There are several reasons a person may consider rhinoplasty. All of them are personal to the individual. Usually, at the heart of every complaint is a desire to change the overall shape of the nose and how it interacts with other facial features. During rhinoplasty, the nose is carefully modified in a particular way to make it more “at home” on the patient’s face. If you are unhappy with the general appearance of your nose, you may be interested in knowing the problems that rhinoplasty often corrects. 

• Flat or wide bridge. The bridge of the nose is usually narrow compared to the tip. To improve the proportions of this part of the nose, a surgeon may perform what is called augmentation rhinoplasty in which the definition and height of the bridge is refined using cartilage. 
• Crookedness. The nose may be crooked due to an injury or other reason. Sometimes, a  crooked  nose goes hand-in-hand with difficulty breathing. This could be due to a deviated septum or simply the sharp curvature of the nasal passages. A surgeon may reset the bones of the nose to correct its curvature and give it more proportionate shape on the face. 
• Too long or too big. A nose can simply be too long or too big. What this complaint usually means is that the shape and size of the nose do not fit well with the size, placement, and shape of other facial features. Nose shape and size in this type of complaint is usually passed down from ancestors and may be a source of low self-confidence. A surgeon can modify the too big, too long nose by focusing on nasal tip reduction.
• Pointing. When the nose looks pointy at its tip, it is often because there is excess cartilage here. Rhinoplasty that focuses on reducing cartilage can result in a softer looking tip and better facial balance. 
• Bumpy bridge. We’ve seen many noses that are perfect except for a prominent bump or hump on the bridge. This exaggerates the appearance of the nose and distracts from the eyes. Reducing the bumpy bridge is a very personal journey. Some patients request for the entire bump to be reduced, while others prefer to keep some of their bridge shape intact to maintain the family trait. 

Rhinoplasty is a rewarding experience when time is taken to carefully discuss concerns and desired outcomes with an experienced plastic surgeon. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Rosenthal, contact us at (408) 559-4700.