Nose jobs

Rhinoplasty procedures in Italy are in high demand, but the reason Italians are waiting months, even years, for a nose job is not aesthetic. They need repairs to damage from excessive cocaine use. According to plastic surgeons gathered at a national conference, nose reconstructions to address complications from drug use have shot up in recent years. In times past, the majority of Italian patients seeking nose reconstructions due to excessive sniffing were mainly famous faces and TV starlets. Today, thousands of everyday Joe’s and Jane’s are on long waiting lists at both public and private hospitals. And to pay for the operation, which costs about 10,000 euro, many are taking out bank loans. Experts say that habitual cocaine use eats away at the nasal cartilage and mucous membrane that protects the nose and allows normal breathing.