What is the Difference Between a Functional and Cosmetic Rhinoplasty?

What is Cosmetic Rhinoplasty?

Cosmetic rhinoplasty is the choice to change the nose’s appearance for aesthetic reasons. Whether your nose is crooked, too big, or too small, rhinoplasty can reshape, resize, and conceal humps or bumps. A nose job cannot change your appearance entirely but improves the look for a more pleasing complexion. 

Cosmetic rhinoplasty can boost your confidence in your appearance and improve your quality of life. Before considering cosmetic rhinoplasty, Dr. Coville looks at his patient’s age for physical and emotional safety. Teenagers may need to wait until they stop growing. Dr. Coville does not perform rhinoplasties at a parent’s wishes, putting his patient’s needs above all else. 

Cosmetic rhinoplasty is more likely to have external bruising as it focuses on the outer part of the nose. 

What is Functional Rhinoplasty?

Functional rhinoplasty is a nose job for medical purposes. Some people struggle with breathing problems or sinus concerns due to genetics, an accident, or even intense allergies. In some cases, functional rhinoplasty can be covered wholly or partially by insurance. 

Common reasons for functional rhinoplasty are deviated septum (narrow or crooked nasal passageway), strengthening the sidewalls that could collapse and hinder airflow, and swollen turbinates (structures in the nose that cleans and humidifies the air going to the lungs). Functional rhinoplasty can improve a person’s health and confidence through internal changes to the nose. 

Functional rhinoplasty and cosmetic rhinoplasty both have swelling, but functional may have less external bruising due to focusing on the internal part of the nose.