The Different Types of Nose Jobs

If you're unhappy with your nose you can take heart in the fact that getting a nose job, or having a rhinoplasty procedure, is one of the most common and most complication-free forms of cosmetic surgery you can elect to have. In 2007 alone the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that there were approximately 285,000 people who had their nose reshaped either for cosmetic or health reasons.

Because the nose is such a prominent and always visual part of the body no one wants to have scarring or deal with breathing complications due to swelling. If you're consider any sort of nose reshaping or rhinoplasty then you should be aware that there are actually two different types of rhinoplasty procedures which are generally performed.

Closed Nose Rhinoplasty - This is the least invasive type of nost job and it involves your plastic surgeon making an incision on the inside of your nose and working entirely beneath the skin of your nose with limited visual access. Not all nose reshaping procedures can be done this way due to the limits of what can be seen. Recovery is quick and generally easy, though there will still be some initial discomfort.

Open Nose Rhinoplasty - This type of rhinoplasty involves removing the nose of the skin and allowing the plastic surgeon to have full access to the underlying cartilage and tissue of the nose. There is a small incision made across the columella (between the nostrils) to perform this procedure and some scarring can occur. The open nose rhinoplasty procredure allows for greater shaping of the nose and gives the surgeon the most access. This can be a fairly complex procedure though some surgeons prefer it because of the results it can yield. There is a little more discomfort and recovery time is a little bit longer with open nose rhinoplasty, but again, the results may be worth it.

With either the open nose or closed nose rhinoplasty procedures there will be consideral discomfort and recovery times, though serious complications rarely occur. The most common types of discomfort are swelling and bruising, moderate pain, nasal discomfort and trouble breathing while recovering. In some cases you may also experience numbness, though that often goes away with time.

Pain medication is often given and people who undergo any sort of nasal surgey are generally advised to sleep in an upright position for several days to several weeks.

The choice of what type of procedure you will have will be depend upon the type of changes you wish to have made to your nose and the preferences of your surgeon.