Nose Surgery for Male Patients—What Are the Factors to Consider?

Over the past couple of years, rhinoplasty or nose surgery has been the most popular cosmetic plastic surgery among male patients.  But to enjoy its full benefits, certain factors must be considered including age, goals and expectation, underlying cartilage and bone, and skin thickness.

To make sure the result of rhinoplasty can last longer, most plastic surgeons require their patients to be at least 15 years old, the period when the face is fully developed.  However, this age requirement is only applicable for men seeking aesthetic improvements and are not suffering from breathing problems.  

If performed for cosmetic reasons, patients should be in good health, both psychologically and physically. 

While it is tempting to think that rhinoplasty can help you achieve the same look of your celebrity idol, always bear in mind that the result largely depends on the nasal structure including the skin, and amount of cartilage and bone.

Because the definition of beauty between men and women is different, plastic surgeons use a slightly different approach.  In male rhinoplasty, the goal is to retain and/or emphasize the masculine looks which are characterized by a strong, straight nasal bridge.

To achieve the best and most natural results, plastic surgeons consider the fact that aesthetically speaking, the best angle between the nose and upper lip for men is about 90 degrees—which is quite different from a beautiful woman’s.  Also, the space between the nasal tip and upper lip is a consideration to make. 

Another thing to consider is that men tend to have more injuries from sports, leading to a crooked or deviated nose.  In severe cases, the condition results to breathing difficulties, frequent nosebleed, and other medical problems which must be immediately addressed.

Compared to previous years, modern male rhinoplasty involves a more conservative approach.  This means that plastic surgeons do not remove too much cartilage to ensure that the new contour will have a strong support and the result can be long lasting.  In addition, the changes are carefully done in order to achieve facial harmony.

In case that you have a weak chin (it disappears from the neck), you can achieve a better result if your rhinoplasty is complemented with chin implant surgery; this additional procedure may prevent the nose from appearing too pointy compared to the rest of the face.

Aside from chin implants, some rhinoplasty patients may benefit from facelift particularly if their goal is to achieve a more youthful appearance. 

Egyptian Solon Who Had Nose Job Loses Parliamentary Immunity

In Egypt, it is hard to be a politician and fan of plastic surgery.  Anwar El-Balkimy, who is a member of a conservative Islamist party, learned this lesson the hard way when he got a nose job and was forced to make up stories just to prevent any suspicion among his colleagues who think that all cosmetic procedures “meddle with God’s work.”

On February 29, the parliamentary member went to a hospital and claimed that he was beaten and robbed by unidentified men.  However, his colleagues found that the story was just an attempt to cover up his nose job and prevent any suspicion on why his face was covered with heavy bandages that only his mouth, chin, and eyes could be seen.

After initial investigation revealed that El-Balkimy was just making up stories, he was immediately expelled from the conservative Islamist party.  And in an attempt to mend his reputation, he requested other lawmakers to lift his parliamentary immunity so he can face the lawsuit against him.

Meanwhile, state prosecutor is considering filing the estranged solon with lawsuits based on “creating anxiety among the public” and “worrying public officials” with his lies.  At first, many people were hooked on his “robbery story” and it even lead to criticism over the government’s failure to address street crimes which have erupted after authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak was overthrown. 

Rumors of El-Balkimy’s nose job started when local media showed pictures of him with his face covered with bandages, citing suspicion that it may be the result of plastic surgery.  For this reason, his colleagues brought him to a hospital and was examined and interviewed by doctors.

Perhaps El-Balkimy could have avoided the blunder if he admitted having nose surgery in the first place and just made some white lies that he needed it to correct breathing problems or nasal injuries.  Unfortunately, he chose a more action-packed, harder-to-believe story. 

Jersey Shore Star Deena Cortese Denies Plastic Surgery Rumors

Jersey Shore star Deena Cortese has denied having new celebrity plastic surgery procedures amidst speculations that she had went under the knife again.  In a Twitter post, she admitted having a nose job in the past, but said her new look is a result of “a makeup technique.”

“I am not afraid to admit I got plastic surgery [nose job], Cortese said.  In April 2011, the MTV reality star had rhinoplasty or nose surgery to improve her appearance.

Rumors of plastic surgery started when recent photos of the reality star shows a somewhat different face, however, she claimed that “it is all makeup and not surgery” which accounted for her new look.

Cortese said she “thinned her eyebrows” and “learned to do new makeup technique” in which she uses highlights under her eyes to make the cheekbones appear higher.  Meanwhile, some showbiz bloggers were not convinced and even speculated that the reality TV star had some dermal fillers.

Aside from makeup, Cortese said that her weight loss may have also reshaped her face slightly, before quipping, “If I get the nose job again, I will let you know.”

Cortese is not the only Jersey Shore star who has been rumored to having plastic surgery.  Last year, co-star JWoWW was reported having face injections, particularly with Botox, because of her somewhat “contained” expression; however, she only admitted having breast augmentation and did not comment on speculations that she had facial rejuvenation procedures.

Teens, Parents Must Consider Factors Affecting Rhinoplasty Result

About 244,000 rhinoplasty or nose surgeries were performed in 2011, making this the second most popular plasticsurgery in the US.  Meanwhile, the procedure is particularly appealing to teenagers who want to improve their appearance or those who are not happy with their nose.

If performed for cosmetic reasons, it is best to wait until the face has completely developed before conducting rhinoplasty.  This means girls should be at least 15 years at the time of surgery, and for boys, the minimum age requirement is 17 years old since their nose takes longer time to mature.

By waiting until the nose has fully developed, patients will more likely enjoy permanent or at least longer results.  However, reconstructive rhinoplasty, which is used to treat nasal injuries or improve breathing function, does not involve age limits.

Aside from physical maturity, teenage patients and their parents should consider the aspect of emotional and psychological maturity.  As with any cosmetic surgery, rhinoplasty is not advisable to individuals with unrealistic goals and expectations and those who see this as a way to please other people.

Another thing to consider is the result largely depends on facial features and nasal structure.  This simply means that it is extremely hard, or even impossible, to recreate the nose of celebrities; any plastic surgeon who is claiming that he can perform such procedure is creating unrealistic expectations.

As mentioned earlier, emotional and psychological maturity is very important as it allows patients to understand the limits of rhinoplasty and its potential complications.  With this consideration, plastic surgeons and parents should carefully guide teenagers when making decisions.

Ideally, parents should also accompany their teenage daughter or son during consultation with a plastic surgeon.

While the result of rhinoplasty is supposed to last a lifetime, the revision rate is about 7 percent due to unexpected changes in the nose, certain complications, and other factors.  Fortunately, newer techniques have led to a more structurally sound nose after surgery; this usually means a conservative approach.

Previous nose surgery techniques involved too much removal of cartilage (flexible tissue inside the nose), resulting to a higher risk of drooping tip because of the “weakened structure.”  By contrast, modern methods only manipulate or reshape the cartilage and bone; and if there is a need to remove some tissue, doctors use a conservative approach.

Another improvement is that many rhinoplasty implants today are made of a porous material that allows tissue to grow inside them, thereby lowering the risk of rejection and unnatural result.

Ethnic Rhinoplasty for African-Americans

 

African-Americans account for the lowest number of plastic surgery performed on ethnic patients (only 20-30 percent).  This is probably due to botched results seen on celebrities like Lil Kim, La Toya Jackson, and the late Michael Jackson that make them wary.

Most people of ethnic descent seek plastic surgery to improve their appearance and maintain their unique facial traits at the same time.  Fortunately, this is now possible with the use of ethnic rhinoplasty, which is a technique in nose surgery.

The problem with the celebrities stated above is that there is too much narrowing of the nostrils, resulting to an odd look.  Also, their nasal tip appears too pointy that it destroys their ethnic features.

Dr. Tarick Smaili, one of the leading Los Angeles plastic surgeons, believes that the late Michael Jackson is the perfect epitomize of a bad rhinoplasty because his nose almost resembles a Caucasian’s.

“There is no such thing as an ideal nose.  It is even incorrect to say that a Greek-like nose is the standard definition of beauty, so when treating a patient of ethnic descent, I always make sure that the result glorifies, preserves, and even enhances his or her racial traits,” Smaili said.

One way to preserve the ethnic features when treating African-Americans, Smaili said, is to allow a slight nostril flare which can even be flattering for most patients.

Smaili mentioned Halle Berry’s nose as a perfect example of a good ethnic rhinoplasty result because it has the right nasal projection and slight nostril flare that further enhances her beautiful African face.

“Before she had surgery, her nose has a somewhat bulbous tip.  But after her surgery, you can see that her nose has a slightly more definition, although not to the extent of being too pointy, especially in the tip.  You can also see that the size of the nostril has almost been maintained, resulting to a very flattering and lovely feature,” the surgeon added.

Most African-Americans seek rhinoplasty surgery to “tone down” their nasal bridge that is too flat and wide, and a tip that is too bulky in relation to their overall face. 

“Tone down” is the right term because most patients want to maintain their racial traits rather than “completely overhaul” or westernize their appearance.

Meanwhile, patients should remember that not all nose surgery doctors are effective in ethnic rhinoplasty, which is more challenging and involves higher level of skills than ordinary techniques.

Basic Guide to Rhinoplasty

While rhinoplasty or nose surgery is usually conducted to improve the appearance of a person, the procedure is also used to correct injuries caused by accidents, developmental or birth defects, and breathing problems.  Whether performed for nasal reconstruction or cosmetic reasons, the surgery is either conducted via closed or open technique.

In open rhinoplasty technique, plastic surgeons cut the columella, which is the strip of tissue separating the right and left nostrils.  With this incision, they will be able to gently lift the skin in order to manipulate the cartilage and/or bone to reshape the structure of the nose.

In addition to cutting the columella across, surgeons also make small incisions inside the nostrils.  For this reason, patients should expect to have pronounced swelling and bruising during the first week after surgery; these postoperative symptoms are supposed to subside slowly as the days go by.

By contrast, closed rhinoplasty technique only involves making incisions inside the nostrils without having to cut the columella.  With this method, patients tend to have less swelling, bruising, and bleeding, and usually enjoy shorter recovery than if the open rhinoplasty is used.

Unfortunately, since the incisions are hidden inside the nostrils, surgeons find it difficult to visualize the changes made on the nose.  As a result, there is a higher chance the existing deformity is not corrected well than if the open rhinoplasty is performed.

Because doctors have a limited view with closed rhinoplasty, they do not use this technique if there is a significant deformity that must be corrected.

But the closed technique can still provide great results if the correction involves removing a small bump on the bridge of the nose and slightly changing the nasal tip.

Regardless if close or open technique is used, rhinoplasty involves recovery and some level of risk which can be easily minimized by choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon with a great deal of experience in nose-reshaping surgery.

If performed solely to improve the appearance (vs. correcting breathing problems, severe deformities, and injuries), one of the most important requirements is to be at least 14 years of age, or slightly older for male patients to make sure that the nasal structure has fully matured. 

If rhinoplasty is conducted to a fully matured nose, the chance of having a revision plastic surgery in later years can be significantly reduced.  However, the age requirement stated above is not applicable if the procedure’s goal is to address breathing difficulties and severe deformities.

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