Although corrective nose surgery is one of the most common cosmetic procedures in both Europe and the USA, many cosmetic surgeons report that it remains one of their most difficult procedures, despite all the advances in the procedures and techniques of nose surgery during recent years. This point of view is usually expressed because the most common risk of cosmetic surgery is not being able to completely fulfill the patient's expectations. More than any other cosmetic procedure, rhinoplasty has to combine aesthetic aspirations with essential structural concepts such as architecture and support.

Revision rates for cosmetic nose surgery – in other words, the need to carry out additional work after the procedure – are thought to be as high as 15%, which can be extremely frustrating for the patient. The highly visible nature of any cosmetic nose surgery along with its very precise demands made on the surgeon make it even more imperative that you select a well-qualified and experienced practitioner to carry out any work you want to have undertaken.

Rhinoplasty, the medical word for nose surgery, can be undertaken in order to correct an injury, to improve a person's breathing, or simply to provide a patient with a ‘better shaped' nose.

There are three common procedures that may be used in the reshaping of the nose.

The first of these is known as the Open Technique of surgery. In this instance, although the majority of the surgical incisions can be made inside the nose itself, there will be one major incision across the columella, the cartilage separating the patient's nostrils. This incision allows the skin to be lifted to allow access to the internal structure of the nose. Although this procedure enables the surgeon to have an easier access to the nose whilst performing the operation, it does leave a permanent scar across the columella and, consequently, is less used than the Closed Technique of surgery.

Using the so-called Closed Technique will mean that every incision is made within the nose itself, with the cartilage being removed from the nose and subsequently reshaped. This can be a quicker procedure than Open Surgery and, crucially, there should be no visible scars as a result of using this method.

Finally, it is also possible for surgeons to introduce nasal implants, in a variety of sizes and shapes. These can be made of either silicone or gortex and inserted to alter the shape of the nose. Any particular surgical procedure could involve one or more of these techniques but the skin over the nose is extremely elastic and will usually respond well to the ‘new ‘ shape after the operation has been concluded.

There are several common changes made through rhinoplasty. The first of these is to modify, usually reduce, the tip of the nose. The second is to narrow the nasal bones, as the appearance of the nose is too wide. Two very common procedures are lengthening or shortening of the nose, which usually implies an open technique will be employed by the surgeon and might, in the former case, involve the use of either a cartilage graft or a nasal implant. Additionally, modifying the shape of the nostrils or the slope of the nose and correcting a deviated septum are common procedures in cosmetic nose surgery.