Clearing the Fog of Nose Job Terminology It’s important to understand the terminology used when discussing a nose job with your plastic surgeon. Nose Job – slang for Rhinoplasty, nose reshaping or nose cosmetic surgery. This common surgery is used to shift, shave, or shear off areas of the nose to treat sinus impairments, fix damage due to accidents or disease but most often, create cosmetic improvements. Open Rhinoplasty Surgery – This procedure enters the nose by making a v shaped cut across the skin area (columella) between the nostrils at the base of the nose. The shape of the incision minimizes scarring while the location of the incision allows the surgeon to have greater access to the bone and cartildege inside the nose. Closed Rhinoplasty Surgery – All cuts are made inside the nose. This method is used less frequently and only when minimal alterations are needed. Non Surgical Rhinoplasty – Not all nose reshaping requires surgery. Injecting substances under the skin area around the nose can accomplish the same effects as a more extensive nose job and requires no anesthesia. There is also a “nose insert” that can be used to fill out a nose that appears to be collapsing. Primary Rhinoplasty – This term indicates if the client is undergoing a nose job for the first time. Secondary Rhinoplasty – This term can be applied on to ways. It can indicate a correction or revision rhinoplasty made as a result of the primary nose shaping procedure being unsatisfactory and needs a form fine tuning. Or, it can indicate a Reconstructive Rhinoplasty. Reconstructive Rhinoplasty – The specific name used to describe a nose job gone terribly bad that needs major reconstruction which often includes bone and cartilage transplants taken from other areas of the body. Functional Rhinoplasty – This term describes the nose job being done for restorative and functional purposes rather than for aesthetics. A functional nose reconstruction is needed when breathing is impaired by accidental damage, drug abuse or diseases such as cancer or autoimmune disorders.