If the shape or size of your nose is not proportionate to the rest of your face or consistent with your sense of beauty, nose surgery can help. This procedure is used to straighten out a crooked bridge, repair deformities, reduce oversized tips of the nose, widen or flatten nostrils, change the angle between the nose and upper lip and eliminate undesirable projections: noses that stick out too far or not far enough.

Procedure
Nose surgery is conducted on an outpatient basis using local anesthesia coupled with sedation. The surgeon makes a small incision inside the nose. The skin is gently separated from the bone and soft tissue. The surgeon then sculpts or manipulates the bone and cartilage to create the desired shape. In some cases, the surgeon cuts the septum (an area of skin between the two nostrils). Nose surgery takes between 1-1/2 and 3 hours.

Recovery
There is the possibility of infection following any surgery. Your surgeon will likely prescribe antibiotics to avoid infection in addition to any pain medication. Bruising and swelling around the eyes are common following surgery. Patients can apply cold compresses to reduce the swelling. There may also be some light bleeding, but this will dissipate after 2 or 3 days. The surgeon may pack the nose with dressing to help keep the bone and tissue in place. If so, the packing is generally removed in about one week. Most patients return to normal activity in about 1 week, although strenuous activity is restricted for up to a month.