A liquid nose job, also known as non-surgical rhinoplasty, can be what you want if you’re not happy with the way your nose looks. Although it can correct many of the same concerns that surgical rhinoplasty does, it’s not the same type of treatment and isn’t the right option for everyone who wants to change certain aspects of their nose’s appearance or function. Learn more about a liquid nose job and how it differs from a traditional nose job before you decide if it’s the procedure for you.
What a Liquid Nose Job Corrects
During a non-surgical rhinoplasty, a facial plastic surgeon injects the nose with fillers to change the size or shape of the nose. The procedure doesn’t involve incisions or cutting, and can only be used for augmenting or filling in certain areas of the nose. It’s not possible to reduce the size of the nose or correct a problem with its function using fillers. Ideally, a person seeking a non-surgical rhinoplasty will be looking to fill in a depression or dent on the nose, conceal a hump on the nose, raise the tip of the nose or straighten a crooked nose.
If you want to make your nose smaller or have a surgeon remove a bump or hump, your better option is to consider a surgical rhinoplasty.
Getting Ready for a Liquid Nose Job
Although a liquid rhinoplasty doesn’t require as much preparation as surgery, you still want to schedule a consultation with a surgeon beforehand to make sure you are a good candidate. Your surgeon will take a look at your nose and discuss the pros and cons of a liquid nose job over traditional surgery. He’ll also let you know if the changes you want made to your nose are possible to achieve without surgery.
What Happens During a Liquid Nose Job
The process of a non-surgical rhinoplasty is fairly similar to the process of receiving fillers elsewhere on the face. Usually, a surgeon will use hyaluronic acid fillers during the treatment. Hyaluronic acid is soft and moldable. It can also be dissolved with a special injection if a patient decides he or she doesn’t like the results.
Before the injection, the surgeon applies a numbing agent to the skin near the nose. The topical anesthetic improves comfort during the injections. Typically, a liquid nose job doesn’t take more than 30 minutes to complete. The surgeon uses a very fine need to make the injections and positions them in specific areas of the nose, depending on what changes the patient would like to have made.
Recovery After a Liquid Nose Job
One of the more appealing features of a non-surgical rhinoplasty is its limited recovery time. After a surgical nose job, you can expect to take at least a week, if not two, off from work. You’ll most likely have bruising and swelling on your face and nose and you probably won’t want to see people for some time afterwards. Even once you can go back to your daily activities, it is still another month or so after a nose job before you can return to exercise or other physically strenuous activities.
There is practically no recovery time after a non-surgical rhinoplasty. You’ll want to take it easy for the first 24 hours or so. Your surgeon will most likely instruct you to keep your head elevated and to apply ice to the area to minimize swelling. You’ll also be asked to avoid massaging or putting pressure on the nose for the first two weeks or so, to avoid moving the filler or altering your results.
Otherwise, you’re able to jump back into your daily activities pretty much right away. Of course, if you want to take a few days off from work or use up a few vacation days afterwards, you’re more than welcome to do so.
How Long a Liquid Nose Job Lasts
Another major difference between a traditional, surgical nose job and a liquid nose job is how long your results last. As long as you have surgical rhinoplasty after your nose has finished growing, you can expect the results to be permanent. Only a few things can undo or alter the results of a surgical nose job, and those include having a second nose job or injury to the nose.
In contrast, the results from a liquid rhinoplasty are far from permanent, and they aren’t meant to be. How long your non surgical nose job results last depends on a few factors. One is the type of filler your surgeon uses. Some are longer lasting than others. Another factor is how quickly your body metabolizes the filler. Some people have faster metabolisms and enjoy a shorter period of results.
The good news is that you can always repeat your non-surgical rhinoplasty after the results wear off, if you liked them. You can also look at a non-surgical procedure as a starter procedure and decide to have surgical rhinoplasty once the results have worn off, if you liked them.
Liquid and Traditional Rhinoplasty with Dr. Ran Rubinstein
Dr. Rubinstein, a practitioner in Hudson Valley, New York, for nearly two decades, is an expert in facial plastics and sinus disorders. Dr. Rubinstein is double board certified through the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, is a member of the American Society for Laser Medicine & Surgery, and is an Assistant Professor at New York Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. To learn more about your nose job options, call 845-863-1772 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Rubinstein at his practice in Newburgh, NY today.
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