Dear Dr. Winder:
Q. My daughter is almost 18 and will be going off to college this fall. She is very pretty, but has a prominent nose and has always wanted to do something about it. Is she old enough? Can any cosmetic surgeon do it, or is special training necessary?

A. Rhinoplasty, or surgery to reshape the nose, is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures. Rhinoplasty can make the nose smaller or larger, reshape the bridge and/or tip, and also narrow the nostrils if necessary. Since the nose is one of the main focal points of the face, the results can be quite exciting, especially for someone young and pretty like your daughter. She has, more than likely, reached maturity and it would be appropriate for her to proceed with surgery. I might suggest that you consider having it done as soon as she's out of high school; that way, when she meets her new friends and classmates, they'll see her for the first time with her improved nose. Even though the bruis-ing and swelling apparent immediately after this type of surgery is usually resolved within 2 or 3 weeks, the final results of rhinoplasty are sometimes not apparent for several months or more. So, the more time she allows for this evolution to take place, the better.

I believe that you should consider a plastic surgeon who is board-certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery, as well as someone who regularly attends seminars and other continuing medical education courses on rhinoplasty. I just attended a board-sponsored symposium on this in Dallas last week. The lectures and live surgery workshops were impressive and comprehensive; since I do so many of these surgeries, I feel it is important to always be "up-to-date" on the latest advances and techniques. Have your daughter call us at (970)259-3818 to schedule a consultation.

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