How does non-surgical rhinoplasty differ from traditional rhinoplasty?

By Dr. Aaron Stanes

A person with closed eyes receives a cosmetic injection on the forehead from a practitioner wearing black gloves. The setting appears clinical and professional.

Treatment guide

Discover the vital information you MUST know about non-surgical rhinoplasty with our detailed guide written by expert cosmetic doctors.



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Non-surgical rhinoplasty is also known as ‘nose reshaping’, ‘nose fillers’, ‘non-surgical nose job’, and ‘liquid nose job’.

 

Your nose is quite literally the centre-piece of your face, and an attractive nose has been the envy of beauty-chasers for centuries.

Previously, achieve the nose of your dreams has required invasive, risky, and expensive surgery: essentially making it unfeasible for almost all but a small number of people.

Enter the non-surgical rhinoplasty. This game-changing non-surgical procedure uses cosmetic injectables to instantly change the appearance of your nose with no downtime, no high cost, no scarring, and almost no pain.

But how does a non-surgical nose job differ from the traditional surgical approach?

What is a rhinoplasty?

A rhinoplasty is a medical procedure that alters the shape of the nose. Often referred to colloquially as a nose job, it is performed for both functional and cosmetic reasons. There is evidence of rhinoplasties being performed thousands of years ago.

What is involved in traditional rhinoplasty surgery?

A surgical rhinoplasty has a number of steps involved.

  1. Consultation: this is a vital step in your rhinoplasty to assess your suitability.
  2. Planning: your surgeon will plan your operation in advance and explain the key steps to you.
  3. Anaesthetic: an anaesthetist uses inhaled and injected medications to put you to sleep.
  4. Surgery: depending on the requirements of your treatment, your surgeon will use different techniques to change the shape of your nose. Some common steps involve fracturing your nasal bones, and removing, adding and repositioning cartilage.
  5. Recovery: expect swelling, bruising and tenderness for a few weeks. It can take up to 18 months to see the final result because swelling can be very slow to subside.
  6. Result: you’ll have a permanent change to your nose, but remember that as you age your nose will continue to change.

What is involved in a non-surgical rhinoplasty?

A non-surgical rhinoplasty has the following steps:

  1. Consultation: you’ll meet with your aesthetician to discuss your concerns and goals, and assess your nose.
  2. Planning: your clinician will work with you to design your treatment plan.
  3. Numbing: not always required, topical numbing gel is occasionally used for people concerned about discomfort.
  4. Injections: usually hyaluronic acid dermal fillers are carefully injected to areas along your nose to change the shape. Dynamic nose movement (like nostril flaring and tip drooping) are treated with muscle relaxing injections.
  5. Recovery: there’s typically only slight swelling and mild bruising which resolve in 2-3 days.
  6. Result: you can enjoy an immediate result after your non-surgical rhinoplasty. It is fully reversible (if done with hyaluronic acid fillers), and slowly fades over time requiring repeat treatments every 12-24 months.

What is better surgical or non-surgical rhinoplasty?

So, if you’re like most people, a non-surgical rhinoplasty is generally the better option. Even if you’re set on surgery, the non-surgical approach allows you to experience a new nose without committing to an irreversible change.

Side-by-side comparison of a womans profile before and after a rhinoplasty. The left image shows a prominent nasal hump, while the right image displays a smoother, more refined nose contour. Both images focus on the face in profile view.

Non-surgical rhinoplasty

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