Can I get a nose and smile like Natalie Portman?

While there are some common factors in rhinoplasty such as lowering the bump of the nose, refining the tip of the nose, increasing or deprojecting the nose, the results that you would get would depend upon the size and strength of your cartilage, your bone structure in your nose and the thickness of your skin. It’s likely not possible to give you anyone else’s nose, but refinements of your nose could be achieved. Have a detailed discussion with your plastic surgeon about what you could realistically achieve. Best wishes.

Overall, you appear to have a pleasing nasal appearance. If you have severe dissatisfaction with the appearance of your nose, rhinoplasty surgery may be considered. Your tip does droop a bit with smiling, and your have a bit of a wide nasal appearance. Please consider meeting with several reputable rhinoplasty specialists who offer computer Imaging so you could see what might be best for you moving forward. Sincerely, Dr Joseph

You didn't mention specifics, but from what I see, many patients would want the little bump on the bridge lowered, the tip elevated a bit, and the whole nose brought back closer to your face. The photos don't show enough detail to see whether the tip cartilages are also a bit wide and could be narrowed.

Any nose will always get wider with a smile. We can't change that at all, so what we do is make the nose look as good as possible when the face is at rest, and that maximizes how good it looks during smiling.


How *much* to elevate the tip, or lower the bump, ordeproject the nose, or make other changes? We figure that out with morphs, well before surgery. I'd love for you to see some excellent professionally-designed morphs of what could possibly be done with your nose. Morphs could also help you identify better just what's bothering you, and help you set a goal for the rhinoplasty that's accurate for your tastes. Profile and three-quarter views would be particularly important in morphing your nose. (Side note: in my opinion, morphs should really be done by the surgeon, or he should direct an assistant as she makes the morphs. Morphs should be made with a constant eye to what actually *can* be done in surgery, for that particular nose, and the surgeon has that information and judgment best.)

Finally, remember that rhinoplasty is an exquisitely difficult operation to get right, and you should only have surgery if you are able to make yourself very confident in your surgeon's skills. The changes that your nose needs require advanced techniques, and skill that most plastic surgeons don't possess with expertise. It's much better to not have surgery than to have inexpertly-performed surgery. Read my essay on how to stay out of trouble while selecting a rhinoplasty surgeon. And it also discusses how to take photos that are best for online evaluations.

No surgeon can guarantee results similar to Natalie Portman. The width of the nose can be decreased and the nasal columella can be increased. In terms of your smile, a lip lift can be done. A lip lift does 4 things: shortens the distance between your nose and upper lip, increases the mucosa of the upper lip, increases the incisor show and pulls up the corners.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Hello and thank you for your question. Based on your photographs, you are a good candidate for a rhinoplasty to correct your drooping tip and over projected tip. It is very important not to use celebrity photos as goals. It is much more meaningful and valuable to use pictures from your surgeon’s own website instead. With good surgical technique, you could have an outstanding result. I recommend that you seek consultation with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon who can evaluate you in person.

Best wishes and good luck.

Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon