Nose

The nose’s position at the front and center of the face is a fitting tribute to its importance. When it comes to appearance, many people are dissatisfied with the size and/or shape of their nose. As both a facial plastic surgeon and otolaryngologist, Dr. Yagoda considers the structure of the nose as well as its function.  She notes ethnicity and individual style.  Rather than focusing on creating a “perfect” nose, she establishes harmonious proportions and balance among the facial features, creating a look that’s both individual and completely natural-looking. She never loses sight of the functional aspects of this critical organ. While improving the aesthetics of the nose, she also preserves or even improves its functional efficiency.

Not only is the nose aesthetically crucial to the balance and proportion of the other features, but it is functionally critical as well, helping us to breathe.  Lined with tiny hairs, it filters out impurities with every inhalation, warms the breath, and sends it to our lungs where it fuels our entire body.

Dr. Yagoda offers the following nasal aesthetic procedures:

And as we take in air, special structures within the nose not only humidify air, but analyze scents - identifying both pleasant scents (warm chocolate chip cookies!) and potentially dangerous ones (burning chocolate chip cookies!). Positioned right over the mouth, the nose integrates the senses of smell and taste.  The nose has a powerful influence on appetite. Pleasant scents can make our mouths water with anticipation while unpleasant ones can cause us to retch.

Our sense of smell is also keenly linked to attraction, memories, and emotions. For many of us, the distinct scent of crayons transports us instantly to childhood while a whiff of a familiar perfume evokes memories of the particular woman who wears it. Our sense of smell so enriches and informs our daily life that its loss can have devastating consequences.  Someone who has lost some (parosmic) or all (anosmic) of his or her ability to smell, can suffer from loss of appetite, depression, and a host of other ills.

It may look straightforward, but the nose is a complicated organ tasked with some of the body’s most vital and subtle functions. It is also prone to a host of ailments, infections, and structural abnormalities that can imperil its efficiency. The nose is the body’s main humidifier.  A ‘simple’ cold can wreak havoc when it causes  swelling of the mucous membranes, nasal stuffiness, altered mucous drainage and dryness.

Dr. Yagoda, an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist), treats the following functional disorders and conditions: