Rhinoplasty in Virginia, Washington D.C. and Maryland

Download and print pre-operative instructions for Rhinoplasty.

Dr. Naderi performs on patients from all over the world. He has 25 years of experience dedicated to primary rhinoplasty, and revision rhinoplasty. His refined surgical technique draws regional, national, and international patients to The Naderi Center for Rhinoplasty & Cosmetic Surgery. Your facial symmetry represents the essential aesthetic goal incorporated by Dr. Naderi into surgically straightening a dip, narrowing the nasal bridge, or refining the tip of your nose.

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Procedure Snapshot

PROCEDURE SUMMARY
What is the pain level after the surgery?	Mild to moderate
Anesthesia type (if applicable)	General Anesthesia
Duration of Surgery	About 2 hours
Where will scars for this procedure be?	Incisions inside and under the nose with possible tiny ones on side of bridge
Timeframe to begin showing final results	3 to 5 years for final results, but patients typically enjoy their new nose as soon one month after surgery
When is the patient able to return to regular activities?	Most regular work activities resume after 1-2 weeks
When is the patient able to resume exercise?	No exercise for at least 1 month
Cost of surgeon’s fee	$11,500 – $14,500+

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Types of Rhinoplasty procedures

Ethnic rhinoplasty modifies your nose, creating a more natural appearance while complimenting and maintaining your ethnicity. The most common ethnic modifications includes a modification of the nasal bridge, narrowing or decreasing your nostrils, or a modification of your nose angle.

Learn more about Ethnic Rhinoplasty

Before & After Photos

Functional problems, including a deviated septum as well as breathing impairments, are the most common functional nasal surgical repairs. Rhinoplasty opens nasal airway obstructions with septoplasty, vestibuloplasty, turbinate reduction, valvuloplasty, or osteotomies.

Learn more about Functional Reparative Rhinoplasty

Open Rhinoplasty

In an open rhinoplasty procedure, a small external incision is made on the underside of the nose between the nostrils. Additional incisions are made on the inside of the nose that cannot be seen. An open rhinoplasty fully opens the nose, providing improved visualization of the nasal structures and a more direct route for surgical manipulation. After the surgery, a small scar will be visible below the nose base but as the healing process occurs it will be less visible.

Endonasal Rhinoplasty

In an endonasal rhinoplasty, also known as closed rhinoplasty, incisions are made inside the nasal passages. These incisions are hidden and are not visible after surgery. Endonasal rhinoplasty offers a limited view and dissection of nasal tissues.

Related information: Rhinoplasty Types of Areas

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Rhinoplasty with Dr. Shervin Naderi

Shervin Naderi, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a member of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), a fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and a diplomat of the American Board of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, and of the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS). The Naderi Center has two locations in the metropolitan D.C. area: Reston, Virginia and Chevy Chase, Maryland.

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History of Rhinoplasty

The history of plastic surgery and its milestones are tightly interwoven with the history and progress in rhinoplasty. In the 16th century, the Italian surgeon, Gasparo Tagliacozzi, who is considered by most as one of the forefathers of plastic surgery, devised a clever “flap” using skin from the arm of a patient to reconstruct the nose by attaching the arm to the nose for a period of time until the arm skin developed its own blood supply from the nose. Although by today’s standards, such a procedure would be considered primitive, this concept of a “distal flap” is one of the cornerstones of modern reconstructive techniques for very large total nasal defects using methods such as a “Radial Forearm Flap.”

The father of modern plastic surgery, John Orlando Roe, who was an Otolaryngologist (ENT) from Rochester, New York, is accurately given credit for performing the first endonasal or “closed” rhinoplasty and for being the father of aesthetic rhinoplasty. Later on Jacques Joseph, from Berlin, used this technique to help a young man who was so embarrassed by his overly large nose that he had avoided appearing in public.

During the “taboo period” of plastic surgery, the field was seen as superfluous and was not taken seriously by most surgeons. Cosmetic surgery and rhinoplasty were merely available to the select few of wealth and advantage. However, today more than ever before in history, cosmetic surgery is in the spotlight. It has gained wide acceptance as a valid field of medicine. The rewards of self-improvement, increased self-confidence, and wellbeing are available for the first time to the general public.

This new “birth” of cosmetic surgery has also resulted in a “flooding” of the market by devices, procedures, and promises that are not always grounded in science and medicine but more so in “marketing” and “hype.” Plastic surgery is being “sold” today at an alarming rate to the public, in the media, and in cosmetic surgeons’ offices.

Rhinoplasty Today

Fortunately, the field of rhinoplasty and aesthetic surgery of the nose has largely been shielded from such hype and exposure; (with the few exceptions of the doctors offering “no-downtime-rhinoplasty” by injecting fillers like Radiesse into the nasal bridge in order to create a straighter profile). Overall, rhinoplasty has evolved properly and stepwise over the last several hundred years into the safe, effective, and impressive surgery that it is today when performed by the true “Rhinoplastic Surgeon.”

Rhinoplasty is widely considered by all kinds of surgeons to be the most difficult of all surgeries. Hence, the Rhinoplastic Surgeon is considered to be the most meticulous, skilled and, exquisite of all plastic surgeons. Aesthetic surgery of the nose is a three dimensional operation of millimeters. A successful Rhinoplasty requires skill, artistry, a complete understanding of the nose and it’s architecture, as well as its functional physiology.

Trust a Facial Plastic Surgeon

Facial plastic surgeons, who by training are specialists of the nose, are inherently better equipped to deal with these issues. The five to six years of surgical training focusing specifically on the face and nose results in unparalleled skill and expertise.

Dr. Naderi has held a position at Indiana University School of Medicine as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Facial Plastic Surgery where he has taught many surgical residents the proper techniques of rhinoplasty for both aesthetic and functional purposes. Furthermore, many Virginia plastic surgeons quite often refer their “tough noses” to Dr. Naderi, favoring his expertise and skills.

As the centerpiece of the face, the nose can draw significant attention to itself. Given all the intricacies of a rhinoplasty, you can be rest assured with Dr. Naderi’s unrivalled expertise in the greater Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia area.

Dr. Naderi takes the time to go over all of your options with the aid of cutting edge “digital computer imaging” to show you what you may look like after surgery. He confidently encourages all his patients to seek opinions from other doctors so they can feel totally comfortable with their ultimate decision to undergo rhinoplasty as well as their choice of surgeon.

Patients who choose Dr. Naderi as their rhinoplasty specialist surgeon do so based on the carefully calculated decision and wise desire to trust a “specialist” with their face and nose. Dr. Naderi is a board certified facial plastic surgeon (exclusively performs plastic surgery on the face only) but above and beyond this, his busy surgical practice is focused on the nose (rhinoplasty). Patients who choose Dr. Naderi do not do it based on price. He is not inexpensive! He takes excellent, skillful, artistic, and compassionate care of his patients and their noses. While no one can guarantee a “perfect” nose, his multitude of happy and grateful patients from all over the world are testimony to his skill. Do not choose Dr. Naderi if you are seeking a bargain. Choose Dr. Naderi if you want a surgeon who has the specialized skill and high ethics to take excellent care of you or your loved one.

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Rhinoplasty Consultation

Dr. Naderi is devoted to taking the time to understand your rhinoplasty goals. Dr. Naderi works with you to determine the right look to enhance your facial features with computer generated outcomes. Previous surgeries, your past and present medical conditions, allergies, and current medications determine whether or not you are a candidate.

Dr. Naderi will share suggestions for the type of procedure or combination of procedures that will accommodate your anticipated outcome as well as any associated risks and complications. He will show you rhinoplasty before and after images. In roughly 25% of consultations, Dr. Naderi may not suggest a rhinoplasty procedure. Dr. Naderi’s consultation goal is for his patients to make the most informed and intelligent decision about their potential rhinoplasty procedure.

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Computer Nose Imaging & Rhinoplasty Consultation Virginia

Digital computer imaging for rhinoplasty patients is VERY important. Computer morphing or imaging is the best way of ensuring that the plastic surgeon and the rhinoplasty patient have similar goals, expectations, and plans for the nose job. Computer imaging is a “road map” for the plastic surgeon. The road map is planned out during the rhinoplasty consultation and then the “road trip” is carried out by the plastic surgeon bearing the goals of the computer imaging in mind during the surgery. The imaging is not a guarantee of the outcome but it’s the only accurate method of dialogue between the plastic surgeon and the rhinoplasty patient.

The computer-imaging should be performed only by the surgeon doing the surgery. However, imaging or photo-shopped pictures can be shown to the surgeon to relay desires and fears.

The reason computer imaging is crucial is because there is no other way for the patient to visualize his or her new nose and new face before surgery takes place. The time of the nose splint or cast removal should not reveal a total surprise! More importantly the images should be fairly accurate and representative of the goals of the surgery and fairly realistic.

(1 a, b, c, & d) Samples of Dr. Naderi’s actual patients with pictures of their “before rhinoplasty”, “computer imaging”, and “actual after rhinoplasty” showing how close and realistic his results often are. It is important to understand that computer imaging is a “road map” and a tool for dialogue and not an exact replication of the rhinoplasty outcome.

For example, a patient with a “simple dorsal hump” who wants the hump removed may see several plastic surgeons. Obviously they all plan on removing the hump, but the degree or aggressiveness of reduction determines if a small residual hump remains or if the profile will be straight, slightly curved, or completely ski-sloped! Seeing the surgeon’s plans on the large computer screen before rhinoplasty will allow the patient to discuss and adjust the surgical plans before it’s too late. Of course we are discussing a best-case scenario where the plastic surgeon is actually experienced and skilled but may not be “on the same page” with the patient – if computer imaging is not used. It is important to seek a doctor who uses nose imaging so you can visually see a proximate result of the surgery.

Please Learn more about the latest 3D imaging technologyclick here to learn more about the latest 3D imaging technology offered at The Naderi Center for our plastic surgery patients.

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Cost and Role of Medical Insurance in Nasal Reshaping Surgery in Virginia

One of the most important aspects of each patient’s decision-making process is the cost of rhinoplasty. Other issues patients are concerned with are the type of anesthesia (general or sedation), the location of surgery (office or hospital), the skill of the surgeon (rhinoplasty specialist or general plastic surgeon), the goal of the surgery, and “the fear of looking like Michael Jackson.” We have addressed these concerns in their own respective sections in this online textbook of rhinoplasty but here we will discuss cost.

Cost varies significantly based on geographic location. For example, while there are general ENT surgeons performing nose jobs for an additional $1000-3000 above what insurance will pay for a septoplasty, there are no rhinoplasty specialists who will perform such an intricate and complex surgery for that amount. Most times, you get what you pay for.

The “average cost” of rhinoplasty in the United States is about $5000-7000 total. These numbers are just averages and there are significant variations in the cost of anesthesia and hospital fees, even within the same city. The data from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery revealed that the average plastic surgeon in the United States performs only 12 rhinoplasties per year. That is one per month! Most rhinoplasty specialist surgeons perform 10 times that number and hence understand the nose better.

Patients who choose Dr. Naderi as their rhinoplasty specialist surgeon do so based on the carefully calculated and wise decision to trust a “specialist” with their face and nose. Dr. Naderi is a board certified facial plastic surgeon (exclusively performs plastic surgery on the face only) but above and beyond this, his busy surgical practice is focused completely on the nose (rhinoplasty). Patients who choose Dr. Naderi do not do it based on price, he is not inexpensive. He takes excellent, skillful, artistic, and compassionate care of his patients and their noses. He is ethical and talks 20-30% of his patients out of undergoing an unnecessary rhinoplasty! While no one can guarantee a “perfect” nose, his multitude of happy and grateful patients from all over the world are testimony to his skill. Do not choose Dr. Naderi if you are seeking a bargain. Choose Dr. Naderi if you want a surgeon who has the specialized skill and high ethics to take excellent care of you and your loved ones during and after surgery. Dr. Naderi’s primary rhinoplasty total cost ranges from around $13,000 – $18,000+, which includes the cost of anesthesia and hospital fees.

Cost of Nose Job Surgery

There are a variety of factors that determine the overall cost of your primary rhinoplasty.

For more detailed pricing information visit here.

1. Surgeons Fee: $11,000 – $14,500
2. Anesthesia Fee: depends on length of procedure
3. Hospital and Surgical Facility Fees: depends on length of procedure
4. Pre-Surgical Medical Clearance and Lab Tests: usually covered by medical insurance
5. Medication Costs: usually covered by medical insurance
6. Follow-Up Visits: Included with surgeon’s fee at The Naderi Center

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Rhinoplasty Pre-Procedure

If you smoke, you will be asked to stop for at least two weeks before the date of your surgery. Smoking significantly impairs your circulation and slows the healing process. Medications taken, including over-the-counter products, vitamins, and herbal products will be reviewed. Aspirin or any aspirin-containing drugs should be avoided before and after surgery. Aspirin, Ibuprofen, and products containing aspirin and ibuprofen may inhibit blood clotting, which causes bleeding problems during and after surgery. If you need a fever reducer or pain reliever, take Tylenol or another brand of acetaminophen.

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Rhinoplasty Procedure

Rhinoplasty procedures require roughly two to three hours and are performed under general anesthesia. During the rhinoplasty procedure, Dr. Naderi will make incisions along your nose, accessing the tissue and bones of the nasal structure. The two most common incision techniques are open and endonasal. There are also multiple methods for augmenting your nose or smoothing surface deformities.

To reduce or increase the size of your nose, cartilage may be excised or added to your nose. This procedure adjusts your interior nasal support structures, allowing the tip of your nose to be modified by uplifting, lengthening, shortening, or thinning your nose.

Autologous cartilage grafts may be taken from your nasal septum located in the interior wall of your nose dividing one air passage from the other. This option creates the best opportunity for a natural-appearing result. If cartilage and bone have been previously removed from the nasal septum, then ear or rib cartilage may be used. In some cases, bone from the skull may be an option.

Skin and other soft tissues will remodel the shape of your nose, assuming the shape of the modified underlying structure. Dr. Naderi will place the skin back over the nose. A splint is then placed over the nose to support it as it heals into its new form. Nasal packing may also be used to temporarily support the nose’s new structure further.

Related Information:

• Grafts & Sutures
• Nasal Analysis & Anatomy
• Thin Skinned vs Thick Skinned Rhinoplasty

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Anesthesia Options in Virginia

Various types of anesthesia can be used for rhinoplasty. The most commonly used types of anesthesia for a nasal reshaping operation are general anesthesia and IV sedation anesthesia. Some doctors prefer using local anesthesia. All anesthesia forms have risks just like all surgeries have risks but they are greatly minimized in the proper setting when short-cuts are not taken and when proper equipment and properly trained board certified anesthesiologists are used. Here are the major differences:

General Anesthesia:

1. Usually done at hospitals or major surgery centers
2. Rhinoplasty patient is totally asleep and feels no pain and has no major memory of rhinoplasty surgery
3. Airway is protected with an endotracheal (breathing) tube
4. Breathing machine breaths for patient
5. Patient must be medically in great shape to tolerate general anesthesia

IV Sedation Anesthesia:

1. Also known as “twilight anesthesia”
2. There is no breathing tube
3. Rhinoplasty patient breaths on their own
4. Tough to control proper sedation level so patient can be “too awake” or “too asleep” which can affect the plastic surgeon’s work
5. Patient can move and talk or act inappropriately which can all affect plastic surgeon’s work
6. No good way of protecting the airway from blood dripping down the back of the throat onto the airway

Oral Sedation Anesthesia:

1. An oral sedative like Valium may be used to lightly sedate the patient
2. Typically oral sedation is used for minor office procedures like lip implants

Local Anesthesia:

1. With local anesthesia, the rhinoplasty patient is totally awake
2. Numbing fluid (lidocaine) is injected into the nose to numb the nose
3. Numbing fluid is also used with other types of anesthesia, but with local anesthesia, the numbing injections are the only method for numbing and pain control
4. Relatively safer than other forms of anesthesia but uncomfortable and impractical for most rhinoplasties.
5. Patients can become tired or cramped during longer cases
6. Difficult to numb the nasal bones

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Rhinoplasty Post-Procedure

The splint used to support your nose and the bandaging around it are typically removed within a week after your surgical procedure. Nasal packing, if used, will be removed sooner, typically within two days after the surgery.

There will be bruising and swelling around your nose and eyes which may persist for several days. Your face may have some puffiness. Cold compresses will help mitigate swelling and reduce discomfort during recovery. Pain medication may be prescribed. You can resume physical activities and a normal routine generally within two weeks, depending upon how fast you heal.

Learn more about rhinoplasty types of area

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Best Age for Rhinoplasty

One of the most common questions on the mind of younger patients, their parents, as well as much older patients is, “what is the best age for a nose job?”

There is no upper age limit for rhinoplasty as long as older patients are healthy and in good medical condition for rhinoplasty. Nose jobs on a patient in his or her 70’s can actually make them look younger by correcting a droopy “ptotic” tip or a “hanging” long nose. Often times, a much older rhinoplasty patient will look more rested and youthful as if they underwent a facelift by just improving their nose. There are plenty of older patients who have wanted a nose job for many years but for one reason or another were not able to accomplish their goals until later in life. These patients are often extremely grateful and appreciative after a successful nasal reshaping by a rhinoplasty specialist.

The youngest age for rhinoplasty is usually 16. Some surgeons will not perform rhinoplasty on anyone younger than 18 so that the patient can sign the surgery consents as an adult. This approach is not fair to younger patients especially since the typical age for otoplasty (ear pinning) is around 4 to 6 years of age. What is more important than legal age is mental and physical age. Occasionally on rare instances, a rhinoplasty surgeon will consider performing a nose job on a teenager as young as 14 if the patient has essentially completed their physical growth. For example, if the teenage rhinoplasty patient is 5’3″ tall but both parents are 6 feet tall then more time should be given for the teenage growth spurt and completion of physical development. However, if the teenage nose job patient is relatively the same height as his or her parents, then it may be safe to assume further drastic changes in growth will not occur. More important than physical growth and maturity is mental and emotional maturity. While there are some 14 year olds that have the proper attitude and mental outlook towards rhinoplasty, there are some 40 year olds that do not possess such mental strength and emotional maturity to undergo elective nasal reshaping surgery. We sometimes see teenage nose job patients who are much more mature and realistic than their own parents.

The most important factor with teenage rhinoplasty is to make sure the desire for changing one’s nose is internally driven and not forced on the teenage patient by the parents. It’s also as important to make sure the patient has realistic goals about the outcome. All things being equal, a successful rhinoplasty can increase the self-confidence of any patient, especially the teenager who is self-conscience about his or her nose.

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Down-time, Healing, & Facts

Each patient has a somewhat different experience after his or her rhinoplasty, but there are some usual trends. For example, if your plastic surgeon does not pack your nose, post-operative pain is rare. Dr. Naderi does not routinely pack the nose of his patients, so many of his patients do not take any pain medication after their surgery. If your plastic surgeon uses excellent technique, then bruising and swelling will be minimized. Shorter operative durations (surgery time) will also usually translate to less post-rhinoplasty swelling. The less bruising and swelling patients have, the quicker they will recover. Typically Dr. Naderi’s rhinoplasty patients will have about one week of down time. This down time is often due to the desire for privacy. Patients will be required to wear a very small cast on their nose for 5 to 7 days. Most patients will stay home during this period in order to not be seen by friends, classmates, or co-workers. Some patients who are not concerned about such privacy issues will go back to work or school as early as 2 to 3 days after their rhinoplasty.

Typically, Dr. Naderi sees his post-operative patients the very next day, and 4 to 6 days later to take off their nose cast (and sutures if their surgery was an open rhinoplasty). At that point most patients can head back to work or school with the aid of a little cover-up makeup if there are some light bruises still lingering. Dr. Naderi asks his patients not to exercise in the gym for a total of 2-3 weeks to prevent nosebleeds and minimize swelling. Heavy exercise will increase swelling. Excess heat, changes in altitude, and other factors can also adversely affect swelling. For most patients, their “true down time” is only the first 5 to 7 days with the tiny cast on their nose. Dr. Naderi asks his nose job patients not to wear glasses or partake in contact sports for a total of 1 to 3 months after their rhinoplasty if their bones were broken and need to set. While it’s a fact that healing after rhinoplasty takes years, the down time for most patients is about a week for all practical purposes. But the nose will continue to change for weeks and months and even years. Most patients are surprised to see how their noses continue to refine and get more definition even years after surgery takes place.

Take a look at some products our plastic surgeons recommend as part of your post-op care kit.

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Psychological Issues Virginia

While the majority of patients seeking and undergoing rhinoplasty are well adjusted mentally and have positive outcome after surgery, there are some important exceptions that must be noted. The information below is a combination of simple observations and scientific facts, none of which are meant to judge or degrade any patients. These are just a collection of points that should be understood by all patients who have undergone or plan to undergo a cosmetic rhinoplasty.

Rhinoplasty has sometimes had a certain secrecy or taboo associated with it. In certain people’s eyes, it is somehow more acceptable for patients to undergo a facelift or a tummy tuck, since these are aimed at reversing signs of aging. This way of looking at cosmetic surgery seems to justify a surgery that “reverses aging” over a surgery aimed at “changing or modifying” someone’s look. We see this kind of phenomenon occasionally with patients who have no problem getting Botox shots in a Spa but “are not ready” to get Botox shots in an actual plastic surgeon’s office. In the patient’s mind, one procedure seems to be a “spa treatment” while the other seems to be “plastic surgery”.

Several decades ago, there was much attention given to the male rhinoplasty patient after psychological “experts” published scientific papers claiming male rhinoplasty patients suffered from gender identity issues and that the nose represented a phallic symbol that was being altered!

There are also plenty of patients who have had nose jobs in the past but will call it a “septoplasty” or “sinus surgery” even when providing their past medical and surgical history to their own doctors. Some will go through enormous lengths in order not to reveal their “secret” to their own family or spouses.

Some patients will refuse to be seen in public with the nose cast after surgery while others will not go in public until the swelling has completely resolved. Some will retreat, become depressed, and reclusive and “live” on plastic surgery chat rooms online if there is even the least minor of asymmetries or aesthetic issues while others will be satisfied, happy, and extroverted, leading perfectly productive lives even with the worst “botched” nose jobs.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is one of the most common psychological diagnoses amongst rhinoplasty patients. Depression is also a common presenting symptom with patient seeking rhinoplasty. While a patient with BDD should almost never be offered a cosmetic rhinoplasty, depression is usually not a pure contraindication to getting a rhinoplasty.

With all of the taboo and underlying psychological issues that may be present with rhinoplasty, it is extremely important for the rhinoplasty specialist to get to know the patient seeking a nose job. A nose job is not a “simple procedure.” A nose job is not reversible like Botox; it does not wear off in a few months. It’s not like getting a hair cut; it won’t grow back.

Therefore, it is very important for the plastic surgeon to understand the underlying motivations or rationale for the patient seeking rhinoplasty. Regrettably, sometimes we see plastic surgeons who place their own financial motivations before their patients’ well being. More often we see plastic surgeons who just simply do not take the time to diagnose such nuances of rhinoplasty. And sometimes, even the sharpest and best well-intentioned plastic surgeon may be fooled or may fail to pick up warning signs of a problematic patient. As the old saying goes, “you cannot please all the people all the time,” but it’s important to identify such patients who will potentially be unhappy with even the best of rhinoplasty results.

Unfortunately, too often we see parents who are extremely critical of their children. These parents often grab their teenage child’s face in a rough manner and point to its flaws harshly. Many times these parents have had rhinoplasty themselves and may have had parents who passed down these criticisms.

Sometimes, we see teenagers that have been teased badly in school by their peers or bullied on social websites such as Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter. Many times, their parents add to the stress by ridiculing their desire for improvement of their nose instead of participating in a healthy dialogue.

We often see that it is much better to have a situation with a parent who does not think their child needs a nose job than a scenario where the parent is the primary driving force behind pushing their child towards an early nose job. Parent’s role should focus on providing support and enhancing their children’s emotional self confidence, rather than tearing down the self confidence of their children by pointing out physical flaws.

At times, older patients in their 30’s, 40’s, or 50’s come in for rhinoplasty and break down in tears recalling how their parents or friends teased them and treated them harshly when they were younger. These old comments have left deep psychological scars that can become refreshed by certain social triggers.

The parents, friends, and relatives of a patient can provide a good support network but they can also be very detrimental to the patient by not understanding the facts and providing untimely negative comments.

Sex change or transgender patients often seek changes in their nose to fit their more feminine or masculine goals. With proper screening and counseling, these patients many times have very successful outcomes.

Certain patients come in with evidence of lack of attention to the rest of their visage or appearance. Sometimes, these patients are morbidly obese, have not taken care of their bodies or faces, and may not be wearing presentable or even clean clothing but for some unexplainable reason, they are focused on their nose and want the “perfect nose.”

Some patients have already had 4, 6, or even more “successful” previous rhinoplasties by some of the top rhinoplasty specialists in the world but they continue to be unhappy and seek that “perfect unachievable nose.”

The ideal rhinoplasty patient is a healthy patient, both mentally and physically, who wants to improve their nose and does not expect the new nose to change their life drastically. The goal of a nose job should not be to get a better job or a better spouse or to change one’s face from “self perceived ugly” to “beautiful.”

The goal of a nose job should be to improve the nose and balance the face. That’s it!

However, we do see time after time, how a good outcome after a rhinoplasty can improve the self confidence of a patient and their “quality of life.”

These are all complex matters that require careful thought and attention by the rhinoplasty specialist, as well as his staff, who get to witness each patient’s behavior from the initial phone call onwards.

Related Information: Complications in Rhinoplasty

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Rhinoplasty Surgery Aftercare

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Teenage Rhinoplasty Virginia

The youngest age for rhinoplasty is usually 16. Some surgeons will not perform rhinoplasty on anyone younger than 18 so that the patient can sign the surgery consents as an adult. This approach is not fair to younger patients especially since the typical age for otoplasty (ear pinning) is around 4 to 6 years of age. What is more important than legal age is mental and physical age. Occasionally on rare instances, a rhinoplasty surgeon will consider performing a nose job on a teenager as young as 14 if the patient has essentially completed their physical growth. For example, if the teenage rhinoplasty patient is 5’3” tall but both parents are 6 feet tall then more time should be given for the teenage growth spurt and completion of physical development. However, if the teenage nose job patient is relatively the same height as his or her parents, then it may be safe to assume further drastic changes in growth will not occur.

More important than physical growth and maturity though, is mental and emotional maturity. While there are some 14 year-olds that have the proper attitude and mental outlook towards rhinoplasty, there are some 40 year-olds that do not possess such mental strength and emotional maturity to undergo elective nasal reshaping surgery. We sometimes see teenage nose job patients who are much more mature and realistic than their own parents.

The most important factor with teenage rhinoplasty is to make sure the desire for changing one’s nose is internally driven and not forced on the teenage patient by the parents. It’s also as important to make sure the patient has realistic goals about the outcome. All things being equal, a successful rhinoplasty can increase the self-confidence of any patient, especially the teenager who is self-conscience about his or her nose.

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Rhinoplasty Videos

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Rhinoplasty FAQs

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About The Naderi Center for Plastic Surgery and Dermatology

Shervin Naderi, M.D., F.A.C.S. focuses primarily on the nose. His practice is located in Reston, Virginia, and Chevy Chase, Maryland. He is a member of the American Academy of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and a Diplomat of the American Board of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery and the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS).

Dr. Naderi is affectionately known as “The Nose Man” by his Board Certified plastic surgeon colleagues in the District of Columbia metropolitan area.

Learn more about reconstructive corrective surgery