How Will Toronto Rhinoplasty Affect My Singing Voice?

People who earn a living with their singing voice have understandable concerns about rhinoplasty surgery and its potential effect on their voice. Because a significant factor in the way we sound has to do with the structures that breath moves through, changing the nasal passages does make a difference for singers.

In Toronto, rhinoplasty is often used as an umbrella term to include any type of nose job, however the distinctions between types of nasal procedure matter in the case of voice changes. That’s because some surgery types may affect a person’s sound, and others won’t.

Toronto rhinoplasty surgery usually refers to one of three main types:

• Septoplasty
• Rhinoplasty
• Septo-rhinoplasty

What’s The Difference Between These procedures?

Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty deals primarily with the way a nose looks. Its size and shape, it’s balance with overall facial proportion and characteristics that are visible on the outside will be altered with a primary rhinoplasty.

Septoplasty

Alternately, a septoplasty is not designed to change the aesthetic of the nose but rather the functionality and structure. Septoplasty is typically performed to improve breathing for those who have crooked or blocked nasal passages.

Septorhinoplasty

A third variety combines the two, and many people fall into this category. Septorhinoplasty is what you get when seeking correction of a deviated septum, and an adjustment to the appearance of the nose.

While rhinoplasty alone should not affect one’s singing voice, a septoplasty and septorhinoplasty are unlikely to but a small chance does remain. Is that a bad thing?

It can be, but for many people, it’s considered an improvement. That is because nasal passages that are occluded in any way will often make a person sound “nasal” as if they have a chronically congested nose. A person’s voice may sound clearer, lower or more pleasant in these cases after they have had surgery on the internal aspects of their nose.

Unfortunately, for a distinctive singing voice, there is no way to guarantee that significant changes to the nasal bones and cartilage won’t alter it. It’s for this reason that some famous performers such as Barbara Streisand are said to have refused to undergo a nose job. If you sing and you have a deviated septum or want to improve breathing issues of any kind, you’ll need to meet with a facial plastic surgeon who specializes in rhinoplasty and talk about your unique case. Weighing the pros and cons comes down to establishing how well your nose currently functions and whether the risk of voice change is worthwhile to improve breathing.

Whether you have a rhinoplasty to alter the outward appearance of your nose or a septoplasty, you’ll need to wait a couple of months before singing again to give the delicate tissue a chance to fully heal. If singing is a daily occurrence for you, you’ll need to discuss a plan for recovery with your Toronto rhinoplasty surgeon to ensure optimal results.