Whether a patient should have a surgical or a non–surgical rhinoplasty depends on many factors, with each treatment having pros and cons.

Advantages of non-surgical rhinoplasty

When it comes to non–surgical rhinoplasty treatment the main advantages are the instant result, and that no downtime is needed. Hyaluronic acid is the material that can be used easily and securely for the procedure. The plastic surgeon can correct the nose’s shape using injectable hyaluronic acid which can be administered with great ease and will not be rejected by the organism. Non–surgical rhinoplasty has become more and more popular over the last decade as patients see it as a real and viable alternative to rhinoplasty surgery, that doesn’t involve the risk and the expense of an operative procedure. Another advantage of non–surgical rhinoplasty is the cheaper cost of it. In addition, the result can be reversible if needed and it only takes for it a maximum of 24 hours. Some people even feel safe knowing that the results of the injectable hyaluronic method are not permanent, and they feel encouraged to try it out, in order to decide if they would like to proceed to a permanent nose job.

Disadvantages of non-surgical rhinoplasty

On the other hand, the impermanent results of non–surgical rhinoplasty can be considered as a downside. The procedure needs to be repeated many times through the years, as the filler will be broken down over time by the body. Also, it has to be under consideration that non-surgical rhinoplasty cannot fix all kind of nose’s aesthetic problems. There are cases such as having a hump on the nose or having a rotated tip, when surgical treatment can make bigger differences.

Additionally, surgical rhinoplasty is the only option when it comes to nose reduction. Sometimes, if the patient has breathing problems, the plastic surgeon needs to cooperate with the ENT surgeon (plastic surgeon handles the cosmetic aspect, whereas the otolaryngologist handles the functional aspect of the reconstruction) towards the best possible result.

Non-surgical rhinoplasty is not for every doctor

Even though non-surgical rhinoplasty does not require having surgery, it must only be performed be experienced board-certified specialists. Although it seems like a simple and easy procedure, if performed by minimum experienced injectors who don’t understand nasal anatomy, it can lead to devastating side effects. For example, there are areas in the world such as Korea, where laws are not strict, and blindness has been reported. The most common side effect of non-surgical nose jobs performed by unexperienced doctors is skin necrosis.