I wonder exactly what you’ll think when you’re told you can get rhinoplasty or nasal filling without surgery called non-surgical rhinoplasty. Do you think it is great for the sake of beauty, or have you even considered this? In the end, maybe you will decide to make a permanent change to your face.
If you are an active user on social media and different platforms, you have seen the nose surgeries that have been performed without surgery recently. Non-surgical rhinoplasty is especially popular on TikTok, where the hashtag #nonsurgicalnosejob has 16.4 million views and counting as Gen Z in particular raves about the instantaneous results. TikTokers show their followers firsthand just how easy, painless and ‘affordable’ (compared to rhinoplasty surgery) is the procedure.
What is non-surgical rhinoplasty?
Non-surgical rhinoplasty or nasal filling without surgery is a procedure consisting of injecting a filler material, such as hyaluronic acid, underneath your skin to temporarily change the structure of your nose. Unlike surgical rhinoplasty, no bone or cartilage is removed to reshape the area.
Some reasons why people choose non-surgical rhinoplasty?
As far as I can see people choose it because non-surgical rhinoplasty is an outpatient procedure, making it far more convenient than surgical alternatives. It can be done in 15 minutes or less. Also, the biggest reason is of course the price. Non-surgical rhinoplasty is much less expensive than a traditional rhinoplasty. While non-surgical rhinoplasty can cost around $600 and $1,500, normal rhinoplasty can cost much more.
Risks of the non-surgical rhinoplasty
The right choice of filler is really important in non-surgical rhinoplasty. A filler, which contains calcium hydroxyapatite, is thought to be unfit, according to reports. A recent study published in JAMA Ophthalmology cited the case of a woman in her 40s who, after getting liquid rhinoplasty, felt acute left eye pain which developed into sudden loss of vision post-treatment.
Another serious cause for concern is the lack of control and supervision of filler. These fillers can be acquired by anyone, so that means, it can be done by anyone. Like untrained professionals… By that, they are also unlikely to be equipped to deal with any complications as they lack the training and medical knowledge on blood vessels and anatomy.
Whereas nose fillers like polymethyl methacrylate injection is a permanent non-surgical rhinoplasty procedure. Polymethyl methacrylate is irreversible and if you want to remove it, you need to opt for a surgical procedure. By that means it can become more complicated than you imagined.
The FDA advises that any filler injected into the face or nose can lead to necrosis and loss of vision. This can happen even in the most experienced hands.
Can skin necrosis happen after non-surgical rhinoplasty?
Skin necrosis due to vascular occlusion after non-surgical rhinoplasty
I must also address that one of the biggest downsides of non-surgical rhinoplasty is using fillers to alter the appearance of the nose is that they will eventually be absorbed by the body. This procedure also will not be able to completely change the shape of the nose since a non-surgical rhinoplasty with hyaluronic acid is not permanent. Depending on the brand of the acid, the results can last between 6 months to 2 years.
Like other procedures, there are some serious side effects seen with this procedure. More serious side effects of injections include:
- Tissue death
- Vascular issues
- Vision loss
Click on the link to see more cases of serious vascular complications after non-surgical rhinoplasty.
The issues that can not be addressed with non-surgical rhinoplasty
The bump or hump in the nose cannot be removed without surgery. You can have a more flat appearance but if you are hoping for a smaller nose, removing the bump by surgery would be the best option.
Also if you want to minimise your bulbous nose tip, it can’t be done with the non-surgical rhinoplasty. When I fix a bulbous tip, I remove the cartilage and rearrange the tip to create a smaller structure. Fillers can’t achieve these goals.
If you would like to have a more narrow nose shape, surgery is again the only option. Since non-surgical rhinoplasty only adds to the nose, it is impossible to address wide nostrils with fillers. The other thing is if you want to correct the tip of your nose if you think it is saggy or droopy, it must be corrected with surgery as well.
It is always better to choose the safest way!
When you compare both surgical and non-surgical rhinoplasty, the non-surgical option seems more affordable than surgical rhinoplasty in the short run. However, this is a temporary procedure and if it is repeated again and again, it could end up costing more than surgical rhinoplasty.
Also, non-surgical rhinoplasty cannot reduce the size of the nose – it can only make it seem straighter. As an experienced doctor, if you are unhappy with the appearance of your nose, the safest and most effective way to get the nose you desire is by having a surgical rhinoplasty.
Surgical rhinoplasty procedures can result in expected and more accurate results than any other plastic surgery procedure. The outcome of your rhinoplasty procedure can produce an aesthetically pleasing natural-looking nose which suits your face and one that you will be happy to have for the rest of your life.
