The uses for injectable fillers continues to grow. Initially relegated to areas like the “parentheses” around the mouth, they now are increasingly used in Food and Drug Administration off-label methods throughout out the face. This includes their use in the nose.
Before undergoing treatment the patient is anesthetized with a topical to maximize comfort. I’ll mix additional local anesthetic into the filler so that anesthetic is delivered during the injection as well. Small amounts of the filler are placed and massaged into the areas of deficit, in order to avoid any contour abnormalities. Results may last over a year.
Although touted as a “non-surgical alternative” by those who do not perform surgical rhinoplasty procedures in the Boston area, “liquid rhinoplasties” are extremely limited. Fillers add volume to the nose, and therefore are not the correct approach for someone who is seeking to reduce the size of his or her nose- as many patients are. Furthermore, structural changes of the nose are best accomplished through surgical alteration of the osseocartilaginous framework with a formal rhinoplasty. Finally, there have been reports of these filler injections compromising blood flow to the nose resulting in areas of tissue death and loss. This can result in permanent disfiguring scarring.
For these reasons, patients who are undecided about surgery and want to “try on” a rhinoplasty before committing to surgery may be the best candidates. Should they like the result, my recommendation is then to proceed with a surgery. Once recovered, the results are permanent, cost-effective, and without the associated risks of multiple nasal injections.
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