12 Cosmetic and Health Benefits of a Nose Job

Nose reshaping surgery, also known as rhinoplasty, refines the shape and size of your nose by altering or removing bone or cartilage. As one of the top cosmetic surgical procedures people undergo annually, rhinoplasty is typically performed for aesthetic reasons, such as to improve the symmetry and balance of the face.¹

However, if you're thinking about rhinoplasty and asking yourself if a nose job is worth it, consider the following cosmetic and health benefits associated with this popular procedure.

Health Benefits of Rhinoplasty

Though most patients undergo rhinoplasty for cosmetic reasons, the procedure might also address or improve other health issues as a result. Read on to learn more about the additional health benefits of a nose job, including an overview of the following:

• Improved breathing
• Better sleep
• Reduction in sinus-related issues
• Correction of injuries
• Increased ability for exercise
• Boosted confidence and mental health

1. Improved breathing

Your nose and mouth are complex structures, and your primary means of performing the life-sustaining functions of taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. If mechanical issues due to genetics, injury or disease restrict your airways from providing adequate airflow, your breathing and overall health could be compromised.²

A corrective procedure called a septoplasty is often performed alongside a rhinoplasty. A septoplasty straightens a deviated septum, which is the bone and cartilage separating the nostrils, and allows patients to breathe more freely as a result.³

2. Better sleep

Chronically disrupted sleep due to breathing issues is a potential health risk for both you and your partner, as it could affect your ability to function during the day.

Snoring is often a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep disorder that can be aggravated if too-narrow airways like your nostrils make it difficult to breathe through your nose while sleeping.⁴

Maintaining good sleep health is thought to play a significant factor in lowering your risk for developing other serious chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and depression. Rhinoplasty may improve your chances of getting a full night of restorative sleep.⁵

3. Reduction in sinus-related issues

When your sinus cavities (the empty spaces behind the facial bones around your nose, forehead and cheeks) are unable to drain properly or become blocked, pressure builds, sometimes resulting in painful or debilitating headaches. Blocked sinus cavities can also provide a breeding ground for bacteria, resulting in chronic infections.²

Rhinoplasty can address issues with the nasal septum to improve drainage and provide more overall comfort.

4. Correction of injuries

A broken nose not only alters your appearance but could create breathing problems, as well. Rhinoplasty can help reset the fracture, restore the septum if necessary and ensure the nose returns to full function and former appearance post-trauma. Rhinoplasty can also often help reduce pain associated with traumatic injury to the nose.⁶

5. Increased ability for exercise

It's hard to exercise efficiently or enjoy physical activities if having less-than-optimal airways leave you breathless. Rhinoplasty can remedy these issues and, post-recovery, increase your ability to pursue the active lifestyle you want.⁶

6. Boosted confidence and mental health

Feeling self-conscious about any aspect of your physical appearance, especially if you've experienced teasing or bullying because of it, can have a detrimental effect on your self-esteem and overall mental health. Choosing rhinoplasty to alter the look of your nose or create a more symmetrical balance between the features of your face can ultimately help boost your confidence and support a healthy self-image.⁷

While rhinoplasty can change the look of your nose, it's important to have realistic expectations. A nose job can't give you the nose of someone else or deliver a “perfect" nose. Speak with a qualified plastic surgeon to find out more about what rhinoplasty can or cannot do for you.⁸

Cosmetic Benefits of Rhinoplasty

Nose reshaping is often performed for aesthetic reasons. Some of the many cosmetic benefits of rhinoplasty, which can be achieved with different types of nose jobs, include:

• Reducing nose size
• Refining a bulbous top
• Straightening a crooked nose
• Smoothing bumps
• Altering the size of nostrils
• Altering a flat nose

7. Reducing nose size

A reduction rhinoplasty procedure may be used to remove bone and cartilage to reduce the size of a nose that's too large or narrow a nose that's too wide for the face.⁹

8. Refining a bulbous tip

A tip plasty or tip refinement rhinoplasty is an open procedure used to reduce or lift a bulbous or sagging tip.⁸

9. Straightening a crooked nose

A nose augmentation might be used to straighten a crooked nose, which involves bringing the nose into proportion with the rest of the face by sculpting the existing bone and cartilage, rather than removing or adding to the nose.⁹

10. Smoothing bumps

A non-surgical nose job or “15-minute nose job" temporarily alters the shape of the nose using facial fillers to smooth bumps and soften or define angles.¹⁰

11. Altering the size of the nostrils

The appearance of wide, flared or open nostrils can be altered by reducing the alar, the tissue that connects your nostrils to your face.¹¹

12. Altering a flat nose

A low nasal bridge that gives the appearance of a flat nose can be corrected with a nose augmentation that raises the bridge and tip, usually using the patient's own cartilage.⁹

Financing a Rhinoplasty With the CareCredit Credit Card

Ready to revitalize your appearance and boost your confidence? The CareCredit credit card makes it easy to pay for rhinoplasty and non-surgical nose jobs and related expenses not covered by health insurance.* Use our Acceptance Locator to  find a doctor or cosmetic surgeon near you that accepts CareCredit so you can stop dreaming and start living your best life. Continue your wellness journey by downloading the CareCredit Mobile App to manage your CareCredit account, find a provider on the go and easily access the Well U blog for more great articles, podcasts and videos.

In addition to cosmetic procedures, you can also use your CareCredit credit card for dentistry, pet care, vision, hearing, health systems, dermatology, pharmacy purchases, spa treatments and so much more within the CareCredit network. How will you invest in your health and wellness next?

Author Bio

Anne-Marie Kennedy is a freelance writer with more than 20 years of experience covering health and wellness, personal finance and real estate/investing.