Non-Surgical Nose Job: Everything You Need to Know

Old School Nose Jobs:
Cosmetic Surgery

Surgical nose jobs, also known as rhinoplasty, is the procedure of nose reshaping with an operation. Humans have been using rhinoplasty since Ancient Egypt times to change the look of their nose in the hope of looking better than they did before. (Not always successfully!)

Unlike plastic surgery such as breast implants, both men and women choose to get their noses done, with the ISAPS (International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery) reporting that 72.1% were female and 27.9% were male.

Nose job cosmetic surgeries are usually performed under general anaesthesia and take around 1.5 to 3 hours. It involves incisions made within the nostrils and reshaping of the bones to create the desired effect.

During recovery the patient will experience pain, as well as bruising under the eyes, and might need to use a splint to protect the bones and cartilage in the nose. Recovery time can vary but activities such as jogging or swimming should be avoided for two to three weeks and the patient should refrain from wearing glasses for up to five weeks.

The average nose job cost can be anything from $3000 to $8000, so it's best to shop around for reputation of your surgeon, as well as price. 

Having your shnoz operated on to look better is a pretty common surgery, with many celebrities reportedly having nose jobs, including Blake Lively and Ian Thorpe.

Here are some favourite stars revealing their cosmetic surgery pasts:

Tyra Banks

The America's Next Top Model host had a nose job when she was younger, admitting to People Magazine, “I had bones in my nose that were growing and itching ... I could breathe fine, but I added cosmetic surgery. I admit it! Fake hair, and I did my nose. I feel I have a responsibility to tell the truth.”

Iggy Azalea

"Plastic surgery is an emotional journey," the pop star revealed in Seventeen magazine. "It's no easy feat to live with your flaws and accept yourself—and it's no easy feat to change yourself. Either way you look at it, it's a tough journey. There are things that I didn't like about myself that I changed through surgery. There are other things I dislike but I've learned to accept."

Jillian Michaels 

In 2015, The Biggest Loser trainer told People, “I had my nose done when I was 16 years old, and I’ll be honest, it did change my life.” 

Lisa Kudrow

When speaking to The Saturday Evening Post, Lisa spoke about changing her nose at age 16: "That was life altering. I went from, in my mind, hideous, to not hideous. I did it the summer before going to a new high school. So there were plenty of people who wouldn’t know how hideous I looked before. That was a good, good, good change."

Ashlee Simpson

We may not have the reality star/pop star/ celebrity sibling on record saying she has had corrective surgery - “As long as people have two eyes, you probably know the answer,” Ashlee told US magazine - Instead we present the photographic evidence that Ashlee Simpson seems to have gone under the knife.

Heidi Montag

“It was the hardest time of my life and I feel like I’ve become a lot stronger from it. And [it] made me look at myself and reflect, ‘Why did I do that?’” Montag tells ET of having loads of plastic surgery, including a nose job, during The Hills era. “Maybe I needed to have more confidence and be more secure in who I was and not thinking so much about my eyebrows or my this or that.”

The New Way:
Non-surgical Nose Jobs

But now, reshaping your hooter doesn't have to involve going under the knife.

The invention of non-surgical rhinoplasty as an alternative to traditional procedures has changed the face of surgery. Instead of cutting and bone reshaping, it uses hyaluronic acid injections to disguise bumps and curves, similar to the procedures for lips and cheeks, so doctors can correct a crooked nose by the placement of liquid dermal fillers.

Pros and cons of non-surgical rhinoplasty:

How long will it last?

The major difference between surgical and non-surgical nose jobs is that dermal fillers aren’t usually permanent, lasting between three months to two years.

Cosmetic surgeon Alexander Rivkin states that he starts his patient with a temporary procedure so that it is “reversible and natural looking” and “once the temporary one dissolves, I have them come back and use Bellafill, a permanent filler.”

What is the recovery time?

There is hardly any recovery time for the non-surgical procedure: you can pretty much carry on with your daily routine straight away. However, there may be some redness for up to 24 hours and 20% of people may develop slight bruising that disappears quickly.

How much will it set me back?

The cost of a non-surgical nose job can range from around $550 to $1100 depending on the type of fillers and amount used.

What will they use?

Fillers that are typically used for non-surgical rhinoplasty are Juvederm, Restylane, Radiesse, Sculptra and Perlane. Restylane, Juvederm and Perlane are dermal fillers containing hyaluronic acid created to fill in areas, whereas Sculptra is a collagen simulator made from polylactic acid and is a slow acting formula that gradually changes the nose over about 8 weeks.

Radiesse is a calcium hydroxyapatite which similarly fixes any lumps in the nose but lasts for a longer time than hyaluronic acid fillers, up to a year or two, and is recommended for minor fixes. Most cosmetic surgeons will have their own preference on the type of fillers they use, however they will also tailor the choice to your desired outcome.

What are the results like?

The before and after can be dramatic.

Jesa Marie Calaor from Allure talks about her non-surgical nose job, which lasted about four months:

“The end result wasn't what I expected. Although the procedure did not reduce the width of my nose, it gave me the height that I wanted, along with a cute little "ski-jump" at the end of my nose ... I would, hands down, get this procedure again in lieu of the surgical nose job I plan to get one day.”

Youtube star Gabbie Hanna also had a non-surgical nose job in the hopes of making both sides of the nose more even, without detracting from her ethnic look or changing her face too much. The whole procedure was documented in a youtube video and she was “over the moon” with the end result: 

“I’m just blown away ... it still looks like my nose from the front … but when I turn my head completely to the side I’m not insecure … It’s just my nose, but a little better!”

Where should I go to get a non-surgical nose job?

If you’re considering getting this done, first research board-certified cosmetic surgeons who are fluent in the procedures and book a consultation with one of them.

There, you will discuss what you would like to fix and the doctor will examine your whole nose to view bones, cartilage and breathing.

Most surgeons will use improved technology to show you digital photographs of a before and after of the desired change to see if the result will be what you really want.

If you and the surgeon agree on this, then, using a computer, measurements will be created to ensure you a perfect nose will come out of the procedure.

But be prepared

Non-surgical rhinoplasty will not work for everyone as although it corrects bumps in the nose it does not make it any smaller. Depending on the extent of what you would like done, surgical or non-surgical nose jobs will be recommended.