hump on the bridge of the nose

Rhinoplasty (or nose surgery) is a much more general term that most people realize. While every plastic surgery procedure that I perform is customized to the patient’s needs and goals, rhinoplasty can be very different from one patient to the next. All rhinoplasty patients may want their nose to better balance and compliment their facial features, but most patients have a very specific concern about their nose that they would like to correct, so the procedure can be significantly different from one patient to the next. To give you a better understanding of the scope of this procedure, I’ve broken down a few of the most common requests I receive from rhinoplasty patients.

Make wide nostrils smaller
The nostrils are an essential part of the nose, allowing us to breathe easily, but patients with especially large nostrils often feel that their nose looks disproportionately large compared to their other facial features. Incisions that are strategically concealed in the natural creases of the nose can give the nose a more slender and attractive shape without limiting breathing ability. In some cases, the appearance of these incisions can be further minimized with laser skin resurfacing after they’ve healed.

Smooth a hump on the nose
Having a bump on the bridge of the nose is quite common, but for some, it can be bothersome and can cause self-consciousness, especially when it comes to their profile. This concern is corrected by adjusting the underlying bone structure of the nose. Depending on the individual patient and the details of their procedure, an incision may be made across the tissue that separates the nostrils or in the inside of the nose. Either way, the incision, and scarring are either entirely hidden from view or easily concealed as they heal.

Raise a drooping nasal tip
The tip of the nose is made of a flexible yet strong material called cartilage. For patients who feel that the tip of their nose points too far downward or has a “droopy” appearance, the cartilage can be re-shaped and raised to a more attractive angle. This can involve cartilage grafts or other techniques depending on the individual patient.

Correct a deviated septum
The nasal structure can cause problems that go beyond aesthetic appeal. For patients with a deviated septum or other structural breathing problems, blockages and narrow nasal pathways can prevent them from comfortably breathing through their nose. In many of these situations, rhinoplasty can correct the problem by adjusting the underlying nasal structure.

Everyone has some degree of facial asymmetry it’s part of what makes each of us unique. The goal of rhinoplasty isn’t necessarily to create a perfectly symmetrical appearance, but to give the facial features better balance and proportion and to give the patient an overall more pleasing look while still letting them look like themselves. Often this involves one of the goals listed above, or in some cases, two or three of these goals. To start discussing what type of rhinoplasty procedure can achieve your aesthetic goals, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. John LeRoy. Or, to learn more about nose surgery and the other procedures we offer, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.