Finesse rhinoplasty refers to cosmetic nose reshaping surgery that is done to make the nose look more refined without appearing too different. Now all dedicated rhinoplasty surgeons will tell you that finesse applies to all forms of cosmetic nose reshaping. But there is certainly less finesse involved in reducing a large nasal hump deformity or lifting a real droopy nasal tip when compared with making subtle changes to an otherwise acceptable looking nose. Patients who undergo finesse rhinoplasty typically do not have real obvious abnormalities that are seen from across a room. These rhinoplasty patients are bothered by a slight asymmetry or subtle contour abnormality they would like to have addressed. This population of rhinoplasty patients is not looking to completely revamp the shape of their nose – they are simply seeking finesse change.
San Diego Finesse Rhinoplasty Case Example
A great example of finesse rhinoplasty surgery is demonstrated here for discussion purposes. This young attractive female patient from San Diego was seeking to have cosmetic surgery to address some issues about her nose that she did not like. When looking at her preoperative photographs you can see that her nose is not the type that immediately jumps out at you as needing to have cosmetic reshaping. However, when you look more closely, you can see the concerns that she had regarding the bridge region primarily.
Looking at her frontal view you can see that the nasal bridge is slightly curved to her right side. This is indicated by the curved blue line as well as the red arrow highlighting the slight asymmetry (crookedness) of the bridge from left to right. Again, not a dramatic finding that would be immediately noted in normal conversation with her, but one that was nonetheless present and bothered the patient.
On side, or profile, view of the patient, you can see there is a subtle convexity, or bump, along the nasal bridge. This is indicated by the red line highlighting a slight curvature over the dorsum of the nose. This is certainly not a prominent finding in her nose and is much smaller than many other patients considering bridge reduction. But it is a feature that bothered the patient and in combination with her frontal view was enough to justify a rhinoplasty procedure.
Finesse Nose Surgery
This patient chose to undergo a finesse rhinoplasty procedure to try and reshape her nasal bridge primarily. This first involved a conservative reduction of the convexity along the ridge of the nose. This was followed by straightening of the nasal bones to improve her bridge alignment as seen from the front. Once this was done, attention was focused on the middle one-third of her nose. This is an area called the middle vault and is a critical region that is intricately tied to nasal breathing on the inside. By using meticulous cartilage grafting techniques, I was able to create more symmetry through this portion of her nose while also stabilizing her breathing. These are referred to as spreader grafts, which are fashioned from cartilage taken from the inside of her nose (specifically the septum). The spreader grafts were very carefully placed only on her left side to provide a subtle yet notable improvement in the alignment. Very slight refinement was then made to the nasal tip in an attempt to accomplish a finesse type change while maintaining a harmonious look.
Finesse Rhinoplasty Photos Before and After
The following photos are provided to show how a slight change here and there in a nose can create a finessed improvement overall. Looking at her frontal view, you can appreciate improved contour in the bridge. Specifically, there is more symmetry and the bridge appears smoother overall. The tip of her nose is also nicely refined without appearing too different. And on the profile view, the bridge height has been reduced but in a conservative fashion so as not to create a dramatically different appearance.
What many prospective rhinoplasty patients do not understand is the fact that this type of aesthetic nose surgery is actually quite difficult. Meaning, making subtle changes to the nose to improve the cosmetic appearance while avoiding any signs of having had a rhinoplasty is arguably more challenging than taking down a huge bump from the bridge. After all, there is definitively less margin of error in this type of finesse rhinoplasty. Inaccurate placement of one graft or too much shifting in the nasal bone could easily make this type of nose look much worse when it was not all that bad before surgery. Such finesse type of changes should only be attempted by an experienced rhinoplasty expert who is accustomed to this type of precision rhinoplasty work.
Patient Rhinoplasty Testimonial
The following is a video testimonial of our San Diego rhinoplasty patient featured in the previous discussion telling you her own version of how her experience was with our office.
San Diego Rhinoplasty Consult
To learn more about finesse cosmetic nose reshaping, schedule your consultation today with one of San Diego’s top rhinoplasty experts, Dr. John Hilinski.
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