What You Need to Know About Nose Jobs and Fillers

I do a fair number of nose jobs or rhinoplasty in my busy practice. I really love the joy of creating a normal, natural-looking nose that complements your face. I like it when my patients' dreams come true. Who wouldn't?

Recently, I had an interesting nose job, in that I have never seen such an impressive amount of fillers placed in this woman's nose. I didn't have a reference on what her nose looked like before her fillers so I really had no idea what was natural and what was filler. I carefully removed all the filler, which basically appeared like scar tissue throughout her distal nose. She had it in the tip, along the columella, and even the sides of her nose. When I was done removing her fillers, her nose looked quite good. This just means to me that cosmetic damage was done with the fillers.

Fillers are not the answer to those who have concerns regarding their nose. Most patients desire a SMALLER nose that is also more sculpted and balanced. Filler is something that can be used in some noses that are deficient in the root of the nose (where the nose begins between your eyes) or the tip area. Fillers in these areas can change the overall appearance of the nose in a good way. Splashing fillers all over the nose like the patient mentioned above is the work of a novice or Dr. Seuss.

It seems attractive because there is no real surgery, minimal downtime, and it's certainly a lot less expensive than surgery, but the indications for the procedure are few and far between. If you choose the filler approach, you are ADDING to the nose, making it larger, not smaller. There are other complications associated with fillers other than a poor aesthetic result (some very serious).

Plastic surgery is an exciting field. We all like to believe that there is always something new around the corner that's an easy solution to making you beautiful or whole. Unfortunately, this is often NOT the case, and as a veteran plastic surgeon with 40 years of experience, I can truthfully tell you that it is still what it's always been—an artistic intervention in the creation of beauty performed by extreme professional surgeons.

I happen to perform many rhinoplasties when most surgeons don't offer this service because of its complexity and potential uncertainties. I can create a desirable nose that pleases my patients and is reliable, safe, and consistent.