Non Surgical Rhinoplasty

Probably the Rhinoplasty topic generating the most buzz of late is the so-called “Non Surgical Rhinoplasty”. I put this in quotes because it’s not exactly the same thing as a regular rhinoplasty. The word rhinoplasty literally means change in the shape of the nose, so it is accurate in that sense. There are many limitations however.

First and foremost, Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty is performed with filler which is injected into the nose, under the skin. Most commonly this is a non-permanent hyaluronic acid based filler – products such as Restylane, Juvederm, or Voluma. The downside to the temporary fillers is that they wear off with time and you would need to repeat the treatment every 1-2 years to maintain it. Some people will use permanent filler such as liquid Silicon or Silikon-1000, but this does have increased risk and most surgeons will not recommend it.

The benefits of Non Surgical Rhinoplasty, since we are adding filler, are usually areas where the nose lacks volume. Evening out a bump on the nose (dorsal hump), balancing a crooked nose, or making the tip lifted or more pointy are all reasonably achieved. Remember though, that we are doing so but adding volume. You cannot get a smaller nose with Non Surgical Rhinoplasty. We can only change the angles and proportions of your nose to give it a better contour. There are some really nice scenarios where a non surgical rhinoplasty would be ideal which I elaborate on in my blog post “Rare Instances Where Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty is Better”.

1. Upcoming event. I do not recommend having surgical rhinoplasty anytime less than 3-4 months before a major life event, IE. your own wedding. Probably a safer time frame is 6 months. If it’s someone else’s wedding you will likely be fine after 1-2 months, but for very personal events you should plan enough time to ensure you look your best. Non-surgical rhinoplasty can thus offer an intermediate step for those who are not sure

2. Finances (at least in short term). Good plastic surgery isn’t cheap. Don’t rush and have surgery with a surgeon who isn’t at the top of their field. An unwanted result will cost multiples more to fix than you could save upfront. It’s always “cheaper” to do it right the first time. Non-surgical rhinoplasty can buy patients time while they save for a good surgeon. However, remember that non-surgical rhinoplasty is (usually) temporary, so the costs can add up over years and years of treatments.

Like anything in life, there are potential risks. With regards to this treatment, these risks are unpleasant but thankfully rare. In a very low percentage of patients the filler can disrupt the blood supply to the skin above it, resulting in permanent damage to that skin. Not even very good surgeons with perfect technique can avoid this 100% of the time because the blood vessels are so small. This complication is more common in patients who have had previous rhinoplasty, as the blood supply is altered during surgery.

Less serious risks include that the fillers might be overinjected or injected into the wrong area, giving an unpleasant cosmetic appearance. With a temporary hyaluronic acid filler, this is easily and immediately reversible. Essentially no big deal. Permanent fillers are another story, which is why most surgeons will not inject Silicon. I do offer this treatment but to very select patients only upon mutual agreement in person.

Patients who would not benefit aesthetically from increased volume, who have already have rhinoplasty, or who don’t accept the rare risk of skin damage should NOT consider Non Surgical Rhinoplasty.

I am more than happy to see you in the office and examine you to help you determine if this procedure would be appropriate for your nose.