Don’t Let Myths Keep You From A “Natural Nose” By Dr. Laurence Milgrim

I’ll have to hide for a month. Food will taste bland. Everyone will know.

Like any surgical procedure, rhinoplasty – a nose job – has its risks. But you won’t lose your sense of smell, your voice or end up looking like Michael Jackson.

Facial plastic surgeon Dr. Laurence Milgrim has heard just about all of the myths regarding rhinoplasty. And he has had plenty of practice debunking some of the most common ones.

My voice will change: Some celebrities who are in tune with their voices might be able to notice a tonal change because they are getting more air flowing through the nose. But generally there is no change in your voice. You will sound nasally after the surgery. That will go away.

I’ll be holed up in the house for a month: We don’t suggest exercising, singing or eating hot foods for that first week, but you can go out immediately after the procedure as long as you don’t mind the swelling and dressing on your nose. After rhinoplasty, some patients will develop black and blue bruises under their eyes. Some will look like they were badly sunburned. Everyone is different. Bruising usually goes away in a week. If there’s still some black and blue, most women will cover it with makeup and go about their normal lives.

I will get sinus infections more often: Not true. If you needed other work done, such as fixing a deviated septum, that wasn't completed, then you might have more sinus infections. That's why you should always tell the surgeon before the rhinoplasty if you have problems breathing. That being said, you will feel stuffy after surgery, but that will go away once the swelling has gone down.

My nostrils will be larger: A lot of people believe that rhinoplasty involves widening the nostrils. Unless you are actually having work done on your nostrils - we will generally see that more with African Americans and Asians who want thinner noses - the size of your nostrils will not change. Your nostrils may appear larger because of the change in the shape of the nose. But they are actually not.

I will lose my sense of smell: That is extremely uncommon. In fact, I have never seen someone lose her sense of smell. We are not working near the smell receptors, which are deep inside the nose. You might feel that you have lost your sense of smell, but that is because of the swelling and isn't permanent.

Everyone will know I had a nose job: If it's done correctly, people should not know. A long time ago, we did procedures where it was obvious that someone had their nose done. But these days, people don’t want their face changed to the point where their friends say, “Wow you had something done.” Everyone is looking for a natural look, and a lot of plastic surgeons are moving toward making people look better – the nose blending in with the face – rather than giving them a textbook perfect nose. People may say, “You look refreshed. Your face is brighter.” That’s what you want to hear. Of course, if you had a bump that we removed and your friend knew you had a bump, then it will be pretty obvious the bump is gone. But I tend to do a subtle rhinoplasty where my patients say, ”My friends didn’t know I had anything done.”

I’ll have to go back for touchups: If you’re happy with the results, you shouldn’t need a “touch up.” It’s not like a facelift where you might have to do it again in 15 years. There is revision rhinoplasty for people whose nose has shifted over time, but that is rare.

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.