Would I benefit from a rhinoplasty? Nose overwhelms face (photos)

Hello and thank you for your question and the pictures. You actually have a difficult problem. To properly address your nose and improve your facial balance, you would need a rhinoplasty with nasal tip deprojection to improve the overall harmony of your different facial features.

This truly a surgery of millimeters- and tip deprojection is one of the most technically challenging surgical techniques! Because your nose is the DEFINING feature of your face- I would only recommend seeing a surgeon who specializes in rhinoplasty procedures, and who has significant training and experience performing these surgeries. I actually trained under one of the world leading rhinoplasty experts (who performs 1,000+ nosejobs annually).

I recommend for you to setup a formal consultation with me (or another plastic surgeon who is extremely comfortable with rhinoplasties) to thoroughly discuss your surgical goals, undergo a formal examination, evaluate your options, and develop a personalized plan just for you. I hope this helps!

Dr. Donald Groves
Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon

Based on your photos, you appear to have relatively thin nasal skin and a long nasal appearance with an overprojected nasal profile appearance. Please consider meeting with several reputable rhinoplasty specialists who Offer computer Imaging so you can see what might be best for you moving forward. Wishing you well. Sincerely, Dr Joseph

You don't have any one overwhelming feature, but rather several measurements of your nose appear to be on the larger side of a range of normal, and when they all add up, it makes you concerned about the overall size. Despite your great chin, the tip iof your nose is strong in its forward projection from your face, so bringing it back closer to the face (de-projecting the tip) would help. The bridge is strong, with a small bump seen on profile view and a larger bump seen on 3/4 view (like the last two photos you posted), so lowering the bridge would be good as well. The 3/4 views make your nose look long, with the tip drooping down, so elevating the tip is another good change for your nose. Shortening the nose would also help with some of the asymmetries we see.


How *much* to elevate the tip, or deproject the nose, or lower the bridge, 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.

From your photos, you should do well with a rhinoplasty. The fullness of the bridge can be taken down and the overall nose can be made a little smaller. It looks like it may be a little crooked which can also be improved. Be sure to see a rhinoplasty specialist for consultation.

Your initiative to gather information is the best approach before deciding about an aesthetic procedure. The value of rhinoplasty to you depends on your final result. A great result represents tremendous value over your lifetime. An average or poor result much less valuable. Not all rhinoplasties are equal in value to you. Simulate your desired profile result over your photo. Then visit some online galleries showing similar rhinoplasty "before and after" results for others to find a doctor who will create for you the nose you want. You don't need a rhinoplasty unless the procedure results in a nose that you really love.

Thank you for your question. You are an excellent candidate for rhinoplasty. I think it is one of the most beautifying surgeries that we do as plastic surgeons. A large portion of my practice is dedicated to rhinoplasty surgery. It is important to only see plastic surgeons with extensive experience in rhinoplasty, ie perform at least 6 per month and have performed hundreds of cases. Also, critically evaluate on-line galleries to see if their art form resonates with yours. Rhinoplasty is definitely a grey haired plastic surgeon's sport. You should be able to have an excellent result. Best wishes to you.

Yes, a rhinoplasty would be very effective. You have a bony contour deformity as well as a small dorsal hump.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

You are an excellent candidate for a full rhinoplasty. The problem I see in patients like yourself is a tendency to leave the nose too large and too long.

There is no doubt that good rhinoplasty would be a procedure for you. The next step is a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon with good reputation in nose surgery. Good luck.

Based on your photos, it looks like you would be a great candidate for a rhinoplasty.

Make sure to consult with a board certified plastic surgeon well versed in that area.

Best of luck !