The emotional effects of rhinoplasty surgery

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If you are planning on having rhinoplasty surgery to improve the appearance of your nose, you will probably have spent a lot of time researching what is involved with the procedure. This probably includes finding a top rhinoplasty surgeon, what the operation entails, what the risks are and what you can expect during the recovery period. But it is important to also consider the emotional impact rhinoplasty surgery has on its patients' lives.

For most rhinoplasty patients, having the surgery was a positive decision and they are delighted with the outcome. One minor imperfection can be a source of a lot of self consciousness and poor self esteem even in an attractive person. Therefore, a good nose job can be enormously beneficial to the patient's sense of self worth, and they will benefit both psychologically and socially. Many patients are in their teens or early twenties, as this age group is particularly susceptible to peer pressure and anxiety about how others perceive them.

But sadly rhinoplasty is not a positive experience for everyone. If you are considering a nose job you should also prepare yourself for the negative emotions you may feel after surgery, which you may experience even if the operation was a great success.

Although only a minority of rhinoplasty patients experience true depression after undergoing nose surgery, most patients go through a period of feeling quite down. The first factor in this is that, while the after effects of rhinoplasty are not unbearably painful for most people, it inevitably causes a lot of discomfort. Patients are very congested for a while and it is very common to temporarily lose your sense of smell, (which also affects your sense of taste), which can be an unsettling experience. Sometimes patients have side effects from the medication, for example constipation, which may only be minor inconveniences but add to the misery.

In addition to this, for a short while you are physically restricted which can make many patients bored, listless and frustrated. To avoid injury to the delicate post-operative nose while it is healing you will need to avoid strenuous activity, which can be particularly distressing to people who are naturally quite active. There are even restrictions on how you can sleep - the head must always be elevated, which means sleeping in a virtually upright position. This feels unnatural and uncomfortable, leading to a poor nights sleep and the resulting tiredness and irritability.

Finally, it is common to be initially disappointed with the results of surgery. Patients have paid out a lot of money for the 'perfect' nose, but when the cast is removed their nose doesn't look particularly different, albeit very swollen and bruised. This can cause regret about the decision to undergo rhinoplasty and a short period of depression. Luckily, for most patients this depression will lift as healing occurs and the final results of the surgery become evident. Most patients will be very happy with their new nose.

For an unfortunate minority, clinical depression can arise from having nose surgery. In some instances it is because they are unhappy with the resulting nose or self conscious if the scarring is especially evident. Approximately 10 to 15 percent of patients will go on to have revision rhinoplasty at least once, where the nose undergoes further refinement. A small number of people who become depressed after having rhinoplasty will have had highly successful nose jobs, but are simply unable to adjust to their new and unfamiliar appearance.

If having looked into the rhinoplasty procedure you have decided to commit to undergoing a nose job, it is important to remind yourself the positive reasons why people put themselves through the stress of surgery. However, you also need to be realistic and remember that for some patients it can be a negative experience, and ask yourself how you would deal with it should you be unlucky enough to fall into this category.