Who Is a Good Candidate for Rhinoplasty in Lebanon?

The four points

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) says a person can be a good candidate for rhinoplasty if:

facial growth is complete;
they are physically healthy;
they do not smoke;
they have a positive outlook and realistic goals for the improvement of their appearance.

ASPS adds that rhinoplasty is highly individualised and should be done for yourself, not to fulfil someone else’s wishes or to fit an ideal image.

Age and growth

Complete growth is the first point on the ASPS list, and no single birthday settles it. The ASPS list sets no upper age limit: health is the criterion. For younger patients, a 2017 review in Current Opinion in Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery calls the timing of nasal surgery in children a long-standing controversy, with concern about disturbing the growing parts of the face leading to a conservative approach.

A blocked nose in a child is a separate question. A 2024 systematic review in Facial Plastic Surgery found evidence that leaving nasal obstruction untreated in children can itself result in facial deformity or developmental delay. A breathing problem is judged on function, and a request to change the shape follows the ASPS point and waits for growth to finish.

Breathing

Rhinoplasty can also correct impaired breathing caused by structural defects, and a deviated septum is one of the main causes of breathing impairment (ASPS). A person who wants the nose to breathe better, with or without a change of shape, is assessed in the same way. Function is never traded for appearance.

Smoking

Not smoking is on the ASPS list. A 2018 meta-analysis of elective plastic surgery (facelift, abdominoplasty, breast reduction and reconstruction) found that smoking predisposes to surgical site infection, delayed wound healing and skin necrosis. That review did not study the nose, so it supports the principle, not a figure for rhinoplasty. Smoking is therefore raised at the consultation.

Goals, photographs and the question behind the request

Everyone’s face is asymmetric to some degree, and ASPS notes that a rhinoplasty result can fall short of complete symmetry, because the goal is facial balance and correct proportion. Photographs of other people are a starting point for a conversation, never a target; how to read before and after photos makes the same point about results.

Expectations are part of candidacy, and the studies say so. In a 2024 study in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 18.66% of rhinoplasty candidates screened positive for body dysmorphic disorder, and they were significantly less satisfied with the cosmetic outcome than those screened negative. A 2024 multicentre study in Rhinology of 186 patients seeking rhinoplasty found that patient-related factors were more frequent reasons for not being considered good candidates than nose-related factors. A 2026 systematic review found that psychological readiness, social context and expectation setting influenced perceived outcomes. This is why the first consultation is a conversation about what bothers you and what you expect, as well as an examination of the nose.

What the healing timeline means for the decision

Initial swelling subsides in weeks, and it can take a year for the new contour to fully refine. During that first year swelling can come and go, and be worse in the morning (ASPS). Someone who needs a finished nose for a date weeks away is not ready for the operation. The timeline is set out in rhinoplasty swelling and the final result and rhinoplasty recovery.

After a previous rhinoplasty

A nose that has already been operated on is assessed in the same way, with the earlier operation as part of the history. When a second operation makes sense is covered in revision rhinoplasty.

At this practice

Dr. Vincent ElKhoury, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, examines every nose himself and performs every rhinoplasty himself, at Hayek Hospital or Bellevue Medical Center, after a consultation at his clinic in Mansourieh, Metn. What the operation changes and the printed patient information sheet are on the rhinoplasty in Lebanon page; the questions worth asking are in questions to ask a rhinoplasty surgeon, and the choice of approach is in open or closed rhinoplasty. This page is information, not advice, and it does not replace the examination in person.

Questions

FAQ

What is the minimum age for rhinoplasty?

There is no single age. ASPS lists complete facial growth as a point of candidacy, and growth is assessed at the examination. A breathing problem in a younger patient is judged on function.

Can I have rhinoplasty if I smoke?

Not smoking is on the ASPS list of candidacy points, and a 2018 meta-analysis found that smoking predisposes to infection, delayed wound healing and skin necrosis in elective plastic surgery. The question is raised at the consultation.

Can rhinoplasty be done only to improve breathing?

Yes. ASPS states that rhinoplasty can correct impaired breathing caused by structural defects, and a deviated septum is one of the main causes. A breathing problem is assessed on function.

Does the nose have to be symmetrical afterwards?

No. Everyone’s face is asymmetric to some degree, and the goal is facial balance and correct proportion, so a result can fall short of complete symmetry (ASPS).

Is bringing a photo of another nose a problem?

Not as a starting point for a conversation. It is not a target, because the result has to fit the face it is on.

Can I have rhinoplasty again if I already had one?

A nose that has already been operated on is assessed in the same way, with the earlier operation as part of the history. Whether a second operation makes sense is covered in the revision rhinoplasty article.

Sources

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