I wrote a little bit about this last time because I have a friend in the industry. But from more conversations and some interesting stories, I felt compelled to write about another reason why people have nose surgery. Again, there are good reasons for rhinoplasty surgery (‘nose jobs’), and being able to breathe comfortably through your nose is definitely one of them. It’s something we all take for granted, but minor things like narrowed airways from birth or from damaging your nose can be incredibly uncomfortable or frustrating. In these cases it can be very satisfying to be a rhinoplasty surgeon, because you are really helping people out just as a doctor is supposed to. Like many people though I’m really not that comfortable with the idea of surgery for pure vanity reasons. Neither is my surgeon friend!

Understanding Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty is a surgery that is specifically designed to help people reshape their nose. This type of surgery can be used to increase, decrease, or remold the nose into the shape that a person desires. Whether they want to change the angle of their nose, alter the tip, or correct defects including indentations, bends or bumps, all of this can be accomplished by a competent plastic surgeon that is an expert at doing those jobs.

The procedure itself actually occurs inside the nose so that, once the surgery is complete, the incisions will not be seen. This gives the cosmetic surgeon access to the cartilage and bone through the incisions, which can be removed, and also tissue can be added. Rhinoplasty, however, is not the procedure that is done to improve your ability to breathe through your nose. This procedure is actually called septoplasty.

What Is Septoplasty?

Septoplasty is a type of surgical procedure that is designed to improve a person’s ability to breath. It specifically targets the nasal septum, the area of your nose that divides the nasal cavity. When this is offset in any way, it can cause difficulties with breathing. Once it is repositioned, or straightened, the patient will be able to breathe through their nose much more easily. This procedure is accomplished in the same way that rhinoplasty is done via incisions inside the nose. If both are done at the same time, not only will the shape and size of the nose be changed, but the person’s ability to breathe through their nostrils will be dramatically improved.

If you are thinking about improving your ability to breathe through your nostrils, a problem that you have had for many years, septoplasty is the procedure that you should look into to fix this problem. Talk to cosmetic surgeons in your area that specialize in either rhinoplasty, septoplasty or both. They may be able to make a dramatic difference to the comfort of your nasal breathing.

Xavier, Rui. “Does rhinoplasty improve nasal breathing?.” Facial Plastic Surgery 26.04 (2010): 328-332.