5 Questions You Should Ask Before Getting Your Nose Done

You’ve decided you’d like to refine your look and having a rhinoplasty procedure will make you feel more confident in your appearance. You make an appointment with a reputable doctor in your area.  What are the questions you should ask?

Am I getting a nose job for the right reason?

The simple answer is Yes to, “anyone who is unhappy with the way their nose looks on their face.”  If the appearance of the nose lowers the patient’s self-esteem and makes her feel self-conscious, that person is a candidate for rhinoplasty.  

Will I look like I had a “nose job”?

Results in the past tended to be unnatural-looking –cookie cutter nose jobs that were visible to even an untrained eye– and when that happens, the outcome is all-too-often ultimately unsatisfactory for the patient. Although there are guidelines for symmetry, we are unable to make everyone fit the guidelines. We therefore have to understand that each patient has their own set of “personal guidelines” and that is the key to performing successful rhinoplasty. 

Will I be having an "open" or a "closed" nose job? 

In the “Open Approach”, as with the face lift and other cosmetic facial surgical procedures, an incision is made on the external portion of the nose.  This can leave a visible scar, though with the art of plastic surgery today, a skilled practitioner can go a long way toward hiding or masking a scar.

“Closed Approach” refers to procedures in which all the surgery is performed within the nose, leaving no visible incisions or scarring. One important advantage of this Closed Approach is that, in almost all cases, results are seen almost immediately, even during the process. 

Under what circumstances would the doctor choose to perform an open vs. closed?

One of the most appropriate times to use an Open Approach is when previous surgical results are not acceptable.  In some of these cases, the Open Approach offers the best opportunity for the surgeon to recreate some semblance of a normal nose appearance, but it is felt that a Closed Approach can be performed in 90% of all cases, whether the first or second rhinoplasty.

Will This Procedure Improve My Breathing?

You should ask the doctor if he is going to work on your septum.

If he says yes, he is doing that to improve your breathing, if he says no, most likely your breathing will not improve. If your doctor says no, you should ask him why not, and it may be a good idea to get another opinion.

Will My Nose be Broken During the procedure?

If the doctor has to break your bone, chances are the changes will be more than subtle. To correct a crooked nose, he more than likely will break the bone. This is true for a hook nose, or a large bump in the nose.

If the doctor is just going to do subtle changes most likely he will not have to break the bone. He can refine and reshape and smooth out little bumps, or bulbous areas by shaving and reshaping the bone.

How Much Time Before I Can Exercise or Go Back to Work?

About one week.

Physician Bio

After graduation from Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Milgrim attended medical school at UMDNJ-Rutgers University. He completed his Internship and Residency training in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the Albert Einstein/Montefiore Medical Center in New York. Dr. Milgrim was  awarded a Fellowship in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center.

He was then honored by Frank Kamer, MD with an Externship in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the famed Laskey Clinic in Beverly Hills, California.  Dr. Milgrim was trained by preeminent New York nasal surgeons William Lawson and Sidney Feuerstein, disciples of Irving Goldman, who in his day, was considered one of the most highly sought after nasal surgeons in New York.

Northern Jersey Facial Plastic Center has locations in Teaneck and Midland Park, N.J. For more information, visit http://www.milgrimplasticsurgery.com or call 201-530-5956. All consultations are complimentary.