Eyelid lifts, facelifts and neck lifts are the plastic surgery procedures you commonly think of when it comes to anti-ageing, and they are highly effective for restoring a more youthful facial appearance. But many people don’t realise that a rhinoplasty could take years off their face.

“Rhinoplasty has traditionally been considered an elective procedure for younger patients,” ENT surgeon and rhinoplasty expert Mr Annakan Navaratnam explains. “However, increasingly older patients are undergoing nasal surgery for both functional and aesthetic indications.”

Is there an ideal age for a rhinoplasty?

There is no perfect age for nose reshaping surgery, and it is one of the cosmetic surgery procedures most performed on younger patients who may have been insecure about their appearance from a young age. According to recent US statistics, 20- to 25-year-olds made up 31% of all rhinoplasty procedures. The figures for the UK are similar, with those under 25 accounting for 20% to 40% of all nose reshaping surgeries.

It is recommended that the nasal and maxillary bones have completed growth before a rhinoplasty, which usually occurs in late adolescence. However, this operation has no maximum age limit as long as the patient is fit and well and has realistic expectations. In fact, there is a rising trend in functional rhinoplasties being performed in the over-65s.

What does an ageing rhinoplasty address?

As with the rest of the face, the nose undergoes changes in shape and size as we age. This can include:

• Drooping nasal tip
• Emergence of a pseudo-hump
• Occurrence of a pollybeak
• Thinning of the nasal skin
• Bony resorption in the maxillary region
• Softening of the nasal cartilage which can accentuate the apparent dorsal hump but, importantly, can also potentially contribute to internal nasal valve collapse

These changes can all significantly impact overall facial appearance and balance.

The challenges of ageing rhinoplasty

In 2022, Annakan and his fellow authors published an examination of ‘The Ageing Nose: Challenges and Solutions’ in a peer-reviewed journal.

“Surgery for the ageing nose is a complex challenge for the rhinoplasty surgeon,” warns Annakan.

Challenges include the influence of external factors such as “trauma, sun exposure, the effects of gravity as well as changes in tissue structure such as bone resorption, tissue elasticity and regenerative capability.”

For these reasons, “preoperative assessment is critical and must include detailed facial analysis that considers the amplification of facial asymmetry due to the ageing process and an appreciation that expectations in this population may differ from younger patients.”

The psychological impact that rhinoplasty can have in older patients also needs to be considered. “It is often better to choose more subtle refinements than drastic changes for older rhinoplasty patients.”

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For more rhinoplasty advice, call +44 (0)203 627 2918 or email secretary@annakan.co.uk to arrange a consultation with Mr Annakan Navaratnam.

 

Change in facial proportions with age, demonstrating development of tip ptosis and a dorsal pseudohump. A) 70-year-old patient. B) 30-year-old patient