A marked female face opposite an unmarked one

What is Nonsurgical Rhinoplasty?

Nonsurgical rhinoplasty is an increasingly popular medical cosmetic treatment for both men and women. During treatment, soft tissue fillers are injected into the nose to change its appearance, providing results that are similar to traditional surgical rhinoplasty. However, unlike traditional rhinoplasty, nonsurgical rhinoplasty is non-permanent, as soft tissue fillers are broken down by the body over time. The results of this procedure typically last for approximately 9 to 12 months.

Treatment involves preparing the surface and using a thin needle to inject a hyaluronic acid filler into the nose. The entire procedure typically takes between 10 and 15 minutes, and a few aftercare instructions are given, such as to avoid wearing glasses or sunglasses.

What Are the Benefits of Nonsurgical vs Traditional Rhinoplasty?

Though nonsurgical rhinoplasty is not permanent, it does offer many benefits over traditional rhinoplasty. As the name suggests, one of the biggest advantages of nonsurgical rhinoplasty is that it does not require surgery. The procedure is safe, non-invasive, quick, virtually painless, and there is very little recovery time.

The results can be seen immediately, with noticeable changes occurring within minutes of injection. Conversely, traditional rhinoplasty patients can take up to one month – if not longer – to recover and see the results. While the procedure is very safe, minor, temporary side effects like redness, swelling, bruising, and tenderness around the injection area may occur.

If a patient is unhappy with the results of their nonsurgical rhinoplasty, the filler can be dissolved and injected again to produce the desired results, whereas correcting traditional rhinoplasty require more surgical intervention. In some cases, fillers are used to correct surgical rhinoplasty procedures that have gone wrong.

What Issues Can Nonsurgical Rhinoplasty Address?

Nonsurgical rhinoplasty can address a range of issues. A common request received by medical practitioners is to eliminate the look of a hooked nose. This requires injecting filler above and below the bump, creating a smooth and straight appearance.

This procedure can also make the nose appear thinner by injecting filler around the tip. Practitioners may also inject Botox into the depressor nasalis to lift the tip. Fillers are also often used to augment the dorsum, resulting in an enlarged bridge, as well as improve mistakes from surgical rhinoplasty by filling small depressions.

Nonsurgical rhinoplasty is not always suitable for very prominent noses, as increasing volume in the area to mask the issue may simply result in a disproportionately large nose.

What Fillers Should Be Used for Nonsurgical Rhinoplasty?

Soft tissue fillers come in a variety of forms. To improve safety and decrease the chance of short- and long-term complications, temporary fillers should be used. Permanent synthetic fillers can lead to complications such as infections and chronic granulomas, which can result in lasting deformities.

Additionally, gel fillers should be used over particulate fillers. Hyaluronic acid fillers are ideal, and it is important not to inject too much at once. Overfilling an area may cause a subpar appearance and also restrict blood flow to the skin, causing discoloration or scarring. If too much filler is accidentally injected, it can be corrected using the enzyme hyaluronidase, which quickly dissolves the gel. The most popular hyaluronic acid fillers for nonsurgical rhinoplasty are Belotero, Juvederm and Restylane Perlane.