Men and Nose Jobs: part 2

History of rhinoplasty

Surgery on the nose has been practiced since 3000 BC in Egypt. It was not known as rhinoplasty then, but basically involved cleansing and suturing of the wounds of the face suffered during the battles of those days.

Rhinoplasty as a cosmetic procedure appears to have been developed in the 15th century. However, the nose contouring and shaping did not become a surgical art until the 18th century. Cosmetic surgery on the nose has been practiced for about 120 years to help people cope with their unsightly nose.

With two major wars in the 20th century and the push towards anesthesia and anti sepsis, came better and more improved techniques to deal with injuries to the face. Over the last 3 decades, cosmetic surgery of the nose had been perfected into an Art (Michael Jackson is an exception –either bad surgeon, one too many surgeries on the nose or a lot of bad genes or bad luck). Today, the quality of surgery is excellent and most individuals remain satisfied with the procedure.
Age at rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty is a permanent procedure and one has to have a firm commitment to the surgery. One cannot reverse the results after the surgery has been done. Generally, rhinoplasty should only be done in individuals who have completed their facial growth. The nose development is generally complete by the ages 17-19. The best time to have surgery is in the 20s. When surgery is done any earlier, the nose continues to grow and reshape, overriding the effects of the surgery- meaning that the surgery was a complete waste-both money and time.

All individuals can have rhinoplasty, as long as they have the ability to consent and are older than 20. Overall, most individuals are satisfied with the surgery and have no complaints, On the other hand, some individuals who tend to have cosmetic surgery are also anal (obsessive compulsive) and never satisfied-even if the surgery has been done well. These individuals should try some Prozac instead of undergoing surgery.

The best candidates for rhinoplasty are healthy men (both physically and mentally) and who have realistic expectations about what the surgery can and cannot do for them.