Celebrity Noses in the Spotlight

"Septoplasty means it's a functional operation, you're straightening the septum. And rhinoplasty means you're doing cosmetic improvement on the nose," said Kanodia. "I do a septorhinoplasty [a combination of the two procedures] on pretty much every patient."

Stretching the Truth

Though a deviated septum can be a serious problem, signs of the problem are often difficult to detect from the outside. By definition a septoplasty should not change the exterior appearance of the nose, so when a celebrity says he or she had surgery to repair a deviated septum, they may be leaving out a few details.

Seth Faison, deputy director of Sitrick and Company, a public relations firm in New York City specializing in strategic communications, says clouding over the truth may not be the best strategy, but for those under a public microscope, it may be necessary.

"I always advise clients to tell the truth," said Faison. "But when it comes to plastic surgery, the less said the better."

If publicists are advising their celebrity clients not to fully disclose the truth, it may explain the recent revelations of surgery to repair a deviated septum.

"I didn't do this because I believe in plastic surgery," Tisdale told People Magazine. "I did this to help my health. I literally could not breathe out of the right side of my nose."

A Cosmetic Side Effect

While cosmetic enhancement is not required to repair a deviated septum, most patients have trouble saying no to fixing that bump or tweaking that slope if they're already going through the complicated procedure. Most times, altering the outside appearance of the nose is not a necessary part of a septoplasty.

But if celebrities opt to have the more complicated septorhinoplasty procedure, why not admit to having a few imperfections cleared up then?

"Plastic surgery is kind of like the act of procreation," said Faison. "It's private even if it's there for everyone to see and I think it's better if it's kept private."