What's the best age to have a rhinoplasty procedure?

Some people want it as soon as possible. Others come to desire it when they reach maturity. And some people would love to have it, but feel they might have left it too late. The ‘It’ is rhinoplasty, commonly known as a ‘nose job’.

The earliest time to have a rhinoplasty procedure

A lot of experts have generally agreed that the earliest ideal time to consider cosmetic surgery on the nose is during the teenage phase – although they argue on precisely when during that time, because peoples’ noses develop at their own individual pace.

Many professional surgeons will refuse to operate on a client until their nasal septum has fully developed during facial growth, and that tends to happen in the late teens. The reason for this is obvious: if the parts of the nose are still growing when the operation takes place, they’ll continue to grow afterwards, leading to disfigurement and the need for further procedures.

Physical maturity is one thing, but the truly professional practitioner puts equal weight upon mental and emotional maturity as well. The client is about to undergo a procedure that will permanently change one of the key components of their face, at a time when they’re already undergoing changes everywhere else.

One thing that needs to be pointed out is that both physical and emotional developments tend to happen earlier in females than males, so it is possible for women to undergo cosmetic procedures earlier – but it’s generally agreed upon that 18 to 19 is the earliest optimum period.

When is it too late to have a rhinoplasty procedure?

The short answer is that it’s never too late to consider rhinoplasty, because it has been proven to be a safe procedure in myriad studies and reports.

However, there are provisos. One sticking point in later-life rhinoplasty is the state of the client’s skin: as we get older, it loses its elasticity, which will make it harder for the skin to mould itself to the re-modified shape of the nose.

It also goes without saying that we are more susceptible to problems such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart and lung problems as we age, which are things that non-vital surgery – even as something as minor as rhinoplasty – could complicate.

In cases such as this, it’s essential that you consult your GP and discuss your intentions (and get their clearance to carry them out) before consulting a cosmetic practitioner.