American Society of Plastic Surgeons
For Medical Professionals
 
almazbek
one year ago
Answered

can i do a rhinoplasty at 15?

i’m a 15 year old girl and i want to do a rhinoplasty so bad because i don’t like my nose, i think it ruins my face and i’d be more beautiful if i had a smaller tip of my nose. my parents agreed and I had puberty earlier compared to my peers.

Procedure: Rhinoplasty
Location: alabama, NB

Replies 3

Ellis Tavin
ASPS Surgeon
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You should pursue rhinoplasty when you have stopped growing. An X-ray of your hand can demonstrate that you have reached bone growth maturity.

It is also important that you can describe to your plastic surgeon the particular features of your nose that you don’t like. One or both or your parents need to accompany you to the consultation.

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Richard Bosshardt
ASPS Surgeon

You are much too young to be doing something this extreme. Without seeing your face, I can only make certain assumptions. One is that your nose is normal, just not to your liking. Why? Is it because you truly don't like it or because others comment on it critically? Girls your age are increasingly being subjected to messages on social media that make them critical of themselves without reason for this. After 33 years as a plastic surgeon, if I have learned one thing, it is that women are their own worst critics. My advice is to wait. Give yourself a few more years to mature and to accomplish some things that might boost your self-image. Your nose and the rest of your features help to make you unique. Many altered noses have a "done" look to them. Plastic surgery carries no guarantees and rhinoplasty is one of the cosmetic operations with the highest rate of revision because it is difficult to do it well and it is a tricky, complex operation, especially if done with subtlety. Wait.

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Alfred Antonetti
ASPS Surgeon

The reason to wait is because if you have surgery and your nose is still growing then it will change as it grows and you may need to have it done again and the results will not be as good. That is the reason that we recommend waiting for age 17 or 18 when your nose is not going to change anymore. It is ok to have the surgery earlier but only in extreme circumstances after making sure your are not developing anymore. What you need to do is visit an ABPS certified physician close to where you live for a consultation and with your parents. They will explain to you what can be done, how the procedure is done and what you can expect. Most likely they will not do surgery at this time, May take pictures and would want to see you in 6 months or so to make sure nothing is changing. A little wait is not going to hurt you in any way. At age 15 you should be worrying about a lot other more important things than your nose.

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