Differences between Surgical Rhinoplasty and Liquid Rhinoplasty – Which One is Right for You?

Rhinoplasty allows patients to make desired changes to their nose by altering the shape, size or appearance of the nose. In the past, rhinoplasty was exclusively a surgical procedure where the incisions were made on the outside of the nose (open rhinoplasty) or on the inside of the nose (closed rhinoplasty). These days, patient have options if they do not want to undergo an invasive surgical procedure or they simply want to view what the results of rhinoplasty would look like before committing to the surgery. Patients that are not sure about having invasive surgery can have a liquid rhinoplasty procedure where the results are not permanent. Not sure which rhinoplasty option is the best one for you? Let’s take a look at the differences between surgical rhinoplasty and liquid rhinoplasty.

Surgical Rhinoplasty Explained

The results of surgical rhinoplasty, AKA a nose job, are permanent.
Surgical rhinoplasty is considered to be a delicate surgery since the final results can have a large impact on the balance of the facial features
This rhinoplasty option takes anywhere from 90-minutes to 3 hours to perform (depending on the rhinoplasty technique used by the surgeon and the amount of work that needs to be done to achieve the final results)
The patient will likely need to wear a splint on the nose, that is kept dry and in place, to protect it during the first week after surgery. The splint will be removed after seven days. The majority of the post-surgery swelling will last for a few months although patients can expect to see some swelling for up to a year after surgery.
Patients will need to avoid blowing their nose for the first few weeks after surgery.
Surgical rhinoplasty can address aesthetic concerns as well as functional concerns with the nose. Rhinoplasty can also help improve the ability of a person to breathe more easily on a daily basis.

Liquid Rhinoplasty Explained

The results of liquid rhinoplasty, AKA nonsurgical rhinoplasty, are not permanent so patients that want to maintain the results of the procedure will need to have follow-up procedures.
The results of liquid rhinoplasty generally last anywhere from 10-12 months.
Liquid rhinoplasty is when a doctor injects hyaluronic acid (HA) into the nose of a patient to make a temporary alteration to its shape or look such as making the tip more or less pronounced or straightening the nose.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is able to temporarily reduce or eliminate asymmetries to the nose and provide a more symmetrical look to the nose and the other facial features.
Liquid rhinoplasty adds volume to the nose so any humps or bumps are less noticeable to the average eye.
The filler used during liquid rhinoplasty can give the nose a more refined shape but it cannot make the nose smaller in appearance because there is no skin, bone or cartilage removed during the treatment.
There is no downtime after the treatment but patients may experience some mild swelling and some bruising.

Choosing between Surgical Rhinoplasty and Liquid Rhinoplasty

The first thing that patients have to decide when it comes between surgical rhinoplasty and liquid rhinoplasty is the type of results they want to see as well as the length of the results. In addition, they have to decide if they are willing to undergo a long-term recovery period to achieve the results they want to see.

Surgical rhinoplasty provides permanent results but it also involves a recovery period that can last up to a year due to swelling. Plus, surgical rhinoplasty is able to provide both aesthetic and functional changes to the nose.

On the other hand, liquid rhinoplasty has no real downtime and very little bruising and swelling. Patients can use the volume provided by fillers to enhance the look of their nose but they cannot make their nose smaller in size through liquid rhinoplasty. In general, the ideal candidate for liquid rhinoplasty is someone that wants a straighter nose or a modified appearance to the tip of the nose. Nonsurgical rhinoplasty is best viewed as a short-term solution for patients that want minor corrections to the nose as opposed to permanent results or any changes to the functional aspects of the nose.

Patients that are interested in having rhinoplasty should schedule a consultation appointment with a board-certified surgeon that is experienced in performing rhinoplasty. Any changes made to the nose need to be taken under careful consideration as the changes in the look and size of the nose can also make changes to the overall balance of the features of the face. Plus, the surgeon can help patients that want to make permanent changes to the nose decide if they want open rhinoplasty or closed rhinoplasty. It is also important for the surgeon to determine if the patient is having the surgery because the person wants to make the changes in the nose for their own benefit or if the person wants to have a rhinoplasty procedure in order to make someone else happy.