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View Dr. Ambani's Crisalix profileRhinoplasty / Nose Job
If your nasal bridge, tip, or nostrils have never felt in balance with your face, you may be deciding whether or not it is worth pursuing a rhinoplasty, or “nose job.” In my Ann Arbor practice, nose reshaping is planned around your anatomy and goals. Most of the time, it is about refinement of your natural features without changing your entire facial appearance. Your consultation begins with an unhurried conversation about what feels right for you.
Medically reviewed by Shoshana Ambani, MDLast reviewed August 26, 2026
Rhinoplasty is nasal reshaping. Many clients desire dorsal hump removal (straightening the bridge of the nose), tip refinement, and nostril narrowing. Some clients have a crooked nose that requires straightening of the nasal septum (the wall between the nostrils internally), which can also be part of a rhinoplasty, i.e., a septorhinoplasty. This maneuver often helps clients breathe better after surgery too.
What is rhinoplasty?
Rhinoplasty, often called a “nose job,” reshapes the outside of the nose. That includes size and proportion, bridge width, a dorsal hump (a bump along the profile), tip projection or bulbosity, and nostril width. Some asymmetries can be improved through surgery, though no face or nose is ever perfectly symmetric.
Surgery involves working with the cartilaginous and bony elements under the skin. Skin thickness impacts the definition of these underlying elements; thicker skin softens the definition, whereas thin skin allows for more definition.
A cosmetic rhinoplasty does not directly address any underlying issues with nasal obstruction (i.e., difficulty breathing through the nose), unless it is combined with key internal maneuvers such as septoplasty (straightening the nasal septum), spreader flaps or grafts (to open the nasal valves), and/or inferior turbinate reduction. There is an important balance between nasal reshaping and maintaining proper nasal airflow. Dr. Ambani is happy to discuss these elements with you at your consultation if you have symptoms of nasal obstruction.
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Honest guidance
Are you a good candidate?
YOUR CONSULTATION CONSIDERS
- Goals & Anatomy: Dr. Ambani analyzes your facial and nasal features. Which concerns matter most to you? How do the size, shape, bridge, tip, and nostrils impact your nasal and facial balance? What structural changes will your skin realistically allow?
- Approach & Technique: I offer an open approach to the nose for advanced structural changes to be performed under direct vision, which allows for the highest accuracy and precision in my hands.
- Identity & Proportion: If preserving ethnic or family features matters, please do let me know; the goal is a nose that belongs on your face.
A SHARED DECISION
Good candidates are nicotine-free, with completed facial growth, health optimized for elective surgery, and realistic expectations about anatomy and skin. I will not operate on anyone with nicotine in their system, because complication risk rises sharply. If you have diabetes or another condition, we would coordinate with your primary care clinicians when needed to support safe planning before surgery.
Waiting is better if growth is ongoing (like in childhood or in the young teenage years) or if nicotine is in the picture. Thick skin or complex tip goals do not rule you out; they make our conversation about realistic expectations even more important.
If you have had nasal surgery before, bring your operative records. Prior nasal surgery increases the complexity of your surgical needs.
The most valuable consultation is one that is personalized to you and your goals.
Why Choose Dr. Ambani
ABPS board-certified plastic surgeon with more than twenty years of experience
MEDICAL SCHOOL
Duke University School of Medicine
RESIDENCY
Plastic Surgery, University of Michigan Affiliated Hospitals
FELLOWSHIP
Microsurgical Reconstruction, University of Pittsburgh Affiliated Hospitals
BOARD CERTIFICATION
American Board of Plastic Surgery
EXPERIENCE
Attending surgeon since 2017
Supported at every stage
What recovery involves
01
Healing timeframe
The external nasal splint is usually removed after 1 week. Bruising and swelling are expected. After 1-2 weeks, many clients return to desk work and their regular social life. Makeup is allowed after 10 days of healing. Most bruising is gone by 1 week, and most swelling is gone by 3 months, but the final result of surgery is not until 1 year.
02
Returning to routine
If changes to your nasal bridge were made during surgery, glasses must stay off the bridge for roughly 6 weeks; I will give you a specific time range depending on the technique that was performed. Taping the glasses to your forehead can be helpful if you only wear glasses, but many clients simply wear their contacts during this time. Strenuous exercise must usually wait 4-6 weeks (it can promote swelling). Contact sports usually wait 6-12 weeks depending on what techniques were used.
03
Long-term outcomes
Awaiting the final result after rhinoplasty takes patience. Natural remodeling and refinement continue for at least one year after surgery, as nasal swelling can be present for a long period of time. Most swelling resolves by 3 months (to the point your friends or family would not be able to tell), but that final marginal amount of swelling can take at least 1 year to fully resolve. Please do not judge your nose during this yearlong recovery; it is still changing.
Clear, personalized planning
Cost & Self-Pay Philosophy
Shoshana Ambani Plastic Surgery is a cosmetic, self-pay practice, and we do not bill insurance for this care. Because every rhinoplasty is individualized, cost reflects the planned scope: the extent of the work, the anesthesia, the facility, and the time in surgery.
I do not post a single figure. We review an itemized estimate with you once your plan is set, and can walk through financing your care.
Thoughtful answers
Common Questions
If your bridge, tip, or nostrils have never felt in balance with your face, you may be deciding whether rhinoplasty is worth pursuing. In my Ann Arbor practice, nose reshaping is planned around your anatomy and goals, never a template. Your consultation begins with an unhurried conversation about what feels right for you.
How much does rhinoplasty cost in Michigan?
It varies with the complexity of your needs and the decided surgical approach. We draw up an estimate once your plan is set.
How old do you have to be for rhinoplasty?
Old enough that facial growth is complete, commonly no earlier than 15-16 for girls and 16-18 for boys. Maturity and motivation matter as much as age; we assess readiness individually.
When does rhinoplasty swelling fully resolve?
Most visible swelling settles within weeks to 3 months, but refinement continues up to a year, and complete healing can take 1-2 years, longer with tip work or thicker skin.
Will my results look natural?
A natural, proportionate nose is the goal, though no look can be promised. I plan around your bone, cartilage, skin, and facial proportions, aiming for balance rather than perfect symmetry.
Can rhinoplasty fix my breathing?
Rhinoplasty is a cosmetic, self-pay service focused on changing the shape of your nose. Narrowing the nostrils or making the nose smaller could actually worsen the airflow through a nose if not done properly. I guide patients through potential compromises they must make when trying to balance nasal reshaping with airflow problems. That said, if you do have a functional nasal obstruction secondary to structural problems of the septum, nasal valves or turbinates, I am happy to address those issues at the time of your rhinoplasty as part of the total cosmetic package.
What if I had a previous rhinoplasty?
Bring your operative records. Published revision rates after primary rhinoplasty run around 5-20%, and revision is more complex because scar tissue and altered anatomy limit what is possible and may introduce the need for other techniques such as rib grafting or application of allograft. If an elective revision is desired, you must often wait at least one year from your initial surgery, sometimes closer to two years, to allow the tissues to settle.
Plan Your Care with Shoshana Ambani Plastic Surgery
Consultation-based, self-pay plastic surgery in Ann Arbor.