There are many reasons people may have forconsidering a nose job. It may be for cosmetic reasons - they may beunhappy with the way their nose looks. Or they may have breathingissues. Or their may be a feature of their nose that seems out ofbalance. Whatever the reason, rhinoplasty surgery is a big decision, sogetting all the facts is essential.

Before considering a nosejob, ask if this surgery is really necessary. If you are not happy withthe shape of your nose, it could be something else that is troublingyou. Make sure there are no other alternatives. After all, this ismajor surgery, done under anesthesia. You don't want to go through thisonly to realize it was a mistake.

If you decide to go ahead withthe rhinoplasty, you will need to find a good, board-certified cosmeticsurgeon or plastic surgeon . Look for one who specializes in nose jobs.Ask to see before and after photos of people with facialcharacteristics similar to your own. Make sure your surgeon answers allyour questions.

During the surgery, an incision will be made,depending on what the purpose of the nose job is. Medical reasons forrhinoplasty include repair of a deviated septum. Cosmetic reasonsinclude removal of a bump in the nose, making the nostrils smaller orlarger, making the nose more narrow, making the nose shorter, changingthe tip of the nose or reshaping the cartilage. Rhinoplasty can alsomake the nose larger if that is desired, by using implants.

Likeany surgery, you will experience pain and swelling afterwards. This canlast several weeks. Cost of course will depend on where you live, aswell as the extent of change you want. Generally the cost of a nose jobranges from $2000 to $4000. If rhinoplasty is being done for medicalreasons, it may be covered by insurance. That is not the case if it'sbeing done for strictly cosmetic reasons. What's the right age for anose job? Again, it depends. If this is being done for appearance'ssake, most doctors won't until the patient is in their late teens.