Is there anything to do to improve the appearance of your nose?

I have a relatively minor problem with my nose that I would like changed but don’t know if it is severe enough to warrant surgery. All my friends that I have mentioned this to have told me that I look fine and should leave my nose alone. I don’t want to sound vain but would like my nose changed if you can do something for a minor bump on the top and a slightly full tip. How do you decide when a problem is worth fixing?” Judy C. Seal Beach

Your last question is rather broad and the answer would depend on which procedure we are discussing. Procedures such as rhinoplasties, face lifts, liposuctions, and breast augmentations do not leave much in the way of visible scarring and our threshold for doing surgery is lower than it would be for procedures that leave visible scars. A breast reduction and tummy tuck, for example, leave visible scars and, while they are excellent procedures for patients who are bothered by massive breasts or a very lax abdomen, the same operation and degree of scarring would result if we removed just a little from a breast or abdomen, thus raising my threshold for offering this option to patients. Nasal surgery can be done with an external scar or by using only internal scars. I prefer the internal scar method, and since we are not leaving the patient with visible scars, we can offer a patient correction of a minor nasal deformity without worrying about tell tale signs. You mentioned that your friends all think that you look fine – no doubt, to them you do! They do not have to live with your nose and cannot be relied upon to help you make a decision. Your best bet would be to discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon.

I will show you an example of a 26 year old singer who, to most people looked quite good before surgery, but did not like the bulkiness of her nasal tip and wished to bring her small bump down. These results certainly are not very dramatic but left the patient with a result that pleased her a great deal. One of the best ways to envision how you would look following such procedures is through the use of computer imaging. If you would like to set up a complimentary computer imagine session, please feel free to contact Orange County Plastic Surgery at 949-888-9700.