The non-surgical nose job (aka non-surgical rhinoplasty) almost sounds too good to be true; a 15 minute treatment time and a new nose with no knife and no downtime. The procedure involves injections into the nose to shape it in different ways. As simple as it seems, you need to remember that it’s still a medical procedure with its own set of risks, benefits and limitations.
Here is everything you should know about shaping your nose, and what to ask in your consultation.
How does it work and what can it do?
Dermal fillers are made from a substance that occurs naturally in your skin’s moisture barrier. Due to TGA regulations, we aren’t allowed to post the name of it on our website, but you can always ask during your complimentary consultation.
For non-surgical rhinoplasty, our doctors and nurses use a filler with a thicker consistency to better hold the shape. They inject it into the skin on your nose in just the right places to create the contours you want.
Filler can be used to add a more pronounced bridge to a concave nose, to fill out a flat nose, reduce the appearance of a dorsal lump or a hooked nose, to straighten out the appearance of a crooked nose, or to balance out asymmetry. There is an art to injecting filler in just the right place to create these effects.
As we age, our cartilage can sometimes wear down, causing the tip of the nose to droop downward. Dermal fillers can be injected into the base of the nose to prop it up and support it so it doesn’t droop.
There are also techniques to make a nose appear smaller, “a hooked nose with a dorsal hump looks smaller once the filler has straightened its appearance and lifted the tip,” says Nurse Kellie, who has more than 7 years’ experience with injectable treatments and a following of patients for dermal fillers.
Unfortunately, we cannot actually make a nose smaller, only surgery can do that. Technically speaking, filler adds a little bit of volume to certain parts of the nose. If you’re looking for a drastic change without adding any volume, surgery might be a more suitable option. If you’re unsure which path is right for you, you can always come in for a complimentary consultation to find out if your goals are feasible without the surgery.
How do you know you’re getting a safe procedure?
Although the treatment is not very invasive, and treatment time is short, it’s important to remember that a non-surgical nose job is still a medical procedure with associated risks. You need to go to a reputable clinic with a qualified injector, which means doing a bit of research.
In Australia, dermal filler treatments can be administered by a nurse, but your initial consultation must be performed by a doctor. Beware of clinics that cut corners by having a doctor consult with you over skype, or by letting a nurse consult you while the doctor makes a 2-second token appearance at the end of your appointment. When dermal fillers are injected, they’re considered to be a prescription substance, so you need to discuss the risks and benefits with a doctor before your first treatment.
If your treatment is being administered by a nurse, you can consult your nurse about the shape you want to achieve and how your nurse recommends achieving it after speaking to the doctor.
During your consultation, you can ask your doctor or nurse about the training and experience they have. At Rejuvenation Clinics of Australia, we hire experienced doctors and nurses, but they also have to do additional training in-clinic and shadowing with our more experienced doctors before they can treat patients. We also provide opportunities for ongoing training and development to ensure that our doctors and nurses keep their skills and understanding up-to-date.
If you’re going to compare clinics, be sure to ask your provider what sort of training they have and how much experience they have with similar treatments to your own. The Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia (TGA) has also developed a list of considerations you may want to ask in your consultation.
Be sure to ask which brand of filler your doctor or nurse recommends. You can then do some research and even check the TGA website to make sure that it’s approved in Australia. If the prices at a particular clinic seem especially low, it should raise some red flags.
Most importantly, don’t ever feel like you have to make a decision on the spot. Some clinics offer free consultations, some charge a consultation fee. Either way, you may want to take some time to think about all the information before you decide whether you want to to go ahead with treatment. Be wary of any clinic that pressures you decide right away.
What can you expect at your consultation?
As mentioned above, the consultation should cover all the potential risks and benefits of a non-surgical nose job. Additionally, you should have an opportunity to discuss your goals; what you like about your nose, what you dislike and how you hope to change it.
Your doctor or nurse will assess your nose, listen to your goals and make recommendations. They should walk you through how they would perform the treatment (where they place the filler and to what effect). They’ll also recommend the amount of filler to use.
This is when you should ask about prices as some clinics have different pricing structures. At Rejuvenation Clinics of Australia we charge a set price for the amount of filler used, but this price includes your initial consultation and next-day follow-up to ensure the filler is settling properly. We’ll give you a quote at your initial consultation based on how many millilitres are recommended and how much we charge per millilitre.
You should walk away from your consultation with a clear understanding of what is involved and how much your treatment will cost.
What if you’re considering surgery?
If you’re considering surgery, but you’re not yet ready to take further steps, a non-surgical nose job can be a good way to test out a new look. Dermal fillers are not permanent, and when used in the nose, they can last anywhere from 6 months to 3 years, depending on the filler used and the amount injected. You can also get them dissolved if you choose.
Keep in mind that if you plan to seek out a surgeon for consultation, you should probably ask the surgeon’s clinic ahead of time about getting non-surgical rhinoplasty. Your surgeon may need to assess you without any filler in your nose, and you may need to wait for a period of time between your last filler treatment and surgery. You’ll need to tell your surgeon about any fillers that you have so that they’ll know exactly what they’re working with.
If you’ve had surgery but you want to use fillers to make a small adjustment, you should check with your surgeon to be sure that it’s safe to do so. You should also tell your injectable provider that you’ve had surgery so that the treatment can be done safely. Your provider needs to know the anatomy of your nose to avoid major arteries.
How long does it last?
While dermal fillers can last a long time, they aren’t permanent. They’re made from a substance that occurs naturally in the body, and after being injected into the skin, your body slowly breaks the stuff down over time.
Your nose doesn’t move as much as other parts of your face, so chances are that fillers used in the nose will last longer than areas with a lot of movement, such as the lips. A non-surgical rhinoplasty will normally last anywhere from 6 months to 3 years, depending on the filler used and the amount injected.
Your nose is the most prominent feature on your face, so you want to be confident about what you do with it. If you have any questions about this procedure, please don’t hesitate to ask us!
