Who is a candidate for rhinoplasty?
Nasal support and airway: what only an in-person look shows
A photo or a checklist cannot show how much support your nose has or how well air moves through it. A surgeon sees both only in person.
Health, goals and your nose
Your health and your goals count alongside the nose. Treat any online checklist as a way to prepare questions and not as a verdict.
Health factors a surgeon may ask about
A national plastic surgery society has a page on rhinoplasty candidates. Read it first, then compare it with what your surgeon tells you.
Your overall health is part of the picture too. A review of managing medical conditions and risk factors before surgery, covering smoking, diabetes and other complicating factors, shows the kind of factors a surgeon may ask about. Ask which of them apply to you and what you can change before surgery.
Preparing your health history
- List your health conditions, medicines and habits, including smoking, so you can share them openly.
- Describe your goals in specific terms.
- Ask the surgeon whether you are a good candidate now or whether something should change first.
- Ask how your own nose and health might affect the result years from now.
Being told to wait
Being told to wait is not a rejection. Ask what the wait is meant to improve.