You may have heard about non-surgical rhinoplasty called “liquid rhinoplasty” or “15-minute nose job”. Rhinoplasty without surgery is actually a skin filler procedure that changes the shape of your nose for up to 6 months.
This procedure is ideal for people who want to flatten their nasal ridges or have a less angular nose, but are not ready for a permanent solution or are concerned about the risks and recovery time of conventional rhinoplasty.
Going under the needle is certainly less complicated and difficult than going under the knife for a rhinoplasty, but reshaping the nose is never without risks. This article contains information about the procedure, recovery and pros and cons of liquid rhinoplasty.
How Much Does Liquid Rhinoplasty Cost?
Costs vary depending on the type of filler you choose, the provider you choose, and the number of injections you have. After the consultation, you should get details of the cost from your provider so you know what to expect.
How Does this Non-surgical Treatment Work?
Non-surgical rhinoplasty uses skin fillers to reshape the nose.
A gel-like injectable (usually hyaluronic acid) is injected under your skin in areas where you want to create smoother lines or volume. Sometimes Botox is also used.
The filler is placed where it is injected into the deeper layers of your skin and maintains its shape. This item can change the appearance of your nose from 4 months to 3 years depending on your skin and the material used.
The liquid rhinoplasty procedure is relatively simple, especially compared to rhinoplasty surgery.
After a consultation where you discuss your desired results, your doctor will place you in a supine position with your face slightly up. Local anesthesia may be applied to the nose and the area around it so that you do not feel pain from the needle.
After the anesthetic has worn off, the doctor will inject the filler around your nose and possibly the bridge of your nose. You may feel a slight pinch or pressure while doing this.
The entire process can take anywhere from 15 minutes or less to 45 minutes.
Suitable Candidates for Liquid Rhinoplasty
Some people with such specifications can be a candidate for non-surgical rhinoplasty:
- Surgical noses that have form defects and lack of tissue from a cosmetic point of view;
- Those who face slight deviation in the nose area;
- Small noses that need to be improved;
- Those who have a hump on the bridge of their nose and the size of their nose is not large;
- Noses that need to be corrected by improving the tip area, excessive upper head.
Target Areas in Non-surgical Rhinoplasty
Non-surgical rhinoplasty targets the tip and sides of your nose. To correct its shape, filler can be injected around any part of the nose.
This method works well if you want to:
- Smooth the small bumps on your nose
- Make the tip of your nose more prominent
- Add volume to your nose
- Lift the tip of your nose
Additionally, if you have a small bump on the bridge of your nose, this procedure can hide it and smooth out the shape of your nose.
If you want your nose to look smaller or if you want to smooth out larger bumps, liquid rhinoplasty may not give you the results you want.
Advantages of Liquid Rhinoplasty
Liquid Rhinoplasty has these advantages:
- Lower cost:
With this method, the shape of the nose can be corrected and repaired without requiring open or closed surgery and only gel injection can solve many problems. Rhinoplasty is not comparable.
- No need for anesthesia:
Many people refuse to do nose surgery due to the disadvantages and complications of anesthesia so it has been observed that the concern of general anesthesia in some people is much more than the concern of the result of nose surgery. While during nose surgery with gel injection or liquid rhinoplasty, there is no need for anesthesia.
- No need for recovery time:
With liquid rhinoplasty instead of nose surgery, you don’t need to have long rests after the operation and strict care of nose surgery, there will be no bandages, bruises and stitches in this method, which can be done on the first day after the injection. You will continue all normal activities, although the possibility of a little swelling and pain after the completion of the liquid rhinoplasty procedure is common.
Non-surgical Rhinoplasty Risks and Side Effects
For most people, the only side effect of liquid rhinoplasty is some redness and tenderness at the injection site on the day or up to two days after the procedure.
Other possible side effects include:
- Bruising at the injection site
- swelling
- Movement of the filler, meaning that the injected material moves to other areas of your nose or under your eyes, creating a “wavy” or “overstuffed” appearance
- nausea
The nose is a sensitive area and is full of blood vessels near your eyes. This is why liquid rhinoplasty is somewhat more complicated than other injectable filler procedures.
A trained and meticulous plastic surgeon usually uses less filler in the nose instead of overfilling the area.
A case study has shown that complications are more likely when an unlicensed provider does it. Possible serious complications include:
- tissue death
- Vascular complications
- Decreased vision
In a study conducted in 2019 on 150 people about rhinoplasty without surgery, only 1.82% had complications. Call your doctor immediately if you experience the following:
- Fever
- blurred vision
- Redness or bruising that spreads and gets worse
- Hives or other signs of an allergic reaction
What are the Expectations after the Treatment?
After liquid rhinoplasty, you may have pain, swelling and redness at the injection site. Within an hour or two, symptoms should begin to resolve. The redness should subside and you will be able to better see your desired results.
Bring an ice pack to use after the session. Ask your doctor if it’s safe to use to minimize redness and inflammation.
Results should be fully visible within a week or two. By then, the redness or bruising should have completely subsided.
People who have undergone non-surgical rhinoplasty are very pleased that there is virtually no recovery time afterwards. You can return to work and your normal activities the same day.
Most fillers dissolve in your skin layer within 6 months. Some fillers last up to 3 years. Regardless of the materials used, the results of liquid nose surgery are not permanent.
Preparing for Treatment
Different fillers have different instructions for how to prepare for your procedure. Your provider should give you detailed instructions on what to do before non-surgical rhinoplasty.
The following suggestions are helpful guidelines:
- Avoid aspirin, anti-inflammatory medications (such as ibuprofen), vitamin E, and other blood-thinning supplements the week before surgery. Make sure your doctor knows if you are taking blood thinners.
- Be aware of your vitamin K levels, which can reduce the risk of bruising. In the weeks before surgery, eat plenty of leafy green vegetables to increase your vitamin K.
- Drink plenty of water and eat a meal before your appointment. Don’t overeat as you may feel nauseous during or after the appointment, but make sure you eat something with starch and protein.
The Difference between Rhinoplasty without Surgery and Conventional Rhinoplasty
Non-surgical rhinoplasty is only suitable for you when you want to try how your nose will look after changes and corrections or if you want to change your nose with minor procedures to change your appearance.
If you are looking for dramatic changes in the shape of your nose, you may want to consider conventional rhinoplasty instead.
Disadvantages of Rhinoplasty without Surgery
Non-surgical rhinoplasty has such disadvantages:
- If you are looking for a dramatic and permanent change in your appearance, this method may be disappointing for you.
- There are side effects such as bruising and swelling.
- It’s possible that a misplaced needle could lead to visible bleeding under the skin or damage to your vision.
- This procedure is relatively new, so long-term side effects have not yet been well studied.
Lasr Words about liquid rhinoplasty
When considering liquid rhinoplasty, don’t go for the cheapest provider, they may not have experience with this particular procedure.
An experienced plastic surgeon knows what to do to get the results you’re looking for while minimizing the risks of side effects.
