Will I grow into my nose or would I be a good candidate for alarplasty? (photo)

Question

I have disliked my nose since the sixth grade and now being 17 I continue to dislike it. My question is as a 17 year old female do you think my nose has fully developed or is it possible that I might grow into it, and if not would I be a good candidate for alarplasty? I would like the nostrils and tip to look natural but more refined so that it is in proportion to the rest of my face. Is this possible?

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

I think the nostrils and the tip can be improved in the way you would like with a closed rhinoplasty.Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds  
of rhinoplasties and rhinoplasty revisions each year.  Then look at the 
 plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a   
sense of who can deliver the results. 	Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Toby Mayer, MD · Answer

Rhinoplasty in 17 year old female is possible to refine and narrow your nose. The growth of your nose is done so the surgery can be done with your parents consent or after 18 without. See an experienced rhinoplasty surgeon.

Stephen P. Smith, Jr., MD · Answer

At the age of 17, your face should not
change dramatically enough to accommodate your nose. Although this can be
variable, this is usually the case. With respect to your question about
“looking natural”, when we analyze nasal width, we usually like for the nose to
be as wide as the distance between the inside corner of the eyes. This holds
true for the Caucasian nose. The proportions in ethnic rhinoplasty are
different. We generally accept a ratio of 1.25:1 meaning that the width of the
nose can be slightly wider than the width between the inner corners of the
eyes. By those standards, your nose fits your ethnic background but that does
not mean that you have to like it. There are surgical maneuvers that can narrow
the width of your nose but you should know that they involve making very small
incisions on the face and for this reason are much more challenging. For this
reason, I suggest you consult with a facial plastic surgeon who has a lot of
experience with ethnic rhinoplasty. It is the surgeon’s job to place those
incisions in appropriate places to hide them but there is always the
unpredictability of scar healing. You are certainly a candidate so seek the
advice of a board certified facial plastic surgeon. Good luck.

Michael Bowman, MD · Answer

For most cosmetic rhinoplasty issues, women should be at least 16-17 yo and men 17-18 to make sure their nose has stopped growing.  You can undertake rhinoplasty now or at anytime in the future...I would suggest consultation with a local rhinoplasty expert.  You would probably benefit from tip refinement and elevation.  However, alarplasty is a vague term.  Before your consultation work on being able to express what you  would like to change about your nose, rather than worrying about the technique used (i.e. regarding your nasal ala are you wanting the base of your nose narrowed?)   Sometimes it is help helpful if you can photographs of a nose that you like (and would fit your facial features well).

Robert Kotler, MD, FACS · Answer

Dear Luckycharms;At 17, your nose
should be fully developed. It is not
likely that you are going to have any significant change. It seems to me, the most important issue for
you is an evaluation that would explore all the possibilities to improve your
nose. Among the imperfections of your
nose is the length.The angle between
your nose and the lip on the profile is not ideal.The tip needs to be lifted so as to increase
the angle and make your nose look smaller.You should be able to have a natural result.The photos demonstrate a nose that is not
grossly disproportional to your face. As
far as an "alar plasty," I am not sure exactly what you are referring
to, but if you are considering the narrowing of the nostrils, I do not think
that that is necessary for you.The
most important thing with any nose is that it looks natural. Unless the nose is unduly wide and unduly
disproportional to your face, a nostril narrowing procedure is generally not
indicated.Now
is a good time to start your consultation process.Visit with surgeons who specialize in nasal
surgery and who have a large volume of before and after photos to share.You should have computer imaging that shows the predicted result the surgeon believes he can deliver. Spend time studying by reviewing websites,
reading books, and getting up to speed on the subject.If
you have waited since you were 11 years old to have this, now would be the time
to begin your consultation process in earnest and direct yourself to achieving
self-satisfaction.Robert Kotler, MD, FACS Facial Plastic SurgeonAuthor, SECRETS OF A BEVERLY HILLS
COSMETIC SURGEONAuthor, THE ESSENTIAL COSMETIC
SURGERY COMPANION

Will I grow into my nose or would I be a good candidate for alarplasty? (photo)

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Answers (5)

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