Liquid Rhinoplasty, Nose Job Without Surgery
Occasionally I see a patient desiring improvement in their nose appearance who is hesitant to have surgery performed. This is potentially a good candidate for non surgical rhinoplasty. This is usually a secondary rhinoplasty case, and the patient already had a negative experience the first time. I do offer the option of using fillers to give an approximation of what the surgery can achieve.
The advantage of using fillers is that no bridges are burned, since the filler goes away in 6-12 months. It can also be done in the office as an “in and out” procedure. It obviates the recovery period and potential (although rare) complications of rhinoplasty. I first use normal saline to “correct” the nose to show the patient what my “vision” is. The saline goes away in 1-2 hours and if the patient likes the result, we proceed with the fillers (liquid rhinoplasty) in a few days to allow all the swelling to fade.
The disadvantage of using fillers is the potential cost. In this young patient whose photos are shown below, the long term cost of fillers will be more expensive than the rhinoplasty surgery, and it is up to the patient to decide if this is acceptable or not. In this patient, the frontal view before using fillers shows an inverted V deformity in the middle of the nose. This is due to aggressive reduction of the profile, resulting in deficiency of the middle vault of the nose. Only surgery can correct and improve this deformity. A filler merely masks the cosmetic aspect, but not the functional side.
Michael Jazayeri, M.D. is a board certified plastic surgeon in Santa Ana with over 13 years of experience. His office is located in Orange County, California. To schedule a complimentary consultation, please call (714) 834-0101.