A nose job is the more common used term for rhinoplasty, a type of plastic surgery that either repairs or changes the look of the nose. A nose job is actually an ancient surgery, first practiced in India about 2500 years ago. Early rhinoplasty was an attempt to rebuild nose structure for people who had been sentenced to nose amputation as a form of criminal punishment. The early rhinoplasty techniques for nasal reconstruction remain virtually unchanged, though certainly operating conditions, more precise instruments, and better anesthesia exist today.
People may get a nose job for a variety of reasons. Some people get one after a bad break to the nose has healed improperly, resulting in a crooked or broken nose look. Congenital defects of the nose are another common reason people might seek the surgery. In particular, people with breathing problems due to a deviated septum may benefit from a rhinoplasty that corrects nasal septal defects and results in easier breathing. Another common reason for having the surgery is principally aesthetic. When a person doesn’t like the shape or size of his/her nose, he/she may seek a rhinoplasty to change its appearance. Aesthetics may be combined with necessity if damage to the nose exists and a person would also like a different looking nose.
Two principal surgical techniques exist for rhinoplasty. One technique works from inside the nostrils, and the other makes small incisions across the nostrils in order to get to the nasal bone and cartilage. In both cases the nasal bone is usually broken, so that the bone can be set accordingly. Pieces of bone and cartilage can also be removed and shaped in order to lengthen a nose, shorten it, or narrow or widen the nostrils. Angle of the nose can also be reshaped in a nose job. Surgeons may use prosthetic devices in addition to a patient’s own cartilage in order to get the desired “look” meant to be achieved by the procedure.
When the second procedure is used, the small incisions on the outside of the nose can result in minimal scarring. Working from inside the nostrils produces very little scarring. Patients usually have general anesthesia during a nose job, although a recent trend is to use local anesthesia or conscious sedation. Recovery time from the surgery involves a few days of rest time. The actual look of the nose may be highly unfavorable at first, since bruising and swelling exists on the nose and under the eyes. Swelling and bruising can persist for several months, especially at the nose tip, but when the nose is finally healed, it is hoped the procedure looks like the patient wished it to.
There are some notoriously bad examples of the nose job in Hollywood. These can result from creating a look so drastic the person is barely recognizable. Jennifer Grey, from the film Dirty Dancing, significantly altered her look by getting a nose job. In fact, most people couldn’t recognize her, and she got fewer jobs as a result of her surgery. Some entertainers have had repeated operations, which can make it appear as though there is very little nose left. This has been the case with people like La Toya Jackson, and her brother Michael.
