Many people are concerned with the size or appearance of their noses. If that’s you, perhaps you’ve thought about rhinoplasty, also known as a nose job. But did you know there are two types of rhinoplasty?
Below is more information about surgical vs non-surgical rhinoplasty. Once you know the differences, you can talk to your plastic surgeon about which could be right for you.
Surgical Rhinoplasty Overview
Surgical rhinoplasty is a cosmetic procedure that involves working with the bone, skin, and cartilage of the nose to refine, resize and shape it into an ideal form. Many people want surgical rhinoplasty for a variety of reasons.
For example, some patients want to make their noses smaller, but others may wish to correct asymmetrical nostrils. Also, some patients have a surgical nose job to repair a deviated septum or breathing issues. Surgical rhinoplasty is usually done on an outpatient basis, so you don’t need to stay in a hospital overnight.
After the doctor administers anesthesia, the surgeon will make one or two incisions to reshape nasal cartilage and the outer surfaces of the nose. Some surgeons may perform cartilage grafts to alter the definition and size of the patient’s nose.
Most surgical rhinoplasty patients, like those who have a facelift, go back to work after about 10 days. Most of the swelling and bruising can be reduced by applying ice and keeping the face elevated.
Surgical Rhinoplasty Risks
Any surgery has risks, from rhinoplasty to liposuction to a tummy tuck. So it’s vital to consider them and talk to your plastic surgeon about any concerns. Some of the possible risks of this surgery are:
- General or IV anesthesia risks
- Numbness in the nose
- Infection
- Trouble breathing
- Nasal septum perforation
- Revision rhinoplasty
- Swelling and skin discoloration
- Scarring or trouble with wounds healing
Why Choose Surgical Rhinoplasty?
Surgical rhinoplasty may be the best solution for many patients because it is the only way to have a fix that lasts for many years. This procedure can be customized in many ways so you can get a nose shape that makes you happy.
However, remember that the recovery time for surgical rhinoplasty is substantial, much more than with liquid rhinoplasty.
Although modern surgical rhinoplasty rarely has serious complications, remember that it’s a surgery and has risks. Last, the results are permanent unless you have a nose job revision.
Liquid Rhinoplasty Overview
Another option for some patients is to improve the appearance of the nose without surgery. Liquid rhinoplasty is a cosmetic procedure that uses injectable fillers to reshape your nose without incisions or anesthesia.
Liquid rhinoplasty can effectively treat small bumps on the nose, enhance symmetry, refine the top, and fill small indentations.
The most significant advantage of liquid rhinoplasty is that it’s a nonsurgical, quick nose job with zero downtime. You can go back to work immediately, and there’s slight bruising or swelling.
Also, you can improve the look of your nose temporarily and see results right away with minimal recovery time.
However, liquid rhinoplasty results are short-term and don’t usually last more than a year or two. Also, not all patients are ideal candidates. This procedure doesn’t change the size of your nose; it simply fills in depressions, so there is a subtle reshaping.
The skill and experience of your plastic surgeon are vital to achieving the best outcome with liquid rhinoplasty.
Patients who want a long-term change may want to talk to their surgeon about surgical rhinoplasty.
Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty Risks
Risks for a liquid rhinoplasty are minor, and complications are rare. However, there is a small risk of the arteries in the nose can be affected by injections of dermal fillers.
Some of those arteries feed blood to the eyes. In very rare situations, it’s possible to block those critical blood vessels in a non-surgical rhinoplasty and causing blindness. Also, damaging those blood vessels could deprive the nose of nutrients and lead to skin necrosis.
These complications rarely happen, but they are worth knowing.
Surgical Rhinoplasty Or Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty?
Not all patients are candidates for surgical or liquid rhinoplasty. But how are you a good candidate for either procedure?
Ideal candidates for a surgical nose job are healthy at any age and have no serious medical problems. These patients want to enhance how their nose looks or their ability to breathe.
Also, patients who have chronic congestion problems because of an interior nose deformity are good ideal candidates.
Ideal candidates for liquid rhinoplasty are displeased with how their nose looks but don’t need a significant change. They don’t have breathing or other health-related problems with their nose and just want to improve the appearance.
Patients with a deviated septum or a wide nose could be ideal candidates for surgical rhinoplasty.
Request a Rhinoplasty Consultation
Interested in rhinoplasty? Dr. Smita. R. Ramanadham can help you obtain the results you want with this popular procedure. In your consultation, Dr. Ramanadham will go over your options, goals, and more to determine if you’re an ideal candidate for rhinoplasty.
You won’t regret your decision!
References
Liquid and Surgical Rhinoplasty. (n.d.). Accessed at https://www.healthline.com/health/cosmetic-surgery/liquid-rhinoplasty
Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty Is Everywhere These Days – But Is It Safe? (August 2018). Accessed at https://www.allure.com/story/non-surgical-nose-job
Liquid Rhinoplasty vs Surgical Rhinoplasty. (October 2019). Accessed at https://hauteliving.com/hautebeauty/635805/the-modern-nose-job-liquid-rhinoplasty-vs-surgical-rhinoplasty/
https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/rhinoplasty/safety
