Considering a nonsurgical rhinoplasty? A nose job sans scalpel and downtime is all the craze now, especially with the surge of new generation fillers and threads. Still, there are some shortcomings when it comes to nonsurgical, compared to surgical, rhinoplasty. We speak to Dr Chia Hui Ling, Consultant Plastic Surgeon from premium SW1 Plastic Surgery Clinic on the things to know before a nonsurgical nose job.
1. What is a nonsurgical nose job?
A nonsurgical rhinoplasty temporarily changes the shape of your nose with injections of filler or insertion of threads. It can camouflage bumps and small defects, raise a flat bridge or drooping tip, or make a crooked nose look straighter and more symmetrical—all without anaesthesia, downtime, or the telltale splint required with a surgical procedure.
2. What are the pros and cons of a nonsurgical nose job?
Pros
- It takes around 15 minutes for fillers and 30 minutes for threads. It usually involves minimal discomfort (the tip of the nose is most sensitive), and has minimal downtime.
- The procedure offers control—your doctor can inject a little, then a little more, until they achieve the result you want.
- You’ll pay significantly less than you would for surgery up front (though over time, the costs of maintaining your results could exceed a surgical rhinoplasty).
- A liquid nose job can improve your results from a previous rhinoplasty, correcting lumps, bumps, or slight asymmetries.
- If you don’t like the results, hyaluronic acid based fillers can be dissolved.
- The procedure can be used as a “test” for surgical rhinoplasty, by giving you an idea of what you might look like if you decide to go under the knife.
Cons
- In inexperienced hands, this procedure has potentially serious risks, including blindness and tissue death. Fillers are not FDA-approved for use in the nose.
- Results last only up to 12 months, if you’re lucky. It depends on the fillers and the type of threads used.
- The nose can be a challenging area to get “just right.”
- Fillers can’t correct functional issues or make your nose significantly straighter, like surgical rhinoplasty can.
3. What are the risks of a nonsurgical nose job?
A nonsurgical nose job is less invasive than surgical rhinoplasty, but it’s not without risk.
If filler placement blocks up a blood vessel, there is a risk of skin necrosis, an uncommon complication, and scarring. The immediate administration of hyalase to dissolve th HA may reduce the severity of the aftermath. Very rare reports of injections into blood vessels supplying the eye has caused blindness.
Threads inserted into the nose to superficially may extrude, or stick out, of the wound and require trimming. Infection is also another uncommon risk.
4. What should you expect during nonsurgical nose job recovery?
You will have mild swelling, for up to two weeks, and maybe some redness or slight bruising that makeup can hide. You should avoid pushing on, massaging, or applying pressure to your nose for the first week.
When will you see nonsurgical nose job results and how long will they last?
You’ll see a difference right away and final results up to two weeks later, after the swelling has gone down.
How long your results will last is hard to predict, because everyone’s body metabolizes fillers and threads differently.
5. How much does a nonsurgical rhinoplasty cost?
There’s a wide range for nonsurgical nose costs. The average is around S$1,000 on average. The price you pay will depend on how much filler you get, which kind is used and the level of experience of your doctor. It’s never safe to bargain shop for treatments that involve fillers and threads, which have serious risks if your provider doesn’t know what they’re doing. The procedure is strictly cosmetic, so insurance will not cover it.