Rhinoplasty, the surgical improvement of the nose's appearance, is one of the most common forms of cosmetic surgery performed by cosmetic surgeries in the UK. The nose is in fact the central feature of the human face. It is one of the first things we notice when we look at a person.

The nose has a profound effect on how we appear. This is the primary reason why many people are self-conscious about their noses and may dislike its size and/or shape.

For a large number of people, this may be reason enough to lose confidence in themselves (fear of how we look may affect the way we interact with other people) and even become unhappy. For these people, rhinoplasty may become a welcome way out. Rhinoplasty may also be useful in cases of genetic deformities and corrective surgery as a result of accidents.

Moreover, beyond being completely cosmetic, rhinoplasty is also helpful in improving the function of the nose as anatomical deformities of this organ can also impair air intake.

Rhinoplasty: Correct several types of nose deformities.

1. Saddle nose deformity—is a loss in the height of the nose (depression) as a result of the collapse of the nose bridge. It is associated with diseases such as syphilis as well as persons prone to trauma to the nose such as boxers. It could also be an inherited trait. It usually involves:

Depression of the middle vault and dorsum

Reduced vertical length of the nose

Loss of nasal tip support and definition

Nasal obstruction

2. Cleft Lip Nasal Deformity—occurs mainly in babies/children and involves a gap in the nose and the lip often caused by abnormal facial development during gestation. This deformity can present any or all of the following depending on the severity:

Nose deviates to one side

Affected dome is lower

The bony floor of the nose may be depressed or missing

Nose septum is shifted towards the normal side

Nostril angle is acute (i.e. small aperture of nostrils resulting in obstructed airway)

3. Bent Nasal Deformity—where the nose is bent to one side; usually a congenital defect.

4. Large nose—involves the following:

Over-projected nose—the nose is too far away from the face.

Wide nose—the nose is wide at the tip; the nostrils are too big or the bridge (septum) is too large.

Expectations

While rhinoplasty can bring wonderful results in the above cases, surgeons often guard against over-expectations. Surgeons often explain to patients what can be changed and what cannot. There are limitations with rhinoplasty.

Surgeons cannot alter the size and shape of the nose drastically without sacrificing its strength and the overall health of the patient. In the majority of cases however, even the minor changes effected by rhinoplasty (millimetres) can have positive effect on the overall appearance of the face.