Liquid rhinoplasty may be worth considering if you want subtle changes to the shape or profile of your nose without surgery. Results are temporary, and dermal filler cannot make the nose smaller or correct structural concerns, so the treatment is best suited for specific cosmetic changes. At ASI Medical Spa, located inside Adara Surgical Institute in Issaquah, WA, we generally do not offer it, and we no longer offer surgical rhinoplasty either. This post is the conversation we have with patients who ask about it, and it starts with the part that matters most. The nose is one of the highest-risk areas of the face for filler.
Table of Contents
Liquid Rhinoplasty Benefits and Limitations
Liquid rhinoplasty can improve certain contours of the nose with little downtime and results that are visible shortly after treatment. Because the procedure uses filler rather than surgery, however, there are limits to the changes it can achieve.
What Nasal Filler Can Improve
Nasal filler is best suited for subtle changes that can be achieved by adding volume. Treatment may improve:
- A small bump along the bridge
- A shallow depression
- Minor asymmetry
- An uneven profile
- A low nasal bridge
- Minor contour irregularities
For example, filler placed above or below a small bump can create a straighter-looking profile. The bump itself is not removed.
Treatment is planned with the rest of the face in mind so that changes to the nose remain balanced with your other facial features.
What Filler Cannot Change
Because filler adds volume, it cannot make the nose physically smaller or correct concerns that require changes to the bone or cartilage.
It cannot:
- Narrow a wide nose
- Reduce large or prominent nostrils
- Remove a significant nasal bump
- Make major structural changes
- Correct a deviated septum
- Improve breathing
- Provide permanent results
Patients who want to reduce the size of the nose, make more significant structural changes, or improve nasal breathing are not candidates for filler. Surgery is the only treatment that changes the structure, and we no longer offer it.
How Long Do Results Last?
Results are temporary and often last around a year, although some patients may notice their results lasting longer. How long the filler lasts depends on the product used, the amount placed, and how your body responds to it.
As the filler gradually wears off, the nose will begin to return to its previous appearance. If you would like to maintain the changes, additional treatment may be recommended over time.
Safety and Risks
Temporary swelling, redness, bruising, and tenderness can occur after nasal filler. More serious complications are uncommon, but the nose contains important blood vessels, which makes experience with facial anatomy especially important when performing this treatment.
For this reason, liquid rhinoplasty should be performed by a qualified medical provider who understands the anatomy of the nose and how to recognize and manage complications.
The blood vessels that run along the bridge and down the sides of the nose connect directly to the vessels that supply the eye. If filler is injected into one of them, it can block the blood flow.
The skin that vessel feeds can lose its supply and die, which leaves a scar in the middle of the face. In rare cases the filler travels backward into the vessels of the eye and causes vision loss that does not recover.
Both are rare. Neither is theoretical. This is why nasal filler is a different category of procedure from cheek or lip filler, not a smaller version of the same thing, and it is the reason we generally do not do it here.
If it is ever done, three things have to be true. Only hyaluronic acid filler (a gel made from a substance the skin already contains) should be used, because it is the one type that can be dissolved. The injector should have hyaluronidase (the enzyme that dissolves hyaluronic acid) on hand, not on order, because it is the emergency treatment for a blocked vessel and has to be given within hours. And the injector should have specific experience in the nose, not just general injectables experience, plus a plan for a blocked vessel. We keep hyaluronidase on site at ASI Medical Spa for that reason.
When to Get Help Right Away, No Matter Who Injected You
Mild swelling, tenderness, redness, and a small bruise are expected for a few days after any facial filler. A blocked vessel looks and feels different, and it is a same-day emergency.
Get help right away if you have severe pain that seems out of proportion to the injection, especially if it starts during or right after the injection. Get help if the skin on the nose, cheek, or forehead turns white, blotchy, purple, or dusky. Any change in vision, eye pain, or a sudden headache means go to the emergency room, not the med spa.
For skin changes, call the office that injected you first, because they should have hyaluronidase ready and know exactly what was placed. If you are our patient, call ASI Medical Spa at (425) 553-3223. Hyaluronidase works best early.
What We Do at Adara and ASI Medical Spa
Nasal filler requires a careful understanding of facial anatomy and a conservative approach to treatment. We generally do not perform liquid rhinoplasty, and we no longer perform surgical rhinoplasty. What we offer instead is a straight answer. Dr. Dhaliwal, a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon (United States and Canada), will tell someone their nose is not a good filler candidate, or that the change they want is a surgical one, or that the feature they are focused on is one nobody else notices. Dr. Dhaliwal is also certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery and the American Board of Facial Cosmetic Surgery.
At ASI Medical Spa, dermal filler and other injectable treatments are performed by Shreena, our board-certified nurse practitioner who has more than 13 years of healthcare experience and focuses exclusively on aesthetic medicine. Hyaluronidase is kept on site.
Shreena takes time to understand the changes you would like to make and whether filler is appropriate for your features. Treatment is planned around your facial proportions, with an emphasis on subtle changes that look balanced and natural. If filler is not the right option for your goals, she will discuss other approaches that may be more appropriate.
Schedule a Consultation
If you are considering a nonsurgical nose job, a consultation can help determine whether dermal filler can safely achieve the changes you want.
To schedule a dermal filler consultation at ASI Medical Spa, located inside Adara Surgical
Institute, call (425) 553-3223 or visit us at 6505 226th Pl SE, Suite #101, Issaquah, WA.
The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery and the American Board of Facial Cosmetic Surgery are not recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties.
FAQs About Liquid Rhinoplasty
Is there downtime after liquid rhinoplasty?
Most patients can return to their usual activities shortly after treatment. Some minor swelling or bruising is common and may be noticeable for several days while the filler settles.
Does liquid rhinoplasty hurt?
Liquid rhinoplasty may cause mild discomfort or pressure during the injections. A topical anesthetic or filler containing lidocaine may be used to make treatment more comfortable.
Can liquid rhinoplasty be reversed?
Yes, if a hyaluronic acid filler is used, it can usually be dissolved with an enzyme called hyaluronidase. This allows the filler to be reduced or removed if the results need to be adjusted.
Is liquid rhinoplasty safe?
Safer than surgery in some ways, less safe in one important way. There is no surgery or incision, but the nose is one of the highest-risk areas of the face for filler injected into a blood vessel, and the rare outcomes are skin loss that scars and vision loss. The risk is lowered, not removed, by hyaluronic acid filler only, an injector with nasal experience, and hyaluronidase on hand.
Can I get nose filler if I already had a nose job?
It carries higher risk, and in many cases the answer should be no. Scar tissue changes where the blood vessels run and the skin is often thinner. Tell any injector about prior nasal surgery before they pick up a syringe.
What is the alternative if filler is not right for me?
For a smaller nose, a large bump, or a breathing problem, surgery is the only treatment that changes the structure, and we no longer offer it. Sometimes the better plan is not in the nose at all, and the consult is where we sort that out.
