Because the nose, the organ of smell, projects from the center of the face, it is especially vulnerable to accidents. Its prominent location makes any eruption on its surface, or any peculiarity of shape, immediately noticeable. Before World War II, most medical work on the nose was done to restore tissue damaged by burns, wounds, and diseases such as cancer and syphilis.

In the postwar years, plastic surgeons began to focus more on the aesthetic improvement of the physical features of the face. Until recently, an artificial nose, or prosthesis, was attached either mechanically (often to eyeglasses) or directly with adhesive. In 1995, the FDA approved the use of tiny titanium posts surgically embedded in the bone for attaching craniofacial prostheses.