Seeking Rhinoplasty Doc Recommendation for 15 year old
My 15 year old daughter has fractured her nose several times during her childhood which has resulted in her nose being a bit crooked and with a bump and feeling like it is stuffed up all the time. She isn't happy with the appearance. Can anyone recommend a great doctor for a rhinoplasty which is functional and cosmetic? Also, I would love to hear about any experiences with teenage rhinoplasty and any advice. Thank you!
May 13, 2021
Parent Replies
My 18 yr old daughter had a rhinoplasty performed by Ari Hyman MD of Encino last month. She researched plastic surgeons in the Bay Area and felt they were either too expensive, didn't have availability, or she didn't like their aesthetic. She arranged Zoom consults with 3 LA plastic surgeons before choosing Ari Hyman MD. Her reasons for wanting a nose job were very similar to your daughter's concerns about her nose. I did my best to talk my daughter out of it—judging the procedure as unnecessary, expensive, and extreme—but she was determined and I'm glad I came around to supporting her. Instagram, TikTok, and Realself.com are great resources to learn about various surgeons.
Although it takes up to a full-year to see the full results, my daughter is very pleased with her new nose and said she feels she can smile now without feeling self-conscious. As a parent, I was really grateful for Dr. Hyman's kindness, perspective and aesthetic. He would not even look at the photos my daughter collected of celebrity noses. He said that he will only enhance the natural nose shape and refuses to follow any of the 'trends.' There is a look that is popular now of sort of button nose that he made very clear he hates. He does a lot of revisions too. My daughter complained a bit that her nose isn't as small as she had wanted, but I was grateful Dr. Hyman took the time to really discuss with her what he does and why. We also really liked his staff—everyone was friendly and compassionate. Initially I wasn't excited about the idea of going to LA (x3: surgery, one week post op, a month post op) but we enjoyed the road trips and exploring Southern CA. Good luck to your daughter!
If she has functional breathing issues / severely deviated septum than Kaiser will cover it (if you are on Kaiser). They have a plastic surgeon ENT in Walnut Creek. I have a deviated septum and ultimately opted against surgery. I find using saline spray 5x a day to be very helpful.