Rhinoplasty
A natural, functional nose in harmony with your face.
Op. Dr. Alperen Tekin · FEBOPRAS · TPRECD Member
- Plastic & Aesthetic Surgery Specialist
- TPRECD Member
- FEBOPRAS — European Board
- Personalised Planning
- Natural Results
Rhinoplasty: A Nose That Works as Well as It Looks
Rhinoplasty reshapes the nose so that it sits in proportion with the rest of the face. Because the nose is the central feature, a change of a few millimetres here alters the whole face — which is why the aim is harmony rather than a dramatic difference.
The nose is also a breathing organ first and an aesthetic feature second, and a well-planned operation does not reverse that order. Where a deviated septum or enlarged turbinates are restricting airflow, they are addressed in the same session.
What Is Rhinoplasty?
Rhinoplasty is surgery to change the shape, size or proportions of the nose. It may address the bridge, the tip, the nostrils or the internal structures — usually a combination.
Two things are worth understanding before anything else:
- It is structural surgery, not sculpting. The nose is built from bone at the top, cartilage below and skin over both. Changing the outline means altering that framework, and the framework has to keep supporting the nose for decades afterwards.
- The skin has the final say. Whatever is done underneath is only visible through the overlying skin. Thick skin conceals fine detail and holds swelling longer; thin skin shows everything, including small irregularities.
This is why two people can have the same operation and different results, and why an honest consultation sets limits rather than promises.
Who Is a Suitable Candidate?
Suitability is assessed on facial development, the structure of the nose, skin quality, breathing and general health.
- Facial growth complete — this is why the procedure is not planned in very young patients
- A specific, describable concern rather than a general wish to look different
- Realistic expectations about what your own anatomy allows
- General health suitable for surgery
- Not smoking, or willing to stop before surgery
Breathing is assessed alongside appearance. Many people who come for aesthetic reasons turn out to have a structural cause of congestion they had accepted as normal — and that can be corrected at the same time.
If your concern is driven by a photograph of someone else’s nose, that is discussed openly. Rhinoplasty brings your nose into harmony with your face; it does not transfer someone else’s.
How Is the Operation Performed?
The operation is carried out under general anaesthesia. The broad sequence is as follows:
- Planning: Measurements and photographs are taken, and the intended changes are discussed against what your structure allows.
- Access: Through the nostrils alone (closed technique) or with an additional few-millimetre incision on the columella (open technique).
- Reshaping the framework: Bone and cartilage are adjusted — a hump reduced, the tip repositioned, width narrowed — while the structures that support the nose are preserved and, where needed, reinforced with the patient’s own cartilage.
- Breathing: If a deviated septum or enlarged turbinates are present, they are corrected in the same session.
- Closure and support: Fine sutures close the incisions and an external splint holds the new shape while the tissues settle.
Internal supports are used only where needed and are removed early. You go home the same day or after one night, depending on the extent of the work.
Risks and Side Effects
As with any operation there are risks of bleeding, infection and reaction to anaesthesia. Specific to rhinoplasty:
- Prolonged swelling: Expected, particularly at the tip and in thicker skin. It is not a complication.
- Asymmetry: Small differences can remain; the face itself is not symmetrical to begin with.
- Breathing changes: Temporary congestion is normal. Persistent difficulty is assessed.
- Altered sensation: Numbness at the tip is common early on and generally resolves.
- Need for revision: A proportion of patients seek a second procedure. This is discussed before the first one, not after.
- Scarring: With the open technique a small columellar scar remains; once mature it is not noticeable at conversational distance.
Smoking markedly increases healing problems and stopping beforehand is expected.
Factors Affecting the Cost
Costs vary from person to person and quoting a standard figure would not be accurate. The determining factors are:
- The extent of reshaping required and the technique used
- Whether breathing problems are being corrected at the same time
- Whether cartilage grafts are needed, and from where
- Whether this is a first operation or a revision
- Type of anaesthesia and length of stay
- The scope of follow-up and aftercare
In line with health regulations, pricing information is not published on this page. An individual assessment is made at consultation.
Open vs Closed Rhinoplasty: Which Is Better?
This question comes up constantly, and the answer may be surprising: there is no ranking of superiority.
The only difference between the two techniques is whether a few-millimetre incision is made on the small bridge of skin between the nostrils (the columella). Every other incision is inside the nose in both approaches.
- Closed technique: No external incision, and swelling usually settles sooner. Preferred for more limited corrections.
- Open technique: The structures are worked on under direct vision. Offers safer control in complex tip work, marked deviations and revision cases.
The claim that the closed technique is “more advanced” or “better because it leaves no scar” is not accurate — once mature, the columellar scar is not noticeable unless examined closely. The choice is made according to the surgical exposure the job requires, not a hierarchy.
After Rhinoplasty: Healing Week by Week
The hardest part of rhinoplasty is not the operation but the patience that follows. The outline below is a general roadmap and varies from person to person.
- First days: A splint and, if needed, internal supports are in place. Nasal congestion is expected and temporary. Keeping the head elevated reduces swelling.
- First week: The splint is removed. Bruising around the eyes is most visible in this period and then fades quickly.
- First month: Most people are comfortable returning to social settings. The nose is still swollen, however, and what you see is not the final result.
- Third month: Much of the swelling has resolved and the contours begin to sharpen.
- One year and beyond: The fine residual swelling, particularly at the tip, resolves slowly. Final assessment is made at this point, and it can take longer in people with thicker skin.
The most important consequence of this timeline: judging the result from photographs taken in the first months is misleading. Much of the “my nose is still swollen” anxiety comes from assessing before natural healing has finished.
Rhinoplasty and Breathing
The nose is first and foremost a breathing organ; appearance comes second. A well-planned rhinoplasty does not reverse that order.
The main structural causes of difficult breathing are a deviated septum and enlarged turbinates. If present, these can be addressed in the same session as the aesthetic work — two separate operations are not required.
The reverse also holds: planning that focuses only on appearance and weakens the supporting framework of the nose can lead, years later, to both breathing problems and distortion of shape. This is why the modern approach preserves and, where necessary, reinforces support structures while the nose is reshaped.
The examination therefore assesses the inside of the nose, not only the external appearance.
Revision Rhinoplasty
Revision is a second procedure in someone who has already had nasal surgery. It is different from, and more demanding than, a first operation:
- Tissue planes are altered by scar tissue, making the layers harder to separate.
- Cartilage may have been removed at the first operation; a graft from another site may be needed for support.
- Because the blood supply is changed, healing can be slower.
Timing matters. Assessment before the tissues have softened and the swelling has fully resolved is misleading. For this reason the decision to revise is usually made only after enough time has passed since the first operation.
Not every dissatisfaction requires revision; some of it resolves on its own once the process completes. The examination distinguishes whether the complaint is structural or related to ongoing healing.
Your Treatment Journey
From your first message to full recovery, we are with you.
First Contact
Message us on WhatsApp — we listen and answer your questions the same day.
Consultation & Planning
A personalised plan based on your expectations and examination findings.
Surgery
Your personalised procedure is performed comfortably under appropriate anaesthesia.
Recovery & Follow-up
We stay with you through regular check-ups at every step of recovery.
Op. Dr. Alperen Tekin
Specialist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery. The goal: planning the most suitable result for your anatomy and expectations while preserving your natural look. Every option is discussed openly at your consultation, with a road map tailored to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Suitability is assessed together, based on your expectations, general health and examination findings.
After the first contact, a consultation and personalised planning follow; after surgery we monitor you with regular check-ups.
Recovery varies from person to person and with the scope of the procedure; a personal road map is clarified at your consultation.
Pricing is personalised according to the scope of the procedure; exact information is shared after consultation. Feel free to message us on WhatsApp with your first questions.
Ready to take a step for yourself?
Let us answer your questions on WhatsApp — take the first step toward your personal assessment.
or call: +90 532 309 31 01
