Rhinoplasty is, literally, reshaping of the nose. With rhinoplasty, you can reduce or increase the size of the nose, change the shape of the bridge or the tip, narrow the nostrils or even alter the angle between your nose and your upper lip. Rhinoplasty can also be used to correct an injury, birth defect or help relieve breathing problems.

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During the procedure, the skin of the nose is separated from the bone and cartilage, which is then sculpted to the desired shape. The extent of sculpting depends on the desired result and once it is reached, the skin is then draped over the new shape.

Following the procedure, your face will feel puffy and you may experience a dull headache. These side effects are easily controlled with a prescribed pain reliever. Swelling, bruising and a little bleeding are normal and all side effects should subside within two weeks. Small burst blood vessels may be visible but are extremely minor. As for scarring, if the rhinoplasty was performed from inside the nose, there is no visible scarring, if an “open” technique is used, or when the nostrils are narrowed, small scars at the base of the nose are present but not noticeable.