Interest in Rhinoplasty and Awareness of Postoperative Complications Among Female High School Students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Background Rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty are facial cosmetic operations that have potentially profound psychological implications for an individual.In recent years, rhinoplasty has increased internationally because of body dysmorphic disorders but also social media influence. As with any surgery, rhinoplasty carries risks, and the aim of this study was to explore female high school students' interest in rhinoplasty and their awareness about its postoperative complications in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods We employed a cross-sectional design for the study, which included 413 female high school students aged 14 to 17 years. Participants signed a consent form, and data were collected through an online survey from September to November 2022. A validated questionnaire tested for reliability was used. The level of knowledge and interest in rhinoplasty was compared with the socio-demographic characteristics of the female students using the chi-squared test. A p-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results A total of 413 female high school students responded to our survey, and 135 completed questionnaires were received. Nearly half (48.7%) of the students were happy about the current form of their nose. Among the students, 74.3% would not consider undergoing rhinoplasty, and the most common reason was satisfaction with their nose (69.4%). Those who did intend to undergo rhinoplasty (25.7%) were primarily interested in improving their appearance (74.5%). The total mean knowledge score was 6.01 (SD 3.27) out of 12 points, with 61.7% classified as having poor knowledge levels, and the rest (38.3%) were considered as having good awareness. Conclusions In our perception, the number of teenagers wanting rhinoplasty is increasing. Questions about their knowledge level, attitude, and perspective regarding the procedure should be important considerations for the surgeon.