Nose job (rhinoplasty)

What is rhinoplasty?

A nose job (rhinoplasty) is an operation to change how the nose looks, how it works, or both. Surgeons may reduce or build up the bridge, refine or rotate the tip, narrow the nostrils, or straighten a crooked nose. When the aim is to improve breathing — for example by straightening the wall inside the nose (the septum) — it is called a septorhinoplasty.

It is one of the most technically demanding facial operations: the nose is the centre of the face, millimetre changes are visible, and it keeps healing for many months. A good result depends on realistic, clearly-discussed goals and a nose that suits your whole face — not on copying a photograph.

Types & techniques

There isn't one single operation. The right approach depends on you — which is something to discuss with your surgeon.

Open vs closed rhinoplasty

Both are standard techniques. The choice depends on what your nose needs and your surgeon's preference — not on one being universally 'better'.

Preparing for your surgery

• Have at least two consultations with the operating surgeon, with time to reflect — bring photos to explain your goals, and ask to see realistic outcomes.
• Stop smoking and vaping well beforehand, as smoking slows healing.
• Tell your surgeon about all medicines and supplements; some (such as aspirin and certain anti-inflammatories) increase bleeding and may need pausing.
• Mention any breathing problems, previous nose injuries or surgery, as these affect the plan and possible NHS funding.
• Arrange about 1–2 weeks off, a lift home, and help for the first day.
• Stock up on extra pillows, soft tissues and any painkillers your surgeon recommends.

What happens

You should have at least two consultations with the surgeon who will actually operate, with time in between to think it over. They examine your nose inside and out, discuss what is realistic, and explain the risks.

The operation is usually under general anaesthetic. Working through the nostrils (closed) or with a tiny added cut across the columella (open), the surgeon reshapes the bone and cartilage, straightens the septum if needed, and refines the tip. Soft internal supports or splints may be placed inside, and a small splint is usually taped to the outside to hold the new shape while it heals.

Is this operation right for me?

A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.

Before you decide

Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.

Anaesthetic choices

The safest option depends on the operation, your health, the facility and your surgeon/anaesthetist. Ask what is planned and why.

The nose heals slowly and unpredictably, which is why even excellent surgeons quote a revision rate. Ask your surgeon how often their own patients need a further operation, and give the result a full year before judging it.

Published figures to discuss

Rhinoplasty is a millimetre-sensitive operation and swelling can hide the result for many months. Revision rates vary widely by case complexity, technique and how long patients are followed.

These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.

Recovery — what to expect, and when

Most of the visible recovery happens in the first two weeks, but the nose is a slow healer — the final, refined shape can take well over a year as the last swelling resolves, particularly at the tip.

• A very blocked nose and needing to breathe through your mouth for several weeks
• Bruising around the eyes that changes colour as it fades
• A swollen, slightly upturned tip in the early weeks that gradually drops and refines
• Numbness and a firm feeling at the tip that slowly settles over months
• Mild oozing of blood-tinged fluid in the first days

Aftercare

• Sleep with your head raised on extra pillows for the first week or two to reduce swelling.
• Do not blow your nose for the first couple of weeks — sniff or dab gently instead.
• Avoid strenuous exercise, bending and heavy lifting for about 6 weeks.
• Keep glasses and sunglasses off the bridge of your nose until your surgeon says it is safe (often several weeks).
• Protect your nose from strong sun and knocks; new skin burns and bruises easily.
• Go to all your follow-up appointments so healing can be checked.

• Extra pillows ready for sleeping propped up
• Time off work booked (about 1–2 weeks)
• Someone to drive you home and help for the first day or two
• Painkillers as advised by your surgeon
• Soft tissues and lip balm (mouth-breathing is drying)
• Clinic's out-of-hours contact number saved

Scars and how they heal

With the 'closed' technique the cuts are inside the nostrils, so there is no visible scar. With the 'open' technique there is a small scar across the columella (the strip of skin between the nostrils), which usually heals very well and becomes barely noticeable. If your nostrils are narrowed, there can be tiny scars tucked into the natural crease at the base of the nose. Keeping healing scars out of strong sun helps them fade.

⚠ Get urgent help if…

• Heavy bleeding from the nose that does not stop with gentle pressure
• Sudden difficulty breathing
• A high temperature, or spreading redness, swelling or pus (signs of infection)
• Severe or rapidly worsening pain not helped by your painkillers
• Calf pain, swelling, breathlessness or chest pain (possible signs of a blood clot — call 999)

Who to contact: your surgeon or clinic first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.

General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your surgeon gives you.

Results & realistic expectations

A nose job can genuinely change how your nose looks and, when breathing is treated, how it works — but it cannot create a 'perfect' or identical-to-a-photo nose, and the result must suit your whole face. Swelling lingers for months, so the nose you see at six weeks is not the final one. A small number of people have a planned 'revision' later; a good surgeon discusses this honestly before you start.

The structural changes to the bone and cartilage are permanent. The nose continues to age slowly over a lifetime like the rest of your face, but a rhinoplasty result is generally lasting — you would not expect to 'redo' it unless you chose a revision for refinement.

Combining with other procedures

Rhinoplasty is sometimes combined with a chin adjustment (because the nose and chin together set the profile balance), or with septum surgery to improve breathing. It is occasionally done alongside a facelift or eyelid surgery in older patients. Your surgeon will advise whether anything else would genuinely improve your result — there is no need to add procedures you didn't come for.

Follow-up & long-term care

You'll usually be seen at around 1 week to remove the splint and any stitches, then again over the following weeks and months to check healing as the swelling settles. A good clinic gives you a number to call if you have bleeding or other concerns in the early days.

Revision and secondary surgery reality

• Rhinoplasty has one of the higher revision rates in aesthetic surgery because small changes are visible and healing is not fully predictable.
• Revision surgery is usually harder than primary surgery because of scar tissue, altered cartilage and reduced options for grafting.
• Final judgement should not be rushed: swelling, especially at the tip, can take 12–18 months to settle.

Ask your surgeon for their own revision rate, what counts as a revision, and what is included in the written aftercare policy.

What good aftercare looks like

• Clear instructions on splint care, saline rinses, sleeping position, glasses and avoiding knocks.
• A plan for splint removal, internal examination if breathing is a concern, and later photography.
• Access to the clinic if bleeding, fever, worsening pain, spreading redness or sudden blockage occurs.
• Long-term review, because the final result is judged in months, not weeks.

What affects the cost

Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:

• The consultant's fee and how complex the procedure is for your anatomy and goals.
• The anaesthetic, theatre or clinic facility, and whether an overnight stay is needed.
• Any implants, garments, dressings, imaging, pathology or special equipment required.
• How much follow-up is included, including wound checks, scar care and later review.
• What the written policy says about complications, revisions or unexpected return to theatre.

• The consultant, anaesthetist and hospital/facility fees, itemised.
• All planned follow-up appointments and who provides them.
• Dressings, garments, medicines, implants or pathology fees where relevant.
• What happens, and who pays, if there is a complication or revision is needed.
• Cancellation terms, cooling-off period and whether any deposit is refundable.

On the NHS? The NHS funds nose surgery only when it's needed for a medical reason such as a breathing problem or after injury — not for cosmetic reshaping. Your GP can advise.

You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including aftercare and any revision — before you decide.

Consent traps and marketing red flags

These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.

Choosing a surgeon safely

• Check your surgeon is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
• Make sure they practise at a CQC-registered location, and look for membership of bodies like BAAPS or BAPRAS.
• You're entitled to a two-stage consent process with time to reflect (a cooling-off period). The surgeon who will operate must consent you — not a salesperson.
• Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers, discounts or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
• You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including aftercare and any revision — before you decide.

How Vuemedics verifies every consultant →

Take this to your consultation. A good surgeon will welcome every one of these.

• How many of these operations do you do each year, and how often do your patients need a further (revision) operation?
• Would you use an open or closed technique for me, and why?
• What does a realistic result look like for my nose — and what can't be changed?
• Will my breathing be affected, for better or worse — and might any of this be available on the NHS?
• Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
• Will you be the surgeon who carries out my operation, and who looks after me afterwards?
• What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
• What does a realistic result look like — and what can this operation not achieve?
• What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
• Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
• What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?

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How we made this page

Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →

Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.

Sources & standards: BAAPS — patient safety GMC — cosmetic interventions guidance Rhinoplasty risks and revision — PMC Rhinoplasty — StatPearls NHS — Cosmetic procedures RCS England — Cosmetic surgery standards

Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.

Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.