The nose does more than just allow us to breathe. It serves as an anchor for our entire face. So, if it’s too big or too small, it can throw off our facial balance. And since perceived beauty is all about balance, the nose can really wreak havoc on some patients self esteem. Which helps explain why rhinoplasty is the second most popular cosmetic surgical procedure in the United States behind breast augmentation. But a lot of patients don’t want the hassle or cost of surgery so is there a non-surgical rhinoplasty? And, more importantly, does it work?
by Katherine Stuart
and The Plastic Surgery Channel
Fillers Are for More than Just Wrinkles These Days
It turns out that the non-surgical rhinoplasty has been around since the early 1900’s when surgeons used liquid paraffin to correct nasal imbalances. Although the corrections proved effective, the paraffin wound up being harmful to the body. As were the silicone fillers of the 1960’s. It’s only recently with the advent of hyaluronic acid fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane that the non-surgical rhinoplasty has become a plausible reality. “It’s not one of the most common things because many of the issues that people have with their nose require surgery, but for small problems, small issues, I think it works very well.” says Dr. Dustin Reid of Austin, Texas.
Though not a substitute for rhinoplasty, fillers can fix little irregularities according to Dr. Richard Baxter of Seattle. “Well if you have a little irregularity, it can be good for that.” While fillers can not reduce the size of the nose, they can augment depressed areas of the nose to lift the angle of the tip and/or smooth out bumps along the bridge. These subtle changes can make the nose look smaller by altering the balance of the face. It’s one of the many ways that surgeons are using fillers for more than just wrinkles these days.
Another way to restore balance, according to Dr. Ashley Gordon of Austin, Texas, is to use fillers on the chin. “One of the places that fillers work really well in conjunction with rhinoplasty is you can do a non-surgical chin augmentation.” Using fillers in the chin area and along the jawline can change the appearance of the nose by restoring balance between the nose and the chin. Assuming that the patient doesn’t need a chin implant, it can work really well.
When deciding whether or not to get a non-surgical rhinoplasty, one of the main things to consider is safety. Because the nose has very little blood supply, surgeons need to be careful about what product they use. The safest are the hyaluronic acid fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane. It’s also important that you see a board certified plastic surgeon who uses fillers often, but who also has a lot of experience doing rhinoplasty surgery and therefore has a firm understanding of anatomy. This is definitely a situation in which a surgeon, not a cosmetic dermatologist, is going to be your best choice for administering the filler.