New Nose without Surgery?
Christopher R. Hove, M.D.

Yes, it is possible to reshape your nose without undergoing surgery.  Within just a few minutes during an office visit, you can actually change the shape of your nose.  What makes this possible?  With the introduction of injectable fillers over the past few years, surgeons now have the flexibility to offer correction of undesirable features just by numbing the skin, and injecting below the skin to change the surface contour.

Of the injectable fillers that are available, Radiesse is particularly well suited to alter the shape of the nose.  Radiesse is composed of calcium hydroxylapetite, a substance naturally occurring in the human body, and it has the consistency of toothpaste.  Surgeons will inject varying amounts just below the skin to lift the skin’s surface.  In this way, you can watch the new nose take shape.  Initially the area feels firm, but then softens over the following 1-2 weeks.  Some redness, swelling or bruising may occur, but makeup can be applied immediately for camouflage.  The new shape rarely requires touching up, but this can be done if necessary.  Of course, not all shapes of noses are suitable for this procedure.   A nose with a “hump,” or a nose that is noticeably flattened or shallow along the profile tend to work best.  Noses that have suffered fractures or have visible irregularities from prior surgery can also be reshaped, depending on the defect.

The procedure does have drawbacks however.  Desired changes in the nasal tip usually cannot be achieved this way, and surgery may be necessary. Also, the correction is not permanent, as results generally last 6-12 months.  But this is can be an advantage.  If you are considering corrective surgery, but wish to see how a new shape might look before actually having surgery, this is an easy “live preview.”   Alternatively, if you don’t like the new shape of the nose after the injection, just wait for the Radiesse to resorb, and the original shape is back.  When we invent inflatable noses, I’ll let you know.