Here at Tarola Plastic Surgery in Murfreesboro, TN, our aesthetic experts have years of experience performing cosmetic procedures and treatments to improve the symmetry and overall aesthetic of the face. Today, we’re discussing six questions about rhinoplasty you should ask during your initial evaluation to determine if it is the ideal procedure for you.
6 Questions to Ask About Rhinoplasty
1. Is This Procedure Right for Me?
If you are concerned about the functionality of your nose, there is an excellent chance that you’re a good candidate for rhinoplasty. For example, you’re probably a good candidate if you have difficulty breathing while lying on your back, you snore, or you feel like you’re suffocating when you breathe while wind is blowing in your face.
To be a good candidate for this procedure, you must be in fairly good health and have realistic expectations about the preparation for the procedure, the procedure itself, and what recovery will be like. It’s also important to have a good understanding of what results you can realistically expect. Depending on your aesthetic goals, a different procedure or treatment may be right for you.
2. What if I’m Not Healthy Enough for Rhinoplasty?
If you’re not healthy enough for rhinoplasty, you have a couple of options. The path of least resistance is to opt for a non-invasive aesthetic treatment, like Botox, to improve the appearance of your nose. When injected into the depressor septi nasi muscle, this muscle relaxant restricts the wings of the nose, anchoring it and pulling it down naturally.
Your other option is to get healthy enough to undergo rhinoplasty. Some medical conditions that preclude you from being a good candidate for a nose job, like high blood pressure, are temporary. Other medical conditions, such as a congenital heart defect, permanently preclude you from the procedure and you have no choice but to seek a non-invasive alternative.
3. How Should I Prepare for This Procedure?
Remember, for this procedure to be right for you, it’s important that you have realistic expectations about how you need to prepare. It’s also important that you’re completely committed to the preparation process. If you’re not confident that you can commit to any of the pre-op steps, this procedure is not right for you at this time.
During your initial evaluation, we will provide you with a comprehensive guide to preparing for the procedure. To summarize succinctly, you should avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, and consuming other things that can elevate your blood pressure or thin your blood, like NSAIDs, spicy foods, and multivitamins. You should also protect your skin from the sun, stay hydrated, and eat foods that are dense in protein and fiber.
4. What Can I Expect From the Results of the Procedure?
This is a great question to ask during your initial evaluation because a nose that is cute on your girlfriend may not look good on your face due to your unique facial contours. We encourage our clients to describe the look they think they want. From there, we help them understand what results are realistic and discuss the way a given change of nose size or shape affects the symmetry of the rest of the face.
5. What Can I Expect From the Recovery Process?
Recovering this procedure lasts a year. You will not see the final results of your procedure until this time because it takes this long for your skin to settle into its final position. However, it’s important to note that while your skin takes a year to heal and reveal the final results of the procedure, you will only spend a week or two recovering from the procedure.
You can engage in most of your usual routine within a week or two post-op. Within three to four weeks post-op, you are free to return to cardiovascular activities, like swimming, running, or spinning. You just have to hold off on resistance training until you have rested for six weeks after your procedure. When you think about how quickly restrictions are lifted during recovery, you’ll realize that it is not very long.
6. What Can I Do to Make My Recovery Go Faster?
This is a question we get a lot because nobody wants to be sitting around recovering. They want to see their results improve as their skin heals quickly, and they want to be back to their normal schedule. There’s not really a lot you can do to see your final results sooner, however, there are several things you can do to help the rest of your body heal faster so you’re back to normal life as quickly as possible.
We will provide you with a complete list of post-op care instructions during your initial evaluation. However, the bottom line is you need to listen to your body. If you feel tired, take a nap. If you feel thirsty, drink at least eight ounces of water or eat soup. Be as in tune with your body as possible, because it knows what it needs.
Learn How to Improve the Structure of Your Face Today
If you’re looking to improve the function of your nose, rhinoplasty is probably right for you. However, if you’re just looking to enhance your appearance, a liquid nose job with Botox may be just the solution you’re looking for. To learn more about options for enhancing your aesthetic, contact us today at Tarola Plastic Surgery in Murfreesboro, TN to book your initial evaluation.