Cosmetic Question: What is a nonsurgical rhinoplasty? Would this be an option for me if I wanted a taller nose?
Cosmetic Answer: Yes, this would be an option for you.
Injectable filler is very helpful for people who feel their nose needs more height but they do not want to have surgery. Very often, these people are of Asian or African descent. Whereas the Caucasian nose tends to be tall and is prone to humps. Asian and African noses tend to be low with no hump.
Caucasian noses tend to be too big. Asian and African noses tend to be too small. So for Asian and African noses, the dorsum or top of the nose can be made taller by injecting filler to build up the nose.
The usual fillers that are used for this procedure are made of hyaluronic acid because they are molded easily and if you do not like the look, they can be dissolved.
What is involved with a filler rhinoplasty?
Rhinoplasty simply means changing the nose. Some doctors will inject filler along the top of the nose using a long needle, without anesthetic. This saves time for the doctor but it is not the safest technique nor the one likely to give you the best result.
In my opinion, the best approach takes a bit more time. First, I inject local anesthetic with epinephrine along the top of the nose. This makes the filler injection painless and even more important it shrinks the blood vessels. This is extremely important because it is catastrophic to inject filler into the blood vessels in the nose. The filler can totally block the blood flow and this could cause damage to the inside of the nose or even harm your vision. So, this preliminary anesthetic injection shrinks down the blood vessels and makes the blood vessels so tiny that it is very difficult to inject anything into them. It also means you are less likely to bruise.
I then inject the filler using either a cannula (blunt tube) or a needle. Cannulas do not bend as easily as needles so depending on where my patient needs the filler and depending on the shape of my patient’s nose, I may use a cannula, a needle or both.
To achieve a higher nose, the filler must be injected along the top of the nose. If too much filler is injected it will just spread and give you a wider nose. I inject the filler very carefully, with pressure to prevent it from going sideways and checking the filler by how it feels and how it looks. I slowly do this until I get the best possible look for you.
Is this permanent?
No. Filler will last about a year in most people. It is quite safe and can be done conveniently in the office taking only about 45 minutes to an hour. It does alleviate the cost and recovery of nasal surgery. After having it done several times, it may help you decide if it would be worth having surgery. It really is a nice treatment.