Plastic surgeries are now an integral part of our lives. People are no longer as afraid of the short-term consequences of such surgeries as they were before. But concerns about the long-term effects remain. And at the top of these concerns is the aesthetic-age relationship.
Aging is a biological process that fears many of us. It affects our whole body. But the part that usually interests us the most is the changes it brings about in our facial features. New wrinkles are appearing on our face and our skin is sagging. Our nose also gets its share of these changes.
Patients who have a nose job for aesthetic or health purposes have the main question in their minds whether rhinoplasty is permanent or not. People wonder if rhinoplasty lasts forever. Answering these questions requires first taking a look at how our nose changes with aging.
As West Aesthetics, a clinic specialized in rhinoplasty in Turkey, we explain the link between rhinoplasty and aging in all details.
CHANGES IN OUR NOSE AS WE GET OLDER
What makes up our nasal structure is skin, bone and cartilage. It is possible for all three to change over time. But among them the skin is the most likely to be affected by age.
- SKIN
Since the skin on your nose is a soft tissue, it is very sensitive to external factors. Lifestyle choices such as excessive alcohol consumption and smoking affect the skin. Excessive exposure to the sun can cause spots on the skin as well as sagging and wrinkles.
All these can happen as you get older, even if you do everything right. Your skin can lose its elasticity and cause your nose to sag and look bigger.
- BONE AND CARTILAGE
Whether bone and cartilage structures grow over time is a matter of debate. It may look that way from the outside. But the truth is that although the internal structure may change, these structures are unlikely to grow after puberty.
So let’s talk a little bit about the changes that can occur in the internal structure. The bone and cartilage structure of our nose weakens and loses its density over time. The result of this is that the soft tissue cannot get enough support. As a result, problems such as sagging at the tip of the nose and the nose appearing larger than it really is arise.
Changes that may occur due to weakening of the bone and cartilage structure are not limited to aesthetic appearance. There may also be consequences that may affect the person’s health and quality of life. The cartilage structure may lose its elasticity and stiffness and as a result may be more susceptible to deformation. This may cause changes in the shape of the nose. Nasal passage can become narrower due to weakening of the bone and cartilage structure and this can lead to breathing problems and snoring.
CAN THE NOSE CHANGE AFTER RHINOPLASTY
Many factors affect whether your nose will change with age after a rhinoplasty procedure. But in general, as we mentioned before, it is not possible for the bone and cartilage structure to grow or change over time. Since the rhinoplasty process is carried out by changing the bone and cartilage structure, it can be said that this change is at the minimum possible level and the final result of the rhinoplasty surgery is nearly permanent.
Since aging and its effects are inevitable, it is not possible to say that no change will not be visible. Skin on your nose is a soft tissue and sagging of the skin may occur as collagen breakdown occurs with age.
Apart from the natural processes that take place in the basic structure of the nose, there are other factors that can minimize the risk of rhinoplasty changing with age.
FACTORS INFLUENCING RHINOPLASTY AGING
- Rhinoplasty Techniques
Whether your nose will change with age as a result of nose surgery may vary depending on the rhinoplasty techniques used. The reductive rhinoplasty technique used traditionally, results in more frequent age-related changes. But with reconstructive rhinoplasty technique, these changes can be minimized.
The reductive rhinoplasty technique, which is generally applied to achieve a more feminine and smaller nose, removes or changes the bone and cartilage structure of the nose. This results in the nose not receiving adequate support. And eventually, consequences such as collapse and sagging of the nose can be observed.
With reconstructive rhinoplasty, which is a more modern technique, you do not have to sacrifice the support power of your nose while achieving the desired appearance. In general, in this technique, cartilage from other parts of the body is added to the areas of the nose that are thought to weaken in the future. This provides an extra protection against the effects of aging.
- Environmental Factors and Lifestyle Choices
Many environmental factors such as sun exposure, smoking and environmental pollutants can contribute to premature aging of the skin and underlying structures of the nose. Protecting the nose from excessive sun exposure, refraining from smoking and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help maintain rhinoplasty results and reduce the risk of premature aging.
Rhinoplasty cannot protect you against subsequent impacts and traumas. When these situations occur, bumps and traumas can form scar tissue during the healing process. And scar tissues can cause permanent changes in the shape and structure of your nose.
If you suffer a blow or trauma after rhinoplasty, you may need to consider revision surgery after the initial surgery.
- Genetics
Since genetic factors determine the structural integrity, shape and proportion of the nasal bones, cartilages and soft tissues, they play an important role on the changes in the rhinoplasty process with age. Also as genetics also determines the elasticity and thickness of the skin, it is of great importance in the rate of aging of the skin on the nose over time.
Depending on their genetics, people may show the effects of aging at different rates. Some people may develop wrinkles and sagging skin at an early age, while others may not show such changes even at an older age. It is therefore very important to consider the genetic characteristics of your family during the preliminary consultation and to share these with your doctor so that he can adopt a more personalized method.
- Post Operative Rhinoplasty Care
Paying attention to your postoperative care, you can prevent premature aging and changes that may occur after the rhinoplasty process. The most important thing you can do in this area is to take care of yourself during the healing process. You need to avoid trauma, impact and pressure as much as possible. After consulting your doctor, you may need to wear protective clothing or splint if necessary.
In case of swelling as a complication after nose surgery, cold compresses can prevent changes that may occur in the nose. You should also keep your head elevated and not use blood thinning medications to prevent bleeding, which is another complication.
As part of the post operative care process, you should avoid heavy exercise during the recovery period. Weight lifting, long runs and high repetition physical exercises should be avoided until your doctor tells you otherwise.
In order to be minimally affected by the changes that may occur with age, it is beneficial to maintain a balanced diet and to drink water regularly. And also it can be beneficial for you to quit smoking and tobacco products starting from the preoperative period and to wear sunglasses and protective clothing after surgery to avoid excessive exposure to the sun.
Finally, it is strongly recommended that you regularly attend the postoperative consultations with your plastic surgeon, as this will provide the advantage of early diagnosis of any abnormal changes.
IDEAL AGE FOR RHINOPLASTY
One of the most important ways to minimize the changes that may occur in your nose with age after the rhinoplasty process is to undergo rhinoplasty surgery at the right age. If the rhinoplasty surgery is not performed at the right age, since the nasal structure is not yet fully developed, unwanted changes can be seen in the nose over time and health problems may arise.
While the completion of nasal bone development in women coincides with approximately 15-17 years of age, this period occurs later in men. Even when the aforementioned age ranges are reached, it is necessary to get approval from the family and make an appointment with a specialized plastic surgeon to ask whether your bone and facial development will be suitable for rhinoplasty.
CONSIDERING REVISION RHINOPLASTY
You may need to consider revision rhinoplasty if you are not satisfied with the changes in your nose with age following a certain period of time after the primary rhinoplasty process. Revision rhinoplasty, also known as secondary rhinoplasty, works around the scar tissues that have previously formed in your nose to give you a more pleasing appearance.
There are certain points you should pay attention to before the revision rhinoplasty process. The first and most important of these is choosing a board certified surgeon with extensive experience as in any type of operation. It is very important that you find an expert plastic surgeon and schedule a consultation with him or her based on past work experience.
