not cause severe pain, so general anesthesia is not required in most cases. But this type of anesthesia is practically not used in rhinoplasty, when the surgeon needs to touch the bones of the nose or cartilage.
General anesthesia is used by the surgeon in most cases. This type of anesthesia allows you to completely avoid pain during the operation and the patient will have no memories of the operation.
The operation takes 1–2 hours. After anesthesia, the surgeon makes an incision in the skin or mucous membrane. Depending on the wishes of the patient and the specific case, the doctor selects an open or closed method for the operation.
During rhinoplasty, the doctor separates the soft tissues of the nose from the bone and cartilage in the nasal cavity. Then he carries out the movement of cartilaginous and bone fragments, models a new shape of the nose. After the manipulations, the plastic surgeon applies absorbable sutures to the skin or mucous membranes, depending on where the incision was made. The next step is tamponing the nasal passages with large gauze tampons. The final stage of the operation is the imposition of a fixing plaster cast.
The type of incision is selected by the surgeon depending on the structure of the nose, the complexity of the procedure and the surgeon's preferences in work. The cut can be axial, perpendicular, oval or angled.
The rhinoplasty itself is performed by three main methods: open, closed and combined. The peculiarities of each of the methods are described in the paragraph "types of operation".
The choice of the method of plastic surgery is presented to the patient directly, but doctors recommend choosing the methods with the lowest level of trauma. Surgeons say that the least traumatic methods are closed and combined, since in the case of their use the incision is small, and recovery after surgery is faster.
Surgeon's recommendations in the postoperative period. How to avoid complications
Rehabilitation after surgery is on average 20 to 25 days. If the rhinoplasty was performed under general anesthesia, the patient must also be hospitalized for 24 hours after the surgery.
For three days after the operation, gauze or cotton swabs should be in the nasal cavity to ensure the immobility of new forms and prevent swelling. On the 5-8th day (depending on the speed of healing) after the plasty, the suture material is removed. After a week or 10 days, the patient is removed from the plaster cast, hematomas and edema begin to gradually disappear.
Doctor's recommendations in the postoperative period:
- Sleep on your back, be sure to use a high pillow.
- To reduce the level of discomfort associated with dry mouth (as one of the possible consequences of the procedure), use special solutions or pastes to soften.
- Do not abuse alcohol and smoking.
- Refuse trips to baths, solariums, saunas.
- Don't wear glasses.
- It is forbidden to burden yourself with physical activity.
- Temporarily stop eating hot foods and drinks.
- Do not touch, knead, or feel your nose.
Possible complications
Complications after rhinoplasty are rare. Some of them appear immediately after correction, while others occur at later stages of healing. Natural complications include edema and bruising. External signs of puffiness disappear within a week after plastic surgery, deep puffiness disappears after six months. Difficulty breathing disappears on its own 10 days after the operation.
In order to protect yourself as much as possible from possible complications, it is important to carefully choose a specialist, clinic and provide complete information about your health, injuries or diseases, if any. The final result of the operation performed also depends on strict adherence to the doctor's recommendations during the rehabilitation period.
Conclusion
Rhinoplasty is used by both women and men at any age. Surgeons advise to carry out the operation to correct the tip of the nose at a young age and not to postpone it. It is important to undergo a full course of examination, to make sure that there are no contraindications to plastic surgery. The most popular indications for rhinoplasty are:
- correction of the tip of the nose (large, sharp or round);
- a long nose;
- wide nasal bridge;
- lifting the tip of the nose or narrowing it;
- elimination of asymmetry;
- shortness of breath;
- elimination of the consequences of injury or poor-quality rhinoplasty;
- split nose tip correction.
If the patient has a small defect, the operation is performed under local anesthesia. In 90% of other cases, rhinoplasty is performed under general anesthesia. The procedure itself takes from one to two hours. The method of carrying out the procedure (open or closed) is based on many factors. These include the complexity of the nose defect and the client's wishes. But the final decision remains with the plastic surgeon.
The quality of rhinoplasty and the final result directly depends on the choice of a specialist and clinic, so this must be approached thoroughly.