You might think the only option for reshaping your nose is to undergo a surgical rhinoplasty. But there’s another way to change the shape of your nose that isn’t so serious. Facial plastic surgeon Dr. Kiersten Riedler educates us about the liquid rhinoplasty, known as the “non-surgical nose job.”
In this procedure, an injectable filler like Juvederm Voluma XC is used to change the shape or contour of the nose. Deep indentations or depressions above the hump can be filled in, camouflaging any irregularities.
You may see the word “filler” and think it would make your nose larger, but adding filler along the center of a wide nose bridge can actually make it appear thinner. A liquid rhinoplasty can also correct a crooked nose, asymmetric nostrils, and more.
The best candidates for the liquid rhinoplasty are people with mild issues, such as humps along the bridge, or minor asymmetries. If you want to “test drive” changing the shape of your nose before taking the permanent step of having surgery, non-surgical rhinoplasty is a great option to try beforehand.
Please request your free consultation online or call La Jolla Cosmetic, San Diego, at (858) 452-1981 for more
Transcript
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You’re listening to The La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast.
Laura Cain (00:15):
Hello, you’re listening to The La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast. I’m Laura Cain. I’m filling in for Monique Ramsey, who usually hosts this podcast, but she does not have a voice. She’s been sick for a few days and will be back here pretty shortly. I host my own podcast. I also do traffic in the mornings. You can hear me on various stations, and of course, I am a loyal and happy patient client of La Jolla Cosmetic. Today, we’re talking about something I’ve never heard of and I feel like I know everything there is to know about plastic surgery just because I’ve had so much stuff done. But this is fascinating to me, it is the non-surgical nose job, liquid rhinoplasty, Dr. Redler, who we had on last week, talking about a septoplasty, the inside surgery of your nose. This is not a surgery at all, it’s just what is this liquid nose job thing?
Dr. Riedler (01:18):
A liquid rhinoplasty or nonsurgical nose job is basically using injectable filler to change the shape or contour of the nose. Just like a lot of people do in their cheeks or lips or other places, but in the nose.
Laura Cain (01:34):
When I think of somebody wanting a nose job, I think that they think their nose is too big, and adding filler, it doesn’t seem like that makes sense. So can you explain it a little bit better, in more in depth I should say?
Dr. Riedler (01:48):
Yeah, well, that’s a good point. Filler is not going to make a big nose smaller. However, some people have a hump on their nose and they want to get rid of that and you think, “Oh, well, the only way to get rid of it is taking it out with surgery.” But if they have a deep indentation or depression above the hump, you can actually fill that in with filler and then the hump is camouflage and it looks like it’s not even there. Even though you’re adding volume to the nose, in some instances, it can make it actually look smaller and more attractive.
Laura Cain (02:20):
What I do, I have a fairly prominent nose and I have a wide nose bridge. So I do contouring where I do darker on the outside, down along my nose, and then light right in the middle so it makes it look thinner. Can you do that with filler?
Dr. Riedler (02:36):
Yeah, so people who have either a wide nose bridge or a low nose bridge, adding filler along the center of it can actually make it look thinner and better defined and more feminine. Even though you’re adding volume again, it’s just like you’re doing with the makeup, it’s like a visual illusion to some extent.
Laura Cain (02:59):
You put it down the center of your nose if you’re trying to make a nose look thinner?
Dr. Riedler (03:04):
Mm-hmm.
Laura Cain (03:04):
And that’s just like one little section or do you do something else? What other ways can you tweak the nose using filler?
Dr. Riedler (03:12):
You can change the shape or appearance of the tip slightly. You can add some to the tip to make it look more projected or like it’s a little bit more rotated up or down. If there are any asymmetries, like if you have a slightly crooked nose, you can add some fillers just on one side to make it look straighter. Or if your nostrils are asymmetric, you can add a little bit on one nostril rim to bring it down to the level of the other one. There are kinds of little tricks that we can do.
Laura Cain (03:45):
Can you make large nostrils smaller?
Dr. Riedler (03:49):
That’s one thing that we can’t do with filler is make the base of your nose narrower or make large nostrils smaller. That is one thing that you would need surgery for.
Laura Cain (04:01):
Who would be a good candidate for a liquid nose job?
Dr. Riedler (04:04):
People who are good candidates are people who have more mild deformities or asymmetries that they’re looking to correct. Like a hump is a good example or a low bridge that needs to be augmented or mild asymmetries.
Laura Cain (04:21):
Is this a good procedure to have done if somebody’s looking to get the actual rhinoplasty, maybe do this first?
Dr. Riedler (04:30):
For select patients who have certain deformities, non-surgical rhinoplasty can mimic changes that can be accomplished with surgery. It’s like trying it out before committing to a new look. In those cases, it’s definitely an option to try it out beforehand. In cases where people have had filler in their nose and then they decide to undergo surgery, I always recommend dissolving the filler before surgery.
Laura Cain (04:58):
Yeah, let’s talk about the fillers and that dissolving solution. What kind of fillers do you use?
Dr. Riedler (05:05):
I prefer to use Juvederm Voluma XC because it lasts longer than some other fillers and it’s reversible. But other fillers can be used and it’s up to the provider what they like to use. I should mention that in the US, filler injection in the nose is off label. Meaning that while all the fillers that we use are FDA approved to be injected in the face, they’re not specifically approved to be injected in the nose.
Laura Cain (05:31):
Not yet, right?
Dr. Riedler (05:31):
Not yet.
Laura Cain (05:32):
Not yet anyways.
Dr. Riedler (05:35):
Maybe someday.
Laura Cain (05:36):
As it gets more and more popular.
Dr. Riedler (05:38):
Yeah.
Laura Cain (05:38):
Is this something that you will see an immediate result or do you have to wait a little bit?
Dr. Riedler (05:44):
Yeah, pretty much. It’s pretty much an immediate result. There might be a very small amount of swelling initially that could go down. But for the most part, it’s an immediate result, which is nice.
Laura Cain (05:56):
Does it hurt?
Dr. Riedler (05:58):
We use numbing ointment beforehand to numb up the skin and patients generally tolerate it very well. It might feel like a little pinch, but it’s generally not very painful.
Laura Cain (06:10):
What about swelling after the procedure?
Dr. Riedler (06:14):
If there’s any swelling, it’s very minimal.
Laura Cain (06:17):
And so what are we looking at? Downtime wise? Any?
Dr. Riedler (06:21):
The main precaution I tell patients is to avoid wearing glasses or sunglasses for several days after injection. If they had the filler injected on the bridge because that can potentially move it around, which we don’t want, but there’s no real recovery.
Laura Cain (06:41):
What can’t be addressed with these fillers for sure?
Dr. Riedler (06:47):
Yes.
Laura Cain (06:47):
Like you said the nostrils can’t make a big nose smaller.
Dr. Riedler (06:51):
And then more severe deformities like if a nose is really crooked or if there’s a major asymmetry or if you’re having trouble breathing. If the center part of the nose between the nostrils is crooked, filler can’t help with those types of things that really require surgery.
Laura Cain (07:11):
How long do the fillers last?
Dr. Riedler (07:13):
It depends on how much is injected and where. Usually, we’re using pretty small amounts in the nose, but generally I would say about up to a year.
Laura Cain (07:24):
Then at that point to maintain, do you have to do it all over again or just minor tweaks?
Dr. Riedler (07:30):
Typically, you just need a touch up unless you’ve gone for several years without having any filler injected.
Laura Cain (07:39):
Okay, now the big question. Somebody’s thinking this is for me, this sounds great. I never wanted to get a nose job, that’s too severe but this sounds up my alley. How much is it going to cost me?
Dr. Riedler (07:51):
It cost anywhere from $800 to $1,000 or so.
Laura Cain (07:55):
That’s pretty reasonable to get such a prominent part of your face looking great, and to try out what could be the next step, a nose job, or a rhinoplasty. This could be the first step. What if somebody doesn’t have the $800? Do you guys offer financing?
Dr. Riedler (08:15):
Yeah, we have GLAMfam membership, which is a membership that gives you discounts on all of our services, and we also offer several financing programs like care credit, where you can make a down payment and pay it off later, sort of like a credit card.
Laura Cain (08:31):
Do we have to come see you first or do you do a virtual consultation?
Dr. Riedler (08:36):
We do virtual consults and often patients will actually just send photos to one of our patient coordinators, so we can determine if they’re a good candidate before they even arrive.
Laura Cain (08:50):
Do you take before and after pictures of every liquid nose job that you do?
Dr. Riedler (08:55):
Generally, we do, yeah.
Laura Cain (08:57):
I know, well-
Dr. Riedler (08:58):
Because patients like to see it.
Laura Cain (08:59):
Yeah, I’ve taken many, many a picture. I’m like, “What are you guys going to do with this? I don’t want the befores. Please, no.”
Dr. Riedler (09:07):
Yeah.
Laura Cain (09:08):
Well, thank you. I think this is just great for people who want a baby step rhinoplasty possibly, or maybe just want to look a little bit better in the face and I like it. And you do it because you’re a surgeon. A facial plastic surgeon probably shouldn’t have somebody who only does Botox do this to you.
Dr. Riedler (09:28):
I feel comfortable doing it because I’m a facial plastic surgeon, so I know the nose inside and out and can do it safely and effectively. It is a slightly higher risk procedure that I really recommend seeing a surgeon or somebody who is very comfortable with this particular injectable procedure. Just because it should be somebody who has experience with the specific nasal anatomy and knows what tissue planes and areas to inject and isn’t going to cause me issues.
Laura Cain (10:04):
La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast has an episode specifically on rhinoplasty and we have another one on septorhinoplasty. So kind of broken up into three different parts. If you’re listening today, we want to ask you for a very special favor. If you love the La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast, if you’ve learned something from it, if it has helped you make a decision, tell your friends, write a review of the show on Apple Podcasts or Goodpods or wherever you’re listening. We love reviews. La Jolla Cosmetic has thousands upon thousands of five star reviews, and they would love to hear from you. If you have any questions, if you need information about scheduling or financing, reviews, photos, anything, just check the show notes for links.
Laura Cain (10:53):
You could always go to glamfam.com to look at some before and afters and read some of those reviews. I love all the surgeons and the staff, everybody that works at La Jolla Cosmetic. Very comfortable, very caring, and I just feel like it’s a no-judgment zone, and I love it.
Dr. Riedler (11:12):
Thank you.
Laura Cain (11:13):
Thank you so much for being on. Thank you for letting me fill in for Monique Ramsey who will be back next week, hopefully. And thank you so much for listening to The La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Take a screenshot of this podcast episode with your phone and show it at your consultation or appointment, or mention the promo code, PODCAST, to receive $25 off any service or product of $50 or more at La Jolla Cosmetic. La Jolla Cosmetic is located just off the i-5 San Diego Freeway in the XIMED Building on the Scripps Memorial Hospital Campus. To learn more, go to ljcsc.com or follow the team on Instagram at LJCSC. The La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast is a production of The Axis.
