§01 Face · Cosmetic surgery
Nose reshaping · Nose job · Septorhinoplasty (when combined with septum surgery)
Rhinoplasty is an operation that reshapes the bone and cartilage of the nose to change its size, profile, tip or nostrils, sometimes together with surgery on the septum to help breathing.
The surgeon who would operate decides whether it is right for you and takes your consent personally. Vertex Medic helps you understand it first, then coordinates the consultation and the practical side.
Free to ask · No obligation · Never a clinical assessment
Vertex Medic is a booking, marketing, administration and coordination platform. It is not a clinic and does not employ surgeons. Your surgeon, an independent registered clinician working from registered premises, decides whether a procedure is suitable, takes your consent and carries it out. Vertex helps you understand your options, arranges the consultation and keeps the practical side in one place.
§02 What it is
Rhinoplasty is an operation that changes the shape of the nose by adjusting the bone and cartilage beneath the skin. Depending on what has been agreed at consultation, the surgeon can reduce a hump on the bridge, narrow the nose, refine or lift the tip, alter the width of the nostrils, change the angle between the nose and the upper lip, or build up a flat bridge or tip with a graft. Where breathing is also a concern, straightening the septum (a septoplasty) can be carried out at the same time; the combined operation is often called a septorhinoplasty.
The surgeon works either from inside the nostrils (closed rhinoplasty) or through a small cut across the strip of skin between the nostrils (open rhinoplasty), lifting the skin to see the framework directly. Which approach is used depends on what needs to be done and on the surgeon's judgement. The operation is usually carried out under general anaesthetic and takes around one and a half to three hours, with either a same-day discharge or one night in hospital.
The UK professional bodies are clear that there are limits to how much a nose can be altered: the outcome depends on the starting size and shape, the thickness and condition of the skin, and age. BAAPS and BAPRAS also note that surgery alone will not resolve emotional or social difficulties a person may attribute to their nose. Rhinoplasty for appearance alone is not usually available on the NHS, although surgery may be provided on the NHS when it is needed to help you breathe.
Vertex Medic does not assess suitability. This section exists so you can decide whether a consultation is worth your time; the surgeon decides the rest.
§03 Options
The surgeon recommends a technique after examining you. This is what the choice tends to affect, so the conversation makes sense when you have it.
All incisions are made inside the nostrils, so there is no visible external scar. The surgeon works with less direct visibility, which suits more limited changes.
Often considered for: Hump reduction and modest changes to width or tip where the surgeon judges direct exposure is not needed.
A small cut is made across the columella, the strip of skin between the nostrils, and the skin is lifted so the surgeon can see and reshape the bone and cartilage directly. It leaves a small scar that usually fades over 12 to 18 months.
Often considered for: More complex tip work, grafting, marked asymmetry and most revision cases.
Bone and cartilage are removed to reduce a hump, overall size or length. The nasal bones may then be deliberately broken and moved closer together to narrow the nose and close the gap left where the hump was.
Often considered for: A prominent bridge, or a nose that is large or long for the face.
The surgeon adds to a flat bridge or tip using grafts of the person's own bone or cartilage, most often from the septum and sometimes from the ear or rib, or occasionally an implant. Graft donor sites leave their own scars.
Often considered for: A low bridge, a nose flattened by injury, or where earlier surgery removed too much support.
Only the cartilages that support the tip are reshaped, trimmed or stitched into a new position, leaving the bridge untouched. It can be done through a closed or an open approach.
Often considered for: A bulbous, boxy or drooping tip with an acceptable bridge.
Combines reshaping of the outside of the nose with straightening of the septum inside it. Where the main purpose is to restore breathing after injury, BAAPS classes this as reconstructive rather than cosmetic.
Often considered for: Breathing difficulty from a deviated septum together with a concern about the nose's appearance.
Surgery on a nose that has been operated on before. Scar tissue and missing cartilage make it more complex, grafts are often needed, and BAPRAS notes a risk of structural collapse with further surgery. BAPRAS also advises that it is usually better to accept the improvement achieved than to seek a further operation, although a further slight adjustment is sometimes reasonable.
Often considered for: An unsatisfactory outcome or new breathing problem after a previous rhinoplasty.
Not a rhinoplasty. Injectable filler can disguise a small hump or lift the tip temporarily; BAAPS describes fillers as a temporary treatment for cosmetic purposes. Filler adds volume and cannot make a nose smaller, and it carries its own risks that a practitioner should explain.
Often considered for: People wanting a small, reversible change or wishing to preview a profile change before deciding on surgery.
§04 Consultation and decision
From the first consultation, every clinical decision is your surgeon's. Vertex Medic arranges the meeting and keeps the paperwork; it is not in the room.
You meet the surgeon who would carry out the operation. GMC guidance says the practitioner performing a cosmetic intervention must discuss it with you and seek your consent personally, and must not delegate that responsibility to anyone else.
You explain, as precisely as you can, what you dislike about your nose and what you hope to change. BAAPS describes this as the most important part of the process, because it is what allows the surgeon to say what is surgically possible and what is not.
The surgeon takes a medical history, including any previous nasal injury or surgery, breathing problems, allergies, bleeding tendencies and smoking, and records every medicine and supplement you take, including herbal remedies and anything not prescribed by your doctor.
The surgeon examines the nose from outside and inside, assesses skin thickness, the septum and the airway, and measures your height and weight to check that an operation is safe. Photographs are usually taken for the medical record, with your written consent.
The surgeon explains which changes are achievable and which are not, which approach they would propose (closed or open, with or without grafts or septal surgery), the risks, the likely recovery, and the alternatives, including doing nothing or a temporary non-surgical option.
The surgeon may ask you to see another member of the team, such as a psychologist, and may wish to contact your GP with your permission, particularly where there is a relevant medical or mental health history. The GMC asks practitioners to consider whether the GP should be involved.
You should receive written information covering the operation, the total cost, what aftercare is included, and the surgeon's policy on revision surgery. BAAPS and BAPRAS advise establishing in advance what the conditions for a re-operation would be and how payment would be arranged.
You are then given time to reflect. The GMC requires practitioners to give patients the time and information they need to reach a voluntary and informed decision, and to tell them they can change their mind at any point. The Royal College of Surgeons advises taking at least two weeks after the consultation with the operating surgeon before going ahead, and both warn against pressure from time-limited offers.
§05 What generally happens
Every timing here is typical, not promised. Your surgeon and anaesthetist give you the plan that applies to you.
You are normally admitted on the day of surgery, having followed the fasting instructions given by the hospital, and are seen by the surgeon and the anaesthetist before the operation. Consent is confirmed and the plan is reviewed.
A general anaesthetic is usually given, so you are asleep throughout. Antibiotics are sometimes given to reduce the chance of infection.
For a closed rhinoplasty the surgeon works entirely through cuts inside the nostrils. For an open rhinoplasty a small cut is made across the columella, the strip of skin between the nostrils, and the skin is lifted to expose the bone and cartilage.
To reduce a hump, bone and cartilage are removed from the bridge. The nasal bones may then be deliberately broken and repositioned closer together to narrow the nose and close the flat area left behind.
To change the tip, the cartilages that support it are partly removed, reshaped or stitched into a new position. Length is reduced by trimming the septum and the tip cartilages.
Where the bridge or tip needs building up, the surgeon uses grafts of your own cartilage or bone, most often taken from the septum and sometimes from the ear or rib; an implant is occasionally used instead.
If breathing is part of the plan, the septum is straightened during the same operation.
The incisions are closed, usually with dissolving stitches inside the nose and sometimes with fine removable stitches on the columella. Dressings or soft splints may be placed inside the nostrils, and a firm splint is taped over the bridge to hold the bones in position while they begin to knit.
The operation typically takes about one and a half to three hours. You wake in the recovery area and are then either discharged the same day into the care of a responsible adult, or kept in overnight, depending on the surgeon's practice and how you are.
§06 Recovery
The scale is stretched in the early weeks so the first days can be read. Every timing is typical, not promised; your surgeon gives you the plan that applies to you.
Day 1 to 12 months on a logarithmic scale: the first fortnight takes up half the line because that is where the questions are.
First 48 hoursDays 0 to 2
The nose feels tight, blocked and sore; simple painkillers are usually enough. A little bleeding from the nostrils is common on the first day or two and is dabbed away gently rather than blown. You sleep with the head propped up on extra pillows to limit swelling, avoid bending, straining, lifting and hot baths, and keep the external splint dry. Any pad under the nose is usually changed or removed within the first day. If you went home the same day, a responsible adult stays with you overnight.
Week 1Days 3 to 7
Bruising around the eyes is at its most visible, particularly if the bones were broken, and typically remains noticeable for 7 to 10 days. Gentle walking and light domestic activity generally resume from around days 3 to 5. Any external stitches on the columella are usually removed at about 5 to 7 days, and the external splint and any internal splints come off around day 7, often at the first follow-up. The nose looks swollen and somewhat upturned when the splint comes off; that is expected at this stage.
Weeks 2 to 3Days 8 to 21
Most people take at least two weeks off work, longer for physical jobs. Yellowing around the eyes can persist for 10 to 20 days and has largely faded by about three weeks. Light activity increases, but anything that could knock the nose is still avoided, as is heavy lifting. Breathing through the nose is often still restricted while internal swelling settles. Depending on the surgeon's advice, swimming may be allowed from about three to four weeks.
Weeks 4 to 6Around 1 to 6 weeks after surgery
The bones are knitting, so contact sports and strenuous exercise are avoided until roughly six weeks; the NHS gives 4 to 6 weeks and BAAPS says six. Swelling on the bridge is reducing and most people feel comfortable in public. Numbness of the nose, upper lip or front teeth is common at this stage and usually fades over the following months. Any external scar is still pink.
Months 3 to 6About 12 to 26 weeks
Much of the swelling on the bridge has gone, and full activity has usually resumed. The tip remains firmer and more swollen than the bridge, particularly where the skin is thick. The NHS says it can take up to six months for the swelling to settle fully and for the result to become clear. Scars are maturing and still fading.
Months 12 to 18One year to eighteen months
BAAPS says the final result may not be reached for 12 to 18 months, and BAPRAS notes that changes to the tip continue to emerge over several months or even a year. Scars have usually faded to pale. Some stiffness of the nose can be long-lasting. Any discussion about a further small adjustment is normally deferred until this point, because earlier assessment can be misleading while swelling remains.
§07 Scarring
In a closed rhinoplasty all cuts are inside the nostrils and there is no visible external scar.
In an open rhinoplasty there is a small scar across the columella, the strip of skin between the nostrils; BAAPS notes it may be straight, V-shaped or zigzag, that it is usually red at first, then purple, and fades to become paler over 12 to 18 months, and that occasionally a scar becomes wider, thicker, red or painful and may need corrective treatment.
If bone or cartilage is taken from the ear, rib or hip there is a separate scar at that site which may be noticeable.
dashed: where an incision typically runs
§08 Risks and trade-offs
The list below separates the risks of any surgery from the ones specific to this procedure. No likelihoods are given here: your surgeon should explain how likely each one is for you, and how it would be treated if it happened.
§09 Questions to ask
Tick them as you go. The list stays on this device and goes nowhere else.
§10 Choosing a surgeon
Vertex Medic lists the checks. The registers are the source of truth, and they are free to search.
confirm on the General Medical Council's online register that the surgeon holds a licence to practise and check their specialist register entry. For rhinoplasty the relevant specialties are usually plastic surgery or otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat surgery). The Royal College of Surgeons strongly advises that the operating surgeon is on the specialist register for the area of practice relevant to the procedure, and BAAPS says only to go to a surgeon who is properly trained and on the GMC specialist register.
Open the GMC registerthe Royal College of Surgeons of England runs the Cosmetic Surgery Board Certification Scheme. Certified surgeons are on the GMC specialist register and have demonstrated to the College that their training, professional skills, clinical skills and knowledge are of a satisfactory standard. Rhinoplasty is among the procedures covered, and the College publishes the list of certified surgeons on its website.
Open the GMC registerthe NHS suggests checking whether the surgeon is a member of BAAPS (British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons) or BAPRAS (British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons). Membership is an additional signal rather than a licence to operate, and the GMC register remains the primary check.
Open the GMC registerin England the premises must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC); the equivalents are the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority in Northern Ireland, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, and Healthcare Inspectorate Wales. The Royal College of Surgeons advises not having cosmetic surgery at a hospital that cannot show it is registered with the regulator. Read the most recent inspection report.
Open the RCS cosmetic surgery pagesask the surgeon to confirm in writing that they hold professional indemnity insurance covering this procedure in the UK, which the Royal College of Surgeons lists as a requirement, and ask what the hospital's arrangements are for treating complications, including where you would be admitted if you needed readmission.
Open the RCS cosmetic surgery pagesask, in writing, what the conditions for a re-operation would be, who decides whether one is appropriate, what it would cost, and how long the policy applies. BAAPS and BAPRAS advise establishing this with your surgeon before the operation.
Open the BAAPS directoryconfirm who provides follow-up, how many appointments are included, and how to reach a named, suitably qualified person out of hours. GMC guidance requires practitioners to make sure patients know how to contact them, or another named suitably qualified person, if they experience complications outside normal working hours, and to give written information about the intervention detailed enough for another clinician to take over care.
Open the GMC registerGMC guidance requires practitioners to give patients the time and information they need to reach a voluntary and informed decision, and to tell them they can change their mind at any point; it does not set a fixed number of days. The Royal College of Surgeons advises taking at least two weeks after your consultation with the operating surgeon before going ahead, and the NHS says you should be offered a cooling-off period after any consultation. BAAPS puts it plainly: nobody needs urgent rhinoplasty, and if you are not given time to think about it, you should look elsewhere.
Open the GMC registerGMC guidance says the practitioner who will carry out the intervention is responsible for discussing it and seeking consent, and must not delegate this. If your first appointment was with a patient adviser or coordinator, ask for a consultation with the surgeon before agreeing to anything or paying a deposit.
Open the GMC registerSources: GMC: Guidance for doctors who offer cosmetic interventions (2016) · Royal College of Surgeons: cosmetic surgery · CQC: choosing cosmetic surgery · CAP Code, section 12: medicines, medical devices, health-related products and beauty products. Vertex Medic follows the same rules on this site.
§11 What moves the price
Your chosen provider gives you a written, itemised quote after your consultation. This is what usually changes the number, and what the quote should say.
£4,000 to £7,000
Source: NHS, Nose reshaping (rhinoplasty). NHS page last reviewed 22 September 2023; next review due 22 September 2026. Checked 5 September 2026.
This is the range the NHS publishes for the UK as a whole. Actual prices vary by surgeon, hospital, complexity and location, and a quote may or may not include the anaesthetist, the hospital stay, follow-up appointments and any revision. Vertex Medic does not set or quote treatment prices; any figure you receive comes from the independent surgeon or hospital you choose.
§12 Common questions
It can, in either direction. Where the surgeon has planned to straighten the septum or support the airway, breathing may improve. Where surgery is purely for appearance, breathing can still be affected: difficulty is common in the first week while swelling settles, and the NHS and BAAPS both list permanent breathing difficulty among the risks. If your nose already feels blocked, raise it at consultation so the surgeon can examine the septum and decide whether to address it at the same time.
Longer than most people expect. The bruising is usually gone within about three weeks and much of the bridge swelling within a few months, and the NHS says full settling can take up to six months. The tip is the slowest area, and BAAPS says the final result may not be reached for 12 to 18 months. Surgeons generally do not assess whether anything further is needed until that point.
Neither is better in the abstract; they suit different problems. A closed approach avoids any external scar and suits more limited changes such as a hump reduction. An open approach gives the surgeon direct visibility for complex tip work, grafting and revision, at the cost of a small columella scar that usually fades well. The choice is the surgeon's clinical judgement for your nose, and it is a fair question to ask why they prefer one over the other.
Not usually for cosmetic reasons. The NHS says nose reshaping may be provided on the NHS if it is needed to help you breathe, and BAPRAS notes that surgery after injury, or to correct a breathing problem, may be considered reconstructive. The route is through your GP, who can refer you to an NHS specialist for assessment. Vertex Medic does not decide or influence NHS eligibility.
First, wait: BAAPS and BAPRAS both caution that the nose keeps changing for a year or more, and what looks wrong at three months may settle. If a real problem remains, your surgeon assesses it and discusses options. BAPRAS advises that it is usually better to accept the improvement achieved than to opt for another operation, although a further slight adjustment is sometimes reasonable. Revision surgery is more complex and carries its own risks, so the revision policy and its costs are worth agreeing in writing before your first operation.
Most people describe the nose as sore, tight and blocked rather than severely painful, and BAAPS says simple painkillers should be enough to keep you comfortable. The blocked, stuffy feeling and the bruising around the eyes tend to bother people more than pain. Long-term pain is possible but uncommon. Your surgeon and anaesthetist will discuss pain relief with you beforehand.
Filler can temporarily disguise a small hump or lift the tip, and BAAPS describes it as a temporary treatment for cosmetic purposes. It adds volume, so it cannot make a nose smaller or narrower, it wears off, and it carries risks of its own, including to blood vessels in the nose. It is a different treatment with different practitioners and regulation, so discuss it separately with a suitably qualified practitioner rather than treating it as a lesser version of rhinoplasty.
Vertex Medic is a booking, marketing, administration and coordination platform. It helps you understand the procedure, prepare for a consultation and navigate the practical steps such as appointments and paperwork. It is not a clinic and does not employ surgeons. The independent surgeon and the registered hospital or clinic you choose carry out the assessment, decide whether surgery is appropriate, obtain your consent, operate and provide aftercare, and they set their own prices.
§13 Also considered
Ordinary editorial navigation: nothing here is inferred from anything you have told us.
Written by the Vertex Medic editorial team from published UK guidance, checked 5 September 2026. This page is general information, not medical advice. Your surgeon will assess you personally, and no surgeon can guarantee a particular result.
§14 When you are ready
Tell the Vertex Medic booking concierge what you are considering. A real person calls you back within one working day, explains what happens next, and arranges a consultation with an independent surgeon if you want one. No deposit, no deadline.
Free to ask · No obligation · Never a clinical assessment
Vertex Medic coordinates your care and remains your point of contact. Your treatment is carried out by the surgeon and registered healthcare provider named above, who are responsible for your clinical care. These details are confirmed to you in writing before you book.
