You might have been unhappy with your nose shape and have been considering for a while whether should you have a nose job abroad. It became more common to travel overseas to seek treatment in recent years, and the demand for cosmetic surgeries like rhinoplasty also increased.
Many factors helped the idea of having rhinoplasty abroad more appealing—factors like cost, surgeons' experience, and new technologies.
Rhinoplasty abroad costs less compared to UK, US, and Europe
The main reason patients travel abroad is to find affordable treatment. Rhinoplasty costs are lower in popular medical tourism destinations without compromising on the quality of the treatment. Because these countries produce their medical equipment and the labor is cheaper.
World-class rhinoplasty treatment
The affordability of rhinoplasty abroad doesn't reflect poorly on the quality of the treatment or the surgeon's expertise. The hospitals are fully equipped with modern facilities and have experience having international patients. The staff is well-trained and has English communication skills.
High success rate
Countries known for medical tourism like Turkey annually perform more rhinoplasty than US or UK. Clinics have a 90% success rate.
A chance to explore a new country
Most patients who travel to have rhinoplasty abroad are equally excited to explore a new city as having a new nose.
The ideal candidate for rhinoplasty is a patient with good health, facial bones fully matured, and realistic expectations—a patient with no serious medical condition that will affect the healing process.
The factors that affect the price of rhinoplasty treatment abroad are the hospital's location, the surgeon's experience, the technique used, and the type of treatment.
Country | Estimated Cost |
UK |
€6000 - €9000 |
US |
€6000 |
Turkey | €2500 - €4000 |
Australia |
€8000 - €20,000 |
Learn more about Rhinoplasty in Turkey by comparing costs and reviewing the clinics and doctors.
Rhinoplasty (68 Clinics)
Nose reshaping or rhinoplasty is not recommended for individuals whose physiological development is not complete – children and teenagers fall into this category.
You will need 1 trip abroad to complete the whole procedure, and follow up with your local doctor.
You may spend one night in the hospital after the procedure to monitor your status.
The procedure normally takes 1 to 4 hours.
A minimum stay of 5 days
The patient should avoid any intake of vitamins, herbal teas, and aspirin for at least 10 days before the procedure. Drinking, eating, and smoking are prohibited for at least 8 hours before nose surgery.
Local or general anesthesia is administered to the patient before the nose surgery can begin. Rhinoplasty is a very safe procedure – rhinoplasty complications are rare, with 1,56% to 2,73% of patients requiring reoperations, according to a study by Paulo Fernando Tormin Borges Crosara and his team in 2016.
Once the anesthesia sets in, the surgeon proceeds to separate the nasal skin from the rest of the nasal structure.
In closed rhinoplasty surgery, the surgeon will use the nostrils as entry points to correct the underlying nasal structures consisting of bone and cartilage.
In an open rhinoplasty procedure, the surgeon will cut the columella and then proceed to make the necessary changes. Once the nasal structure is changed according to the patient’s wishes, the surgeon will suture the incisions and apply a stent to further stabilize the nose surgery result. The area is then wrapped in bandages and the rhinoplasty recovery period can begin.
The rhinoplasty recovery period is not restrictive at all, but there are certain things that the patient needs to keep in mind after the procedure. Patients can usually return to work and normal activities in about a week but contact sports should be avoided for a few months.
Rhinoplasty post-op tips also include wearing the nasal splint or rhinoplasty cast for a few weeks after the procedure, especially at night. Rhinoplasty healing time is up to a year in most cases, as the swelling will gradually reduce and the final nose shape will be revealed in around 11-12 months.
Rhinoplasty scars are very limited, but it depends on the type of nose surgery – an open nose surgery will require cutting the columella but if the closed rhinoplasty technique is used, scars will be practically non-existent.
The patient will experience bruising, discomfort, and swelling for a few weeks after the nose surgery. Painkillers can be used during the rhinoplasty post-op period. It’s important to note that the swelling will gradually reduce during the course of a year.
A study on rhinoplasty complications by Paulo Fernando Tormin Borges Crosara reveals that between 1,56% and 2,73% of patients may experience breathing disturbances that will require reoperation after surgery.
A rhinoplasty success rates survey by Guyuron B. and Bokhari F., based on 468 nose surgery reviews sets the satisfaction rate at around 91%. Males generally tend to be less satisfied with rhinoplasty results.
While rhinoplasty before and after pictures may look appealing it’s worth noting that the nose will take its final shape in around 12 months after the surgery, so patience and carefully following the doctor’s instructions are the key to a successful rhinoplasty procedure.
Patients are generally more satisfied with their looks and overall life – this is one of the reasons why rhinoplasty is so popular among men and women around the world.
Expect to get back to work in a week.
After 4 to 6 weeks.
Closed rhinoplasty is the most popular choice for doctors and patients alike since the incisions made by the plastic surgeon are all hidden away inside the nose, leaving the patient with no external scars. Once the necessary incisions are made, the soft tissue of the nose is lifted, leaving the doctor with access to the cartilage and bone.
Changes are then done to the nose according to the patient’s wishes. From this point onward, a closed rhinoplasty is very much similar to an open one, but a closed rhinoplasty offers certain advantages in comparison to other types, such as:
The faster and easier recovery period for the patient once the procedure is done
The surgery itself takes less time than other types of rhinoplasty
Less visible scarring for the patient after the recovery period
Less chance of swelling
Less chance of post-op nasal irritation
Patients who require extensive changes to their nose may opt for an open rhinoplasty Your plastic surgeon will decide if this is the best option for you, depending on your wishes and expectations from the procedure.
Open rhinoplasty requires an incision in the columella – the skin area between the nostrils, just underneath the nose itself.
This incision allows the doctor to lift the skin and reveal the cartilage and bone inside the nasal cavity, adding or removing tissue as necessary.
While some surgeons will recommend an open rhinoplasty from the start, certain doctors will only use this technique in certain cases such as revision surgery or extensive changes to the nose.
Most of the time, the best candidates for open rhinoplasty include patients with one or more of the following:
Severe deformities in the nose caused by trauma
Structural or genetic deformities of the nose
Dissatisfaction with previous nose surgery procedures
Collapsed valves from nose hump removal
Filler rhinoplasty or injection rhinoplasty is a relatively new non-surgical technique that uses injectable fillers to correct and improve the appearance of the nose.
Since it doesn’t require any incisions, this procedure can be performed by a wide range of specialists, including general plastic surgeons, cosmetic surgeons, assistants as well as dermatologists.
The biggest disadvantage of filler rhinoplasty is the fact that the results are not permanent and patients will be required to make another visit to the doctor in a few months. Although rare, fillers can also produce scarring within the skin.
Revision rhinoplasty refers to opting for another nose job surgery after patients were dissatisfied with the results of their primary rhinoplasty or seek other changes not originally mentioned during the first rhinoplasty.
Most patients have another rhinoplasty performed for minor touch-ups such as irregularities or bums on the nose bridge while other patients may opt for this procedure due to breathing problems.
All established plastic surgeons have a revision rate – if a certain doctor doesn’t have a revision rate or has a very low one, it’s due to patients opting for another doctor for their revision. The average rhinoplasty revision rate is between 10 and 15%.
This content is written and reviewed by our content team in 2023.