Rhinoplasty: What It Is and How It Differs from Fillers
- Highlighted area
Quick facts
- Definition
- Surgery that changes the shape, structure or function of the nose by removing, repositioning or grafting bone and cartilage.
- Indications
- Aesthetic, functional (breathing) or reconstructive.
- Difference from nonsurgical rhinoplasty
- Nonsurgical rhinoplasty uses an injectable filler and does not remove or reposition structures.
- Relevance in orofacial harmonization (HOF)
- Knowing what surgery does helps explain the limits of filler to the patient and refer the right case.
Rhinoplasty is surgery that changes the nose: its shape, its internal structure or both. It may have an aesthetic goal, a functional one, to improve breathing, or a reconstructive one. It operates on bone, cartilage and skin, and is considered an invasive procedure, with anesthesia, incision, recovery time and postoperative follow-up.
What can the surgery change?
The nose has a bony part, formed by the nasal bones and the side of the maxilla, and a cartilaginous part, with the nasal cartilages and the nasal septum. Surgery can act on any of these layers.
| Structure | What the surgery can do |
|---|---|
| Bony dorsum | Reduce or refine the hump, narrow the base |
| Tip cartilages | Reposition, suture, graft to change shape and projection |
| Septum | Correct a deviation and use cartilage as graft material |
| Alae and nostrils | Change width and shape |
These changes are structural and, generally, permanent. Surgery may also involve cartilage taken from the patient's own body and, in some cases, other materials, depending on the surgeon's technique.
How does it differ from nonsurgical rhinoplasty?
Nonsurgical rhinoplasty is the technique of applying filler, usually hyaluronic acid, to correct contour irregularities. It adds volume at points on the nose. It does not remove bone, does not reposition cartilage and does not correct a functional septal deviation.
| Aspect | Rhinoplasty | Nonsurgical rhinoplasty |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Surgery | Injectable procedure |
| What it does | Removes, repositions or grafts structures | Adds volume |
| Permanence | Generally permanent | Temporary, and hyaluronic acid is dissolvable |
| Recovery | Weeks | Days |
| Main risk | Surgical and anesthetic | Vascular, with risk of occlusion |
Each has its place. For patients who want to make the nose smaller, filler does not work, since it only adds. For someone who wants to soften a small irregularity without surgery, nonsurgical rhinoplasty can be considered, at the discretion of the qualified professional.
When should you refer for surgical assessment?
Some signs indicate that the conversation should include the surgeon: complaints of difficulty breathing, a significant septal deviation, a wish for reduction or structural change of the tip, a history of previous nasal surgery with sequelae, and expectations incompatible with what a filler can deliver.
Also called: plastic surgery of the nose, nose job.
Frequently asked questions
Are rhinoplasty and nonsurgical rhinoplasty the same thing?
No. Rhinoplasty is surgery, altering bone and cartilage. Nonsurgical rhinoplasty is the application of filler to change the contour, without surgery. The reach, the risk and the duration are different.