Rhinoplasty without surgery

It is easy and straightforward to create the desired external alteration in the shape of the nose within a few minutes by using artificially produced hyaluronic acid (the so-called filler). 

It is not only the quickness of the change that is an advantage: the risk involved in an operation requiring anaesthesia can also be eliminated. There is virtually no aftercare or short-term restriction of physical activities. Meanwhile, numerous beauty clinics offer this procedure for a few hundred Euros. Fillers have also been applied in the treatment of wrinkles for years.

Hyaluronic acid is a protein that is naturally present in our body and determines the composition of our connective tissue to a large extent. Thanks to its properties, it binds a lot of water, which is the decisive factor in aesthetic use due to the increase in volume that is achieved in the tissue. 

Insertion in the area of the nasal root can smooth out a nasal hump, balance out a saddle nose and visually raise or enhance the shape of the nose tip.

Initially, the skin is numbed with an anaesthetic ointment to minimize the pain resulting from the treatment. This is followed by disinfection of the skin. Then, hyaluronic acid is carefully injected into the desired areas of the skin by means of a very fine needle. The result is visible immediately. Minor erythema or haematoma caused by the injection will subside within a few days.

However, the achieved improvements are not long-lasting. Hyaluronic acid, like any protein in the body, is subject to the natural ageing process. It is eliminated after a certain period of time by natural cellular processes. Our connective tissue cells, the so-called fibroblasts, produce hyaluronic acid on a regular basis - however only as much as is necessary for the body's natural functions and as determined by our genetic information in the cell nuclei. 

Therefore, in the case of aesthetic modifications, hyaluronic acid has to be injected over and over again. Experience has shown that one treatment is effective for approx. 12 - 18 months.

One further important disadvantage is that the nose reshaping process usually involves an overall increase in the size of the nose. It is therefore not possible to satisfy the frequently expressed desire for a nose reduction with finer contouring of the nasal tip. 

The worst case scenario is that the nose will not only look larger, but also appear to be longer. The reason for this is that an existing hump usually "breaks" the optical line of the nasal bridge and makes the nose look somewhat smaller. This line becomes "optically" longer by means of compensating the hump with hyaluron.  

Hyaluronic acid may only be used around the midline of the nose, otherwise it may result in skin degeneration. Nasal blood circulation proceeds laterally and can therefore be compromised. Therefore, if asymmetries are present, this procedure cannot be of any benefit. 

Another important aspect to mention is that injecting hyaluronic acid can trigger infections and allergic reactions accompanied by unsightly scarring. That is why the hyaluron treatment should not be carried out carelessly and applied only by experienced experts.  

If a patient additionally experiences nasal breathing difficulties, a non-surgical nose correction will obviously not improve the situation. There are only surgical procedures for this.  

Generally, the non-operative nose correction can be repeated frequently. However, it must be noted that the skin also suffers over the years and may lose its tightness. The prerequisites for a later surgical nose operation may be worsened by eventual changes in the connective tissue and scarring. In the long run, the costs of several hundred Euros per treatment are cost-intensive. 

A non-operative nose correction is considerably subordinate to a successful surgical result.