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Rhinoplasty
Charlotte's Most Trusted Plastic Surgeon
— delivering confidence through precision and care.
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Form Meets Function
Rhinoplasty is one of the most requested cosmetic procedures, with more than 350,000 performed in the U.S. each year. It’s also one of the most sophisticated and artistic. Even small adjustments to nose size and shape can have a dramatic impact on your overall appearance. Dr. Brian May understands this delicate balance, offering beautiful and personalized rhinoplasty results that look natural and allow you to breathe effortlessly.
General
2-4 hours
2-3 weeks
What Is Rhinoplasty?
Rhinoplasty (commonly called a “nose job”) is a surgical procedure that reshapes and refines the appearance of the nose while often improving breathing function. Dr. May believes that a beautiful nose should not only look balanced, natural and proportionate with the rest of your facial features, but should also allow you to breathe freely. His approach focuses on reinforcing and reshaping the underlying framework of the nose to deliver improvements that are both functional and elegantly beautiful.
Open Rhinoplasty
Open rhinoplasty also uses incisions inside the nose, but adds an external incision along the columella (the tissue between the nostrils). This gives Dr. May full visibility and access to the nasal structures during surgery, making it an ideal approach for complex cases or revision surgeries that require high precision. The external incision along the columella is made in an irregular, zigzag pattern to reduce tension on the healing tissues and minimize scarring.
Closed Rhinoplasty
Close rhinoplasty places incisions completely inside the nostrils. Your surgeon works through these internal incisions to reshape the nasal tissues. Since there is no external cut, there is no visible scarring. The downside is that visibility is restricted with this approach. It’s also like building a ship inside a bottle, making more complex reshaping challenging, and, in some cases, impossible. Closed rhinoplasty is better suited to patients requiring minor adjustments.
- Dr. Brian May
What Can Rhinoplasty Address?
Rhinoplasty is one of the most versatile facial procedures available. It can address a wide range of aesthetic and functional concerns, and in many cases, both at the same time.
Aesthetic Concerns
- Dorsal hump: A bump along the bridge of the nose, often most visible in profile
- Nasal tip: A tip that is bulbous, drooping, upturned, asymmetric, or overprojected
- Nasal width: A bridge that appears too wide or too narrow relative to the rest of the face
- Nasal length: A nose that appears too long or too short for the face
- Asymmetry: Irregularities in shape, often present from birth or following an injury
- Revision: Adjusting or refining the results of a previous rhinoplasty
Functional Concerns
- Deviated septum: When the septum (the wall dividing the nasal passages) is off-center, restricting airflow
- Nasal valve collapse: One of the most common yet overlooked causes of nasal obstruction
- Turbinate hypertrophy: Enlarged nasal tissues that narrow the breathing passages
- Post-traumatic changes: Structural shifts caused by a broken nose or prior injury
Every nose is unique, and Dr. May tailors each rhinoplasty to your specific anatomy and aesthetic goals. When developing your surgical plan, Dr. May carefully evaluates your nose within the context of your entire face, considering how changes will affect your overall facial balance and harmony.
The Art & Science of Facial Rejuvenation With Dr. May
There's something uniquely satisfying about solving a complex problem with precision and creativity, a mindset Dr. May developed long before he ever held a scalpel. His undergraduate engineering degree taught him to approach challenges methodically, while his artistic sensibility ensures every solution is as beautiful as it is functional. This blend of analytical thinking and creative vision shapes how Dr. May approaches every facial rejuvenation procedure, seeing the signs of aging not as separate “issues” but as an interconnected system that needs to be rebalanced as a whole.
Technical skill gets you halfway there, but Dr. May’s artistic eye is what separates good results from truly transformative ones, influencing everything from incision placement to tissue repositioning. He also considers factors like natural facial asymmetries, expression patterns and even how someone’s face moves when they smile or laugh to craft each surgical plan.
- Dr. Brian May
Procedure Details
Dr. May performs rhinoplasty under general anesthesia as an outpatient procedure. He most commonly uses an open rhinoplasty technique, which provides optimal visualization, especially for complex reshaping. In select cases where only minor refinements are needed, a closed approach may be appropriate.
The open technique involves a small incision across the columella (the tissue between your nostrils) plus internal incisions, allowing Dr. May to reshape cartilage and bone with exceptional accuracy. This approach is particularly valuable when structural work is needed to improve both form and function.
Recovery & Results
Rhinoplasty recovery involves initial swelling and bruising that peaks around day three and gradually improves over the following weeks. A protective splint stays in place for about one week, and most patients return to work within seven to 10 days.
While you'll see immediate improvements once the splint is removed, your final results continue to develop for 12-18 months as all swelling resolves and the tissues settle, revealing a refined shape that is beautifully balanced with your natural features. If breathing concerns are addressed, you'll also experience improved airflow that enhances your quality of life for years to come.
Inside the Consultation Room With
Dr. Brian May
Adjunct Procedures:
To take your
Rhinoplasty
results to the next level, consider these options for a more complete transformation:
Why Charlotte Trusts Dr. May for Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty is one of the most technically demanding procedures in all of facial plastic surgery. The nose is three-dimensional, structurally complex, and sits at the center of the face, meaning even small miscalculations have visible consequences. Because of this, it demands a surgeon with specific, dedicated training to create refined results.
Dr. May is a board-certified plastic surgeon with deep experience and knowledge of facial plastic surgery. He is also an associate member of the Rhinoplasty Society, a professional organization whose membership is reserved for surgeons who have demonstrated a serious, focused commitment to nasal surgery. He is also a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and The Aesthetic Society, formerly known as the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), reflecting his broader commitment to surgical excellence.
This level of specialization is why patients in Charlotte choose Dr. May for rhinoplasty. His practice includes a significant focus on nasal surgery, including both cosmetic and functional cases, giving him a depth of experience that comes from focused repetition.
What Rhinoplasty Patients Really Want to Know
The short answer: The goal is always a result that looks like you, only more balanced.
Dr. May's structural approach works with your existing anatomy rather than trying to impose a specific shape or size. His primary goal is to achieve a natural aesthetic and he works hard to avoid creating a nose that doesn't complement your natural features. People around you may notice you look more confident and polished, but won’t necessarily be able to pinpoint what’s changed. A well-done rhinoplasty simply brings the nose into better proportion with your facial structure, so nothing looks overdone or out of place.
The short answer: Yes, rhinoplasty can absolutely address breathing issues.
A deviated septum, collapsed nasal valves and turbinate issues are all within the scope of rhinoplasty. If you snore, experience chronic congestion or sleep with your mouth open, those symptoms are worth mentioning at your consultation. Dr. May performs both aesthetic and functional rhinoplasty and believes the two are more connected than most people realize.
The short answer: Yes, but it depends on the level of correction needed to achieve your goals.
Nonsurgical rhinoplasty with dermal fillers can do a surprisingly good job of creating the appearance of a straighter nose by adding volume to camouflage asymmetry. For mild irregularities, it's a legitimate option with no downtime and immediate results. The catch is that fillers don't actually move or reshape anything, and for patients who have concerns about the size of their nose, adding more volume is never the right option. Fillers also won’t address breathing issues. A consultation is the only real way to know which approach makes sense for your situation.
The short answer: Within reason. The best results come from working with your anatomy.
Patients often come in with reference photos, which Dr. May encourages. They're a useful starting point for understanding what someone finds aesthetically pleasing. That being said, the goal is never to replicate someone else's nose. It's to find the version of your nose that feels most balanced. Dr. May will be direct about what's achievable given your anatomy, and equally direct about what isn't.
The short answer: The incision location and the degree of surgical access.
Closed rhinoplasty keeps all incisions hidden inside the nostrils. Open rhinoplasty adds a small incision across the columella for increased access and visibility. Dr. May primarily uses the open technique, particularly for tip work, structural correction and revision cases, because the added visibility improves precision. For minor refinements in the right patient, a closed approach may be appropriate. That decision is something you and Dr. May will discuss at your consultation.
Request Your Consultation
At May Plastic Surgery, Dr. May believes your nose should work as beautifully as it looks. His approach to rhinoplasty creates lasting improvements in both form and function, helping you breathe easily and feel confident in your appearance. Call us at 704-200-2493 to schedule your consultation and discover what expert rhinoplasty can do for you.
Let's Connect
We are here to help. Whether you’re exploring your options or ready to schedule, our team is here to answer your questions about procedures, recovery, and next steps — and to personally guide you every step of the way.