The Magic of Makeup

We recently had a consult where, despite all efforts by everyone, we just couldn’t seem to find ourselves on the same page with regard to the imaged result. This young woman wanted a very dramatic change and we thought we had projected a significant and meaningful narrowing and refinement on the imaging. Yet, she just didn’t feel like she was seeing enough of a change.

And, then, we finally realized what was the cause of the communication problem. Makeup. We were imaging a photo in which she was wearing makeup. The patient had very artfully learned to contour her nose with makeup to artificially create a dramatically more defined look. When she removed her makeup, the difference in apparent bridge and tip definition was astonishing.

Below are two photos of her nose taken a few minutes apart and shown side by side, with and without makeup. You can imagine that we had a much easier time doing computer imaging on the photo on the right. The lesson for us is that it is best to come to consultation without makeup to convey a realistic view of the potential surgical result. And, for those of you considering rhinoplasty, when you see that perfect nose on the red carpet or the runway, remember the power of makeup and good lighting in creating that image.