Even in the age of social media, you don’t want to base a life-changing decision on views and likes. This is particularly true when it comes to a rhinoplasty, which is an intricate surgery with impactful results.
New York City is a hub of some of the most highly regarded facial plastic surgeons in the country; so whether you’re from the city or are planning to travel for your cosmetic procedures, you can expect to find a surgeon to meet your needs.
At Pearlman Aesthetic Surgery, Dr. Steven Pearlman has performed thousands of rhinoplasties and knows how to provide his patients with some of the best rhinoplasty results in New York.
Jump to Dr. Pearlman’s before and after gallery
Important steps to getting the best rhinoplasty results
Ensuring you have a positive rhinoplasty experience is about finding the right surgeon and practice for your procedure. Rhinoplasty is a surgery best performed once, so of course you want to make sure you find the best nose surgeon for the job.
1. Vet your surgeon
Having a good relationship with your rhinoplasty surgeon is critical to achieving the best rhinoplasty results. You want to make sure you feel comfortable and get all your questions get answered. Don’t hesitate to take consultations with multiple surgeons as you’re making your decision.
Are they board certified?
Rhinoplasty is an extremely delicate surgery. The nose is one of your sensory organs, so you want someone who can protect the function as they’re enhancing the form.
For example, a surgeon who is only board certified in cosmetic surgery isn’t going to have the same level of expertise as someone who is also certified in Otolaryngology (head and neck surgery) as well as Facial Plastic Surgery
You want to seek out a board-certified surgeon in the area that you seek surgery in because board certification means they’ve taken extra steps to ensure the safety and quality of their work.
More people should also consider the academic standing of their surgeons. In the past, people often found surgeons based on their academic involvement. In order to be giving lectures at recognized medical conferences, teaching residents and fellows, and getting papers published in the medical literature, a surgeon has to have a true mastery of rhinoplasty.
Is rhinoplasty their specialty?
Not only should you seek out a board-certified surgeon, but you should also check what percentage of their practice is dedicated to rhinoplasty. Is it the primary surgery they provide or one of many? Do they specialize in the face or are they a jack of all trades?
Do they offer different types of rhinoplasty?
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to rhinoplasties. The nose is such a prominent facial feature and for many races and ethnicities has important ties to heritage and culture.
Each person will have a different definition of the best rhinoplasty results. In New York, some of the procedures and techniques a skilled rhinoplasty surgeon might offer may include:
- Piezo ultrasonic rhinoplasty
- Ethnic rhinoplasty
- Teenage rhinoplasty
- Revision rhinoplasty
- Septoplasty
- Preservation Rhinoplasty
2. Look at before and after photos
You should always ask to see previous patients’ before and after images during your consultation. It will also give you the opportunity to ask questions about the process for particular cases and how the surgeon delivered the best rhinoplasty results.
It’s a major red flag if your surgeon won’t let you see any or if the images look doctored in any way.
Things you should consider when viewing the images:
- Do these patients look like me?
- Do I like the results I’m seeing? Do they look natural?
- Are the before and after images consistent in setup, lighting, and angles?
An important note: surgeons often have more images available in their offices than they do online. Not every patient consents to having their pictures online, which is why it’s important to take time to look at images during your consultation.
See Dr. Pearlman’s before and after gallery
3. Make the most of your consultation
The consultation process sets the tone for your entire experience with a surgeon and is crucial in getting the best rhinoplasty results. New York surgeon Dr. Steven Pearlman and his staff prioritize the consultation process with his patients to make sure they have all their questions answered.
Questions to ask during your rhinoplasty consultation:
- What is your experience with performing rhinoplasty surgeries?
- Does rhinoplasty comprise the majority of the surgeries the surgeon performs?
- What is your policy on revisions if I don’t like my results?
- How long is the expected recovery timeline?
- When can I expect to see the final results?
- Which technique do you plan to use in my rhinoplasty?
- Can you combine other plastic surgery procedures with my rhinoplasty?
Sometimes patients aren’t even sure how to describe the results they want. They just know that they’re unhappy with their current look and are wondering how nose plastic surgery, or rhinoplasty, can help them feel more like themselves.
Does the surgeon use computer imaging including 3D imaging?
These days using computers imaging as well as Vectra 3D imaging to help patients visualize their potential results is a crucial part of the cosmetic surgery process.
During our consultations at Pearlman Aesthetic Surgery, we utilize 2-D Mirror® Computer imaging and Vectra 3D imaging to help our patients visualize their results for primary rhinoplasty. This lets us talk through different options for adjusting the nose and helps you visualize your results in real time.
When setting up your appointment, it’s important to ask about what’s covered in your initial consultation. For example, at Pearlman Aesthetic Surgery we offer every patient the opportunity to return for a second visit to discuss their questions or apprehensions before scheduling their procedure. Some patients might even ask questions about the information they received from a consultation at another practice.
Do they do open or closed rhinoplasty?
Your surgeon should be willing to talk to you about which rhinoplasty technique is going to give you the best rhinoplasty results. In New York, Dr. Pearlman often uses a closed rhinoplasty method in primary rhinoplasty except in cases where an open rhinoplasty would provide more precise results. He will explain the reasoning for surgical approach on each individual during the consultation.
In a closed rhinoplasty, there is no external incision and no scar. For open rhinoplasty, there is a tiny incision on the bottom of the nose, but it’s going to be unremarkable and very hard to see to the naked eye.
In most cases, someone would usually have to be looking directly up your nostrils with a magnifying glass to see any scars left by open rhinoplasty.
At Pearlman Aesthetic Surgery we have access to laser technology at our practice to reduce the appearance of scarring if necessary, though it’s rarely needed.
Related: Learn More About Open Vs Closed Rhinoplasty
Follow your aftercare instructions
After your surgery, the most important thing to getting the best rhinoplasty results is to diligently follow your aftercare instructions.
Rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure and has a required recovery time
Sometimes we have patients come in who are expecting to have their surgery and be back at work within a few days. We always caution our patients to be realistic about how much time they need to plan to take off when recovering from rhinoplasty.
Whether you have an open or closed rhinoplasty the recovery process is going to be the same. Some patients assume that a closed rhinoplasty will have less recovery time, and that’s not true.
So unless you work from home and don’t need to take any video calls or meetings, we highly recommend sticking with the recovery time we set in place for you. Most patients can return to work or school by 1 ½ to 2 weeks.
How long does it take to see results from rhinoplasty?
The most difficult part of recovering from a rhinoplasty is how long your final results take to show. Most of our patients at Pearlman Aesthetic Surgery see 85% of their results after about one month, but it’s that last 15% that takes the longest.
Some patients get worried that they need tip revision rhinoplasty, but you need to give it time for that part of the nose to finally heal. The tip is the most technically difficult part of the rhinoplasty and takes the longest to fully heal.
Even when you work with the best rhinoplasty surgeon in NYC, it will still take about 1 year or more to see your final results, especially if you had changes made to the tip of your nose.
If a plastic surgeon has promised you that you will see the final results in less time, that may be a red flag that they aren’t being entirely realistic about your recovery.
Interested in rhinoplasty in NYC?
If you’re ready to learn more about the rhinoplasty process, consider booking your consultation with Dr. Steven Pearlman today.
Dr. Pearlman is uniquely dual-board certified in both Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (ENT). He has performed over 7,500 rhinoplasties in his career and has been frequently chosen as a Top Doctor by New York Magazine and Castle Conolly.
As one of the top rhinoplasty surgeons in NYC, Dr. Pearlman frequently lectures as a visiting professor on rhinoplasty, revision rhinoplasty, and facial aging throughout the world. He also serves as a clinical professor at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and is a Past president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Not quite ready for an in-person visit? You can use our virtual rhinoplasty tool to explore our available techniques. Answer a few questions about your goals and we’ll send you customized recommendations right to your inbox!
Nothing can substitute for an in-person examination of your nose, but for out-of-town patients, we can conduct a virtual consultation and arrange surgery based on those findings.
