Rhinoplasty: How to describe what you want to your plastic surgeon

Modified on | by Dr. Ricardo L. Rodriguez

The Rhinoplasty procedure is a reshaping of the nose. In your initial consultation with your plastic surgeon you should  describe the things you want to change about your nose in specific detail. Plastic surgeons think about the nose using certain terms and you can paint a better picture of how you want your nose to look if you use these terms in your initial consultation.

In this video blog about rhinoplasty, I explain the following terms used to describe the nose:

Nose width

  • nostril (wide part at bottom)
  • tip
  • dorsum (middle of nose)

Nose length

  • root to tip distance (vertical length)
  • projection of nose (horizontal length)

If you use these terms to explain what you want, your plastic surgeon will likely have a better understanding of what type of result you are looking for. Do not assume that your surgeon will know exactly how you want your nose to look. Noses are a very personal attribute and everybody has a different ‘ideal nose’.  You need to be specific when you describe what you want!

By Dr. Ricardo L. Rodriguez MD Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Cosmeticsurg Baltimore, Maryland Ricardo L. Rodriguez on American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Related categories

Related procedures

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

3 thoughts on “Rhinoplasty: How to describe what you want to your plastic surgeon”

  • Deleted says:

    There are two likely methods for Nose Job. The first method is closed procedure and incisions are made inside the nose in this method. The other one is open procedure and requires additional incisions across the columella, which is the small piece of skin that separates the nostrils. These incisions let the surgeon visualize the size and shape of the cartilages and bones inside the nose so they can be modified.

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Dear Readers: I want to thank the person who wrote this post for offering this bit of information. If somebody is interested in finding out more information on rhinoplasty incisions, let me know.

  • dallas rhinoplasty says:

    This is a very informal post. With rhinoplasty, or any surgery for that matter, the patient needs to be on the same page as the surgeon. Getting to know the medical terms will only help in the process.