The nose job is getting the royal treatment these days. Patients are clamoring to plastic surgeons for the “Meghan,” as in Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex.
But a Duchess’s nose does not a Duchess make. Coming into a rhinoplasty consultation with photos of famous noses can certainly be a helpful tool, as it shows your surgeon exactly what you are hoping to achieve. That said, any good plastic surgery procedure must be tailored to not just the individual patient’s desired outcome, but also his or her distinct anatomy.
The plastic surgeon’s job is to create harmony, and that means working with what you’ve already got. “Meghan Markle’s nose looks beautiful on Meghan Markle’s face,” explains Dr. Kevin Smith of Charlotte. He and Dr. John Q. Cook of Chicago discuss rhinoplasty and why it should never be a cookie cutter, one-size-fits-all kind of procedure.
A Famous Nose As Inspiration, Not A Blueprint
Every decade there seems to be a new celebrity body part that everyone wants. Kim Kardashian’s derrière, Angelina Jolie’s lips and Elizabeth Taylor’s eyes have all been desirable at one time or another. And while it is wonderful that patients may be inspired by Meghan Markle’s pretty nose, it is important to remember that just because that nose looks good on her does not mean that it will necessarily look good on you.
It is the responsibility of the plastic surgeon to tell a patient what can and can not be achieved. “We can’t cookie-cutter place a nose on someone’s face and make it look proper,” explains Dr. Smith. This is because the point of a rhinoplasty, or, for that matter, any aesthetic procedure, is to create or restore harmony. “Plastic surgery at its best is certainly not Mr. Potato Head nor Mrs. Potato Head,” says Dr. Cook.
Each face is unique because the skin is different and underlying bone structure is different. Great plastic surgery is always about tailoring the procedure to the individual patient’s anatomy and needs.
Rhinoplasty Will Not Change a Patient’s Personality
While wanting this famous person’s nose or that celebrity’s lips is not new, it can be indicative of a bigger problem. Oftentimes when patients come into a plastic surgeon’s office saying that they want Meghan Markle’s nose, it’s not that they actually want that nose, but that “they want to be her,” explains Dr. Cook. This is a very slippery slope. “Plastic surgery is very powerful,” says Dr. Smith, “but it can not change who a patient is on the inside.”
What is a Rhinoplasty?
At its simplest, rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure to alter the structure of a patient’s nose. It turns out that there are a lot of people who do not like their given nose. According to the latest statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), there were 218,000 nose jobs performed in 2017 alone. Beloved by both men and women, a rhinoplasty can:
- make your nose smaller
- slim down the bridge of your nose
- remove any bumps
- reduce the size of your nostrils
- fix any nasal asymmetry
In the hands of a highly skilled plastic surgeon with a lot of rhinoplasty experience, your new nose will be in correct proportion to the rest of your face. The end result is a vibrant, refreshed face.
The Best Surgeon Respects Natural Anatomy
No surgery, including a rhinoplasty, should change a patient’s face to the point where he or she could enter the witness protection program. “Our best surgery respects the natural anatomy whether it’s a face, a breast or a nose,” explains Dr. Cook. This means that the plastic surgeon must work within the confines of your individual facial structure to create a new nose that is harmonious with the rest of your face.
When a surgeon does this, he or she is doing the best job possible for the patient. “Good surgery is really about plausible deniability,” explains Dr. Smith. By this he means that your friends or family should never be able to tell that you had something done. A natural-looking result, or great plastic surgery, should always be imperceptible.