Rhinoplasty (Nose Job)

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• Should I get a nose job?
• Need a good plastic surgeon for my nose job
• Ready to get a nose job
• Rhinoplasty for teen daughter
• Surgeon to re-do my nose job
• Recommendation for Rhinoplasty
• Bay Area Surgeon who specializes in nose jobs?
• Plastic surgeon who is skillful in working with ''Asian noses''?
• More Advice about Plastic Surgery

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Should I get a nose job?

April 2014

I am considering getting a nose job but don't know if I should, or where to get information about it.

I've always hated my ''hook'' nose and am more and more disgusted when I see myself in photos these days. Since I am turning 50 next spring, I've been focusing on getting into better shape and have been making small improvements for myself and my family. I've lost weight and cleaned up my diet and am starting to feel better than I have in years. But the lingering question in my mind is ''should I get a nose job?''

Has anybody had one recently that would like to share the pros and cons, plus make recommendations on how to start researching this idea? I am also more than happy to have referrals for good doctors, plus information on who to stay away from.

I should mention that my insurance is Kaiser.

Thanks! Big Nose

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I have always had a large nose too and never liked it, just joked about getting a nose job. Fast forward to now: I am 62 and have a significant basal cell cancer in my nose. Am getting surgery in two weeks, to remove the cancer. I then see a plastic surgeon to close up the hole. I think my plastic surgeon will do the best possible solution, however, my nose will never be the same.This is 100% covered by insurance because this procedure is due to cancer. Having my face cut up is quite scary to me but I have no choice; I have cancer. Personally, be happy that you are healthy and please accept your face for what it is. No body is perfect; hopefully it is healthy.

By the way, purely cosmetic procedures are never covered by insurance - and least of all, never Kaiser .

awaiting nose surgery

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Yes, do it. I used Dr Gruber in Oakland several years ago after spending decades hating my nose. I finally decided to do something about it and have been v happy with the results. The 2 week recovery was the most difficult as I had to stay inside for much of the time due to bruising. I didn't look at any other surgeons as had met two others who used the same doctor and they were happy. So I just went with it. Expect to pay out of pocket as it is a cosmetic procedure. Big nose no more

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A rhinoplasty is cosmetic surgery which is not a covered procedure under health insurance. You will have to pay out of pocket, upwards of $10,000. Some cosmetic surgeons have photographic equipment that makes a Before and After shot so you can see how you look.

Fifty is a good age to have a rhinoplasty if you have the money. For starters you could alter some photos in Photoshop or by hand to see how you would look. I had one about age 50, and used Dr. Ronald Gruber of Oakland. Sometimes I miss my old long nose when I see beautiful Indian, Mid-Eastern and Peruvian women with long noses, but generally I am happy with my American nose. Been there

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I had a deviated septum repaired and the plastic surgeon gave me a bit of a nose job. I had a big Jewish nose, and now it's a little smaller. Still hate it, but ten years later am used to it. Here's my advice go to Gruber or someone who lets you see what you will look like. I went to him and decided it was too much of a change, so went to someone else who did almost the same look. Make sure you and your surgeon are on the same page. My sister went to Dr. Sam Most (to fix a botched nose job) in Palo Alto and he is brilliant! If there were any plastic surgery in my future he's the one I would go to. Also, look at your other features your nose might be balancing them out. With rhinoplasty I almost always like the before photos more than the after. But I love big noses, and rarely think they should be changed. I think often it's the ''imperfections'' of our face that take us from pretty to beautiful. Still miss my old nose. Only the nose knows

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For the record, I've always been attracted to hook noses, the beakier the better (on both women and men; I'm bisexual). It's your body, so you should do what you want with it, obviously, but I encourage you to examine where your idea that your nose is unattractive came from, and whether you really agree with that. And know that at least a few of us would prefer you as is. It's just an arbitrary beauty standard (and only in some cultures and only for women?), that not everyone 'gets'. -- No accounting for tastes

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Need a good plastic surgeon for my nose job

Sept 2011

Finally decided to have my nose reshaped. I have a hump, not a very big one but still visible enough to bother me throughout my teenage years. After doing some research I decided to go see 3 surgeons and then make a decision about who will take care of my nose reshaping. I would really appreciate any feedback, especially if you've had a nose job done by any of them: Issa Eshima, James Romano or Timothy Marten. This is a pretty big decision for me, so any advice and feedback is highly appreciated. Thanks!!

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Six months ago I had an upper and lower blepharoplasty performed by Dr. Issa Eshima and it is without hesitation that I recommend him. His credentials are unbeatable and I am very, very satisfied with my results. Since you have met him, I am sure you would agree that he and his staff are incredibly professional and kind. Dr. Eshima was more than willing to address questions that I had both before and after the surgery. -In that sense, I was a ''high- maintenance patient'', and he was always willing to take his time and explain things to me. Incredibly, I had no bruising after the procedure and now that I have healed I have no visible scars. I know that a rhinoplasty is different than a blepharoplasty, however Dr. Eshima is a perfectionist and specializes only in cosmetic procedures of the face. Given my experience, I recommend him unconditionally and, frankly, I just feel fortunate to live in the vicinity of one of the top cosmetic surgeons in the world. I know this is a big decision and I wish you the best of luck. ~Anon

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Ready to get a nose job

May 2009

I have been considering getting a nose job for years, but have never pursued it for fear of it a) not turning out the way I want it to, b) being painful in recovery, and, somewhat c) for sentimental reasons (it's my family nose, after all!). My nose is sort of big, but I'm okay with that and I'm not looking for an entirely new nose. I just want to have the sides of the ridge of my nose shaved down a bit, so that it looks nice and smooth from the profile view. I'd like to find a doctor that will respect my desire and won't want to totally redesign my nose. Has anyone had this type of procedure done, been completely happy with it, and can recommend their doctor? By the way, am I wrong in thinking that the doctor would not have to break my nose just to shave down the sides, and therefore the recovery would be less painful? ready to take the plunge

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As a test run to the actual surgery or even as a substitute, perhaps you could try one of the many dermafillers on the market - Restylane, etc. They are temporary injections lasting 6 months to a 1 year or so. They are often used to fill the lines on people's faces running from the nose to the mouth or the sides of the mouth to the chin, but can be used for a situation such as yours also. Since you simply want to even out a bumpy nose, as opposed to doing a size reduction, you could preview the results somewhat with the filler. Perhaps, the filler would even be enough of an improvement for you, to forgo the surgery entirely. By the way, I'm not opposed to plastic surgery at all, I've had several procedures, but I always like to do the least invasive procedure if possible. For instance, I recently talked to a plastic surgeon about getting a facelift, since I'm over 50 and have a some drooping of the chin area below the sides of the mouth. I researched a number of physicians and liked his work, and went to him ready to schedule a surgery date after he evaluated me. He thought that I might try a filler between the droopy area and the chin, and just round it out. So, now instead of taking off work and spending thousands of dollars I might have an alternative that will make me just as happy. Jenny

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I had a nose job 15 years ago from a prominent plastic surgeon in SF. He was great at cutting the skin but left a lot to be desired at shaping the nose. My nose is not symmetrical. Subsequently I have been assessing other plastic surgeons' work in the Bay Area. I think you should be happy with Roland Minami in Marin.

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Rhinoplasty for teen daughter

April 2008

Our 15-year-old daughter is having trouble breathing out of her right nostril. We've been told that a plastic surgeon experienced in Rhinoplasty can fix this, we'd like to find the best in the area, does anyone have any insight? At this point she's also pushing to change the appearance of her nose, if we can't change her mind, we might need the job to be cosmetic as well. Does anyone recommend an experienced plastic surgeon in the Oakland area? Thanks much!!!

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There is an absolutely superb cosmetic surgeon in Walnut Creek named Dr. Behmand (www.drbehmand.com). He has loads of specialized training in rhinoplasty and considers it, I think, one of his favorite surgeries. He is very compassionate and genuine, listens carefully, and takes excellent care of all his patients. In addition to doing cosmetic surgery in private practice, he is the head of plastic surgery at John Muir hospital and teaches surgery at UCSF. I had surgery from him and it turned out beautifully (not rhinoplasty). I felt totally safe in his and his staff's hands. I am considering rhinoplasty with him. If my daughter needed this kind of surgery, he is the only dr. I would consider. Good luck--I know preparing for a surgery like that on your daughter must be very nerve-wracking! JS in Lafayette

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I would highly recommend my plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Cedars. (510-763-2662 and www.drcedars.com) I didn't have rhinoplasty but I found him to be just a great, caring surgeon who really listened to me. And I'm very satisfied with my results. Good luck! happy patient

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Surgeon to re-do my nose job

June 2006

I had a nose job about 6 yrs ago. It took a long time to heal (after 3 weeks I still had severe bruising) and actually ''healed'' very crooked. My surgeon seemed to think I did something to make it crooked and was rather rude to me about it. He said he would repeat the surgery, but I felt like he was so angry with me and I did not want to deal with the recovery process again. As the years have passed, my nose seems to be getting more and more crooked and I am seriously considering having another surgery. Due to my last experience though, I'm looking for a recent recommendation of someone REALLY, REALLY good. I would appreciate some serious guidance! P.S. I know the Dr. should be board certified and my former surgeon was anon

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Hello, I am not being funny when I tell you that I looked at a picture in People magazine of a singer named Ashlee Simpson and saw before and after pictures of her nose. The new nose was so beautiful and natural. Not at all weird looking like most nose operations. The article said that a doctor in Los Angeles or Beverly Hills named Dr. Raj Kanodia did the surgery. I took note because I have a friend who has always wanted her nose bobbed but was afraid of looking worse after the surgery. You can probably access the nose and the phone number of the doctor on-line. Buena suerte Julia

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Recommendation for Rhinoplasty

Sept 2004

I have had an exceptionally large nose all of my life (and been teased about it mercilessly), but just yesterday, one of my godchildren (whom i havent seen in about a year) said to me ''you look different - your nose is longer.'' You know how kids are... Anyway, i have toyed with the idea for about 10 years now. Does anyone have any recommendations? I would at least like to go in for a consultation if nothing else. thanks- M.

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I had my nose ''fixed'' in 1989, when I was 29 by an L.A. doctor,Raj Kanodia. http://www.camdensurgerycenter.com/physicians/dr-kanodia.html I didn't want my rhinoplasty to look obvious and it doesn't. My insurance paid for it as it turned out I had a deviated septum. G.

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Bay Area Surgeon who specializes in nose jobs?

May 2004

Can anyone recommend a good plastic surgeon in the Bay Area who specializes in nose jobs (rhinoplasty)? I've looked on the archives in the network and it seems there are a lot of listings for tummy tucks, but no nose jobs.

Also, is it typical to have to pay for a consultation, even when you are still shopping around for surgeons and have not decided on whether to have the surgery? I called Dr. Elizabeth Lee's office to schedule a consultation (since she came highly recommended by many on the Parents Network) and to find out if she specialized in rhinoplasty; however, the receptionist told me that it costs $150 just for a one-hour consultation. I was somewhat shocked at this price, just because I thought a consultation was an info-gathering meeting. At this price, it seems like you have to have already decided on the surgeon and the surgery and that the consultation is more like a pre- operation meeting. I really don't want to spend this kind of money just to ask questions; I'd rather save it for the surgery. Please share your experiences. I've wanted this done for so long, but the whole process seems so daunting. Thank you for all your responses! Nose Like a Rhino

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I had my nose done 2 years ago and I am soooo glad I did it. My advice is DEFINITELY go for it!! I used Dr. Albert Chow in SF and really liked him. The surgery was simple and the recovery very easy. I believe that I did pay $150 for my first consultation with him, but that is put toward the surgery (which was around $5K) if you decide to do it. Most doctors will do that. In any case, during that first visit they took digital photos and can show you with a new nose, new chin, new eyes, etc. I thought it was worth the $150 just to play around with that! However, if you are concerned about the $150 I would just go to someone you are fairly sure about when you are feeling sure about doing the surgery, then you'll know you can apply the money towards that. I wish you luck - you won't regret it.

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Plastic surgeon who is skillful in working with ''Asian noses''?

Nov 2003

My Korean niece is 19 and she wants to get a ''nose job''. She has a few ''ice pick'' scars from previous bad acne on her nose, and is generally unhappy with the shape and size of her nose. Her mother and I have tried to dissuade her (the scars can somewhat be camouflaged with makeup) but she is determined and is saving all her part-time job money for the operation. Does anyone have a recommendation for a plastic surgeon that is skillful in working with ''Asian noses''? Since my niece is so set on getting her nose fixed, I would certainly want her to see and be treated by the best there is - someone who has skill and experience in Asian noses (I have heard this is important and may be a specialty in itself). Also, someone who can treat her nicely and sympathetically. Our greatest fear is that she will go to someone who doesn't have the skill just because the price is right. We are willing to help her have this done right, and have looked through the AAPS and the Board Certified website, but it's like looking for a needle in a haystack. Thank you. Florinda

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Dr. James Romano (www.jromano.com), in San Francisco, is an excellent plastic surgeon who does Asian noses. I saw many pictures where he had ''popped out'' cheek bones and noses on Korean and Pilipino faces. I also met a very young Chinese woman who had had every bit of her face done: chin, jaw, cheekbones and eyes. She looked like a fashion model: I found it extremely disturbing, and went with a different surgeon. I have no doubts about the man's skill and competancy, but question certain of his aesthetic assumptions. If she goes in, make sure to accompany her. It's very seductive, having lots of people examine your face, be kind and then show you pictures of your idealized self. If she has her acne scars removed, that might be enough to make her feel better. Romano's office does cosmetic dermatology. He's also really expensive. You are very kind to help her do things correctly, even if you don't think it's a good idea. Chinless in Oakland