Probably the greatest impact on how a person looks is the size and shape of their nose. Some people are unhappy with the nose they were born with, others are disturbed by the way aging has changed their nose. Many people have suffered an injury to the nose that has not only distorted it, but may have caused difficulty breathing through it. Because the nose is the most defining characteristic of the face, it is a common target of cosmetic facial surgery. Whether it is removing a small hump, tightening up a broad tip, or drastically reducing a large nose, nasal plastic surgery, or “rhinoplasty” is designed to reshape the nose for a more pleasing and harmonious appearance on the face.

Rhinoplasty is widely considered to be the most difficult procedure in all of plastic surgery, for it is truly “surgery of millimeters”- very small changes can create dramatic differences in the nose, either for better or for worst. This is not surgery for beginners or the occasional nose surgeon. If you are planning to have plastic surgery on your nose, you want a specialist. Dr. Hendrick is such a specialist. Not only is Dr. Hendrick a board certified facial plastic surgeon, he is also a board certified ear, nose, and throat surgeon. Furthermore, Dr. Hendrick is “fellowship-trained” in plastic surgery of the nose, which is the highest level of surgical training this country has to offer. He trained in his fellowship under three internationally acclaimed nasal plastic surgeons - Dr. Eugene Tardy, Jr., Dr. Dean Toriumi, and Dr. Gary Burget. He has written and lectured on the subject of rhinoplasty and has an extensive background in cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery of the nose.

Although certain aesthetic “norms” for the nose have been described and well understood by many facial plastic surgeons, the most important feature of the nose is how well it harmonizes with the rest of the face. This is where the artistic sense of your surgeon comes into play. The ultimate goal of a rhinoplasty is to de-emphasize the unfavorable characteristics of your nose, create a more pleasing shape and size to your nose, and to draw attention away from your nose to your eyes, where people should be looking at you to begin with. All of the incisions for rhinoplasty are hidden inside the nose, or are carefully hidden beneath the nose so as to go unseen or noticed. Some rhinoplasties involve only soft tissue and cartilage work. Other rhinoplasties require cutting the bones of the nose. After a detailed consultation and exam, Dr. Hendrick can tell you which rhinoplasty technique will best achieve your goals.