Non-Surgical Nose Cartilage Reduction

Cosmetic surgeons have used injectable fillers for many years to reduce wrinkles and add fullness to sagging faces, but they are now being used for non-surgical procedures to correct deformities of the nose, to fill in depressions, or to lessen the appearance of bumps with nose cartilage reduction.

Procedure

• Non-surgical nose cartilage reduction is achieved with the use of injectable fillers that can last from 6 months to 2 years before the procedure has to be repeated. This type of nose cartilage reduction is performed in the doctors office using a local anesthetic similar to the one you would get for filling a tooth. The Bitar Cosmetic Surgery Institute states the filling materials Restylane, Perlane, and Juvederm are gels made from a natural sugar. These materials last 6 to 12 months. Radiesse, another filling material, is made from calcium particles. Procedures utilizing this material can last 1 to 2 years before having to be repeated.

  The filler used is slowly injected into the soft tissue below the bump on your nose. Your doctor will then manipulate the material by hand to achieve the desired shape. The end result is a smoothly shaped nose without the noticeable bump. The procedure takes approximately 15 to 30 minutes.

Pros

• Non-surgical nose cartilage reduction is much less expensive then surgical reduction. It is performed at an approximate cost of $700 to $1,200 (as of September 2009). The cost of surgical reduction is approximately $3,000 to $8,000.

  There is a minimal possibility of some redness occurring at the site of the injection, but the bruising or swelling with the non-surgical procedure is minimal as compared to the surgical procedure. With a non-surgical nose cartilage reduction, bandages are not required and you do not have to lose time from work. Improvement is immediately noticeable, or can be seen within a few days after the swelling subsides. With a surgical nose cartilage reduction, improvement cannot be seen until the bruising, swelling, and discoloration subsides in approximately 6 to 8 weeks.

Cons

• Non-surgical procedures cannot reshape the nose to make it smaller. This procedure will slightly increase the size of the nose in order to camouflage the bump. Your body may eliminate the filling material used by your doctor as stated by the Cosmetic Surgery Bible. Repeating the procedure too many times can have a permanent negative effect on the shape of your nose by making the bump more prominent than the original shape. Excessive bleeding can be a side effect, as well as loosening of the cartilage. Discuss the side effects with your doctor before choosing the non-surgical procedure over the more permanent surgical nose reduction.