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By: G.D. Castillo, M.D.
Like other cosmetic plastic surgeons in Bloomington, IL, I know all too well that we all have things we don’t like about our appearance. It might be our hair, our smile, a blanket of sun spots that muddy our complexion, or a nasal hump that makes us uneasy when we look in the mirror. The aesthetic industry works hard to meet the varying needs for today’s busy individuals, and the evolving development and use of dermal fillers today is a good example of that. In fact, dermal fillers are even being used to correct small deformities of nose. This 20-minute, in-office procedure is often referred to as a non-surgical nose job.
But many of my patients wonder if a non-surgical nose job could really work. Can dermal fillers really eliminate the need for surgery? Well, in a marginal number of cases with specific needs, yes – these products can provide satisfying changes to an otherwise unsatisfying nasal appearance. In reality, of course, these procedures are not really “nose jobs” or rhinoplasties. They are simply the art of illusion.
Dermal fillers are used to camouflage imperfections including small dents on the side of the nose or skin deformities related to scarring or trauma. In some cases, they can be used to correct asymmetry or to smooth out a nasal hump by adding dermal filler above and below the hump, creating the illusion of a straight nasal bridge.
While I do find patients who fall under this non-surgical nose job category during nasal consultations in both of my offices, it’s the minority of noses that can be corrected with injectables. Most patients seeking nasal changes do require surgical correction of the cartilage and or bones.
For those individuals who do fall under the non-surgical nose job category, there are both pros and cons to making this choice.
The benefits include:
- Patients are able to avoid undergoing a surgical procedure.
- Recovery time will be less than that of surgery.
- The results are nearly immediate.
The negative factors include:
- Fillers are temporary. Patients must return to the office for touch-ups every 6-12 months depending on the filler used.
- The cost of returning to your plastic surgeon’s office for touch-ups once or twice a year will quickly add up to more than the one-time surgical fee for a rhinoplasty.
When injectables are the treatment of choice, 1 of 2 types of substances can usually be utilized.
- Hyaluronic acid, such as Restylane®, JUVÉDERM®, Perlane®, and a newer cross- linked HA called JUVÉDERM VOLUMA™ XC
- Hydroxyapatite, such as RADIESSE®
If you’re thinking about making changes to your nose, start with a consult with a board-certified facial plastic surgeon. These professionals have the most reliable options and answers to fit your individual needs. Your surgeon can easily point out the areas that can be corrected with either injectables or surgery and will likely show you photos of surgical corrections he or she has performed in the past. In my practice, we show multiple before-and-after photos of nasal deformities. We also offer computer imaging to show how the proposed changes will look after surgery. This helps in a significant way when a patient is trying make informed decisions about his or her appearance.
