A 2017 study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons found that rhinoplasty was the third most common plastic surgery in the country. More than 200,000 people had the procedure. Moreover, the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery states that every year, more than 500,000 people will seek out a plastic surgeon to discuss the possibility of having a rhinoplasty.

These statistics shouldn't be unexpected. The rhinoplasty, known frequently as a "nose job," is also referred to as "nose reshaping." Whichever term you may choose to use, rhinoplasty occupies definite importance within popular culture. We may spend our days pouring over magazines and examining the beautiful faces of the rich and famous while also wondering exactly which one of their noses have been altered by plastic surgery. For many of us, believing that our heroes needed a little help in achieving their perfect looks is not surprising. Nor is it any wonder that we may contemplate following their lead and getting our own noses altered to better suit our faces and our preferences.

As you begin your journey towards your own "nose job," you may not be aware of exactly how much the modern rhinoplasty has advanced.

How long have people been getting a "nose job?"

According to the Smithsonian the rhinoplasty can actually be traced back to the 6th century B.C. People have been having minor surgeries performed on their nose long before our modern tools came along.

The "nose job" received an even bigger boost in the late 16th century when syphilis began to cause the decay of soft tissues in the nose. As a result, many people with untreated syphilis were left with a large hole in their face where their nose should have been. Although our modern nose jobs often involve making the nose smaller, these initial rhinoplasty procedures were more about building up the nose. The methods involved slicing the skin off from the cheek or the arm and attaching them to the center of the face, where the nose normally resides.

Rhinoplasty in the early twentieth century

Beginning in 1902, physicians were able to fix a deviated septum. This condition occurs when the nasal septum, the thin wall in the center of your nose, is shifted to one side or the other. This frequently causes difficulty in breathing. Other advances occurred in the 1920s that allowed for better reconstruction of the nose tip.

After World War II, facial reconstructive surgery became a booming business. Doctors were responsible for rebuilding and reshaping the faces of veterans who returned from the war with injuries to their lips, noses, and jaws. These surgeries gave doctors reasons to figure out how to completely adjust everything about the nose. By the time that John Wayne had rhinoplasty, a "nose job" was a common procedure for plastic surgeons.

The late twentieth century nose job

By the late twentieth century, rhinoplasty surgery had a very distinct look. A person having a rhinoplasty procedure in the 1980s would typically have a very long, thin nose with a turned up tip. The nose was usually something that patients preferred over their natural nose, but many patients expressed the desire to have a more "natural" nose. Often, when patients are having a rhinoplasty, they want to enhance the look of their face, but they do not want to advertise to everyone that they have had plastic surgery. Patients often want to present their nose as a natural one, and that was not often the outcome of the rhinoplasty procedures in the 1980s.

Modern rhinoplasty

The modern nose job makes it much more possible for the patient to have a natural look to their nose. There are three major improvements in modern rhinoplasty procedures:

Spreader grafts

Surgeons focus on more aspects of the nose than simply reducing the size of it: Surgeons today take the notion that they are "reshaping" the nose to heart. While previous decades saw the rhinoplasty procedure as a way to simply achieve a smaller nose, modern rhinoplasty uses techniques such as fascia grafts, septal resection, and spreader grafts in order to enhance the aesthetic construction of the nose.

Computer visualization

Modern surgeons believe that having an accurate computer visualization of your rhinoplasty results is not something that should be optional. As a result, you will be able to see a general estimate of how your nose should look after the surgery is done. These techniques help the surgeon set goals for their procedure, and it helps you discuss exactly what type of look you want your nose to have.

Open vs. closed rhinoplasty

There are two different major types of rhinoplasty. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery defines closed rhinoplasty as a surgery that is done entirely through the patient's nostrils. This leaves no scars. Open rhinoplasty occurs when the surgeon makes a small cut on the columella. This can sometimes leave scars. Different surgeons will prefer different methods, based on their training.

Is rhinoplasty right for you?

In order to decide whether a rhinoplasty procedure is one you wish to have, you should discuss the procedure with a qualified plastic surgeon. An initial consultation is where your biggest concerns and expectations get clarified. According to Marcelo Ghersi, nose job expert in Miami, this is where you detail with your surgeon what you plan to achieve from this surgery and what bothers you the most about the appearance of your nose. Everything should be covered in the first sitdown with the doctor, and hopefully, a decision would be made on going through with this procedure or not.