For years, the only way to change the way your nose looked was through a surgical procedure known as rhinoplasty. The same was true if you weren’t happy with the wrinkles on your face or the way your skin had begun to droop or sag over the years — the only way to reduce those signs of aging was through a surgical facelift.
Luckily for people who aren’t ready for surgery or who don’t have the time or budget for a major procedure, the days of limited surgical options are long past. Now, if you don’t like your nose or want to reduce the signs of aging on your face, you have a few non-surgical options, including non-surgical rhinoplasty and non-surgical facelift. While these options won’t replace surgery for every patient, they can be ideal for those who aren’t quite sure if they want to commit to the recovery period, cost or permanent results of a plastic surgery procedure.
Non-Surgical Facelift
If you decide to have a non-surgical facelift performed, the surgeon will typically trade the incisions for injections. The procedure is ideal for patients who don’t have significant signs of aging on their face yet or who don’t yet have a considerable amount of skin looseness or a loss of elasticity.
The exact injections used during a non-surgical facelift depend on what you and the surgeon decide to be the most appropriate. Although a traditional, surgical facelift only focuses on the lower portion of the face, a non-surgical procedure can zero in on your forehead or eye area, as well. For example, the surgeon may advise having Botox injections to reduce the lines between your eyebrows or to reduce the crow’s feet in the corners of your eyes.
A non surgical facelift procedure typically consists of two parts: Botox injections and dermal fillers such as Juvederm, Perlane or Restylane. These are hyaluronic acid fillers that help reduce the appearance of wrinkles by the mouth and nose by filling in the area or by improving the volume beneath your skin.
Usually, you’ll have a consultation with the surgeon before a non-surgical facelift. During the consultation, he or she will evaluate your face and recommend the fillers or injections that are most appropriate for you. The injections are given in-office and the entire process is usually completed in about 30 minutes.
Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty
Like a non surgical facelift, a non-surgical rhinoplasty replaces incisions with injections, or more specifically, replaces an implant with an injection. During the procedure, the surgeon uses a filler to make the nose larger or to fill in any divots or indentations on the nose. The fillers can also be used to make bumps or humps on the nose look smoother.
During an initial consultation, the surgeon can evaluate your nose and let you know if a non-surgical rhinoplasty is a good option. The procedure is limited in terms of what it can do. For example, it won’t make a nose smaller, nor can it correct breathing problems. If you have a severely deviated septum or think your nose is too large for your face, surgical rhinoplasty may be your best option.
Benefits and Drawbacks
Non-surgical rhinoplasties and facelifts offer a number of advantages over their surgical counterparts. The biggest advantages are how long it takes the results to appear and how much time you need to recover. Typically, you can return to your regular life right after a non-surgical facelift or rhinoplasty. The one exception is that your doctor will most likely recommend waiting at least a day before exercising again.
Usually, the results from the procedure are visible right away. It can take up to a week for some results to appear, such as the reduction in wrinkles caused by Botox injections. But, you won’t experience the bruising or swelling associated with facial plastic surgery.
The big drawback of either procedure is that the results are extremely temporary. The results from a surgical rhinoplasty will last the rest of your life and the results from a facelift can last for up to a decade. But, with a non surgical procedure, the longest you can expect your results to last is one to two years. You can repeat the process to maintain the results after that, if you wish. Some people like to have a non-surgical procedure first to see if they like the changes to their face. You might decide after a few months or a couple of years that you’re ready for either a surgical rhinoplasty or a surgical facelift.
In the Washington, DC area, Dr. George Bitar offers both surgical and non-surgical facelift and rhinoplasty. He is available to speak with you and help you determine whether traditional surgery or a treatment involving fillers and injections is best suited for you. To schedule a consultation, call (703) -206-0506 today.
George Bitar, MD, FACS is an award-winning, board-certified cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgeon, the Founder and Medical Director of Bitar Cosmetic Surgery Institute in Virginia. He specializes in the latest surgical and minimally invasive techniques to scar management and reduction. Dr. Bitar is involved in groundbreaking research and education in plastic surgery and has authored numerous articles, abstracts, and chapters.
