Is Non Surgical Nose Job Better Than Surgery? (Updated 2023)

Dr. Mabrie performing nonsurgical rhinoplasty procedure on patient

In my professional opinion, yes.

I specialize in non surgical rhinoplasty using nose filler in my San Francisco office. As a facial plastic surgeon, I’ve performed hundreds of surgical rhinoplasties, and now, thousands of non surgical rhinoplasties. After 10 years of performing both, I find that patient experience and satisfaction are much higher with non surgical rhinoplasty vs. surgical for several reasons:

  • Results are immediate.
  • Swelling, pain, and recovery time are greatly reduced.
  • Final cosmetic results are often better.

There are circumstances, such as severe cosmetic deformities and functional nasal disorders, where surgery is the better alternative. However, most common cosmetic nasal concerns can be improved with a non surgical rhinoplasty.  In this post, I discuss these common concerns and how I go about treating them.

Nasal Tip

The tip of the nose is often the source of my patients’ complaints. Problems with the nasal tip include a rounded, boxy, drooping, or bulbous tip. By artfully injecting a filler during non surgical rhinoplasty—typically Restylane—into the apex of the nose, I can provide a variety of improvements including:

  • Creating definition
  • Reducing a rounded or bulbous appearance
  • Softening an angular or boxy tip

When patients want to correct nasal droopiness, well-placed injections in the tip can increase rotation and create an upward tilt.

BA-nasal-tip

This young woman’s nose was characterized by a drooping tip. Carefully placed Restylane injections reshaped her nose so that the tip pointed upward instead of down. Restylane injected into the nose can last up to a year or longer.

Indentations, Irregular Contour

One of the great things about dermal fillers is that they give me the ability to make subtle refinements, such as filling indentations or straightening a “crooked” nose. These delicate changes would be much more difficult (and risky) to address through surgery.

BA-irregular-contour

With a few Restylane injections, I smoothed the minor irregularities in this woman’s nose, creating a straight, attractive contour that enhances her overall beauty.

Revision From Previous Accident Or Scarring

Many people who visit my practice have visible complications from a previous rhinoplasty or trauma to the nose. They are often understandably wary of undergoing surgery to repair the irregularity. Non surgical rhinoplasty can be ideal for these patients.

BA-revision

After rhinoplasty surgery, this woman was left with an irregular shape and an indentation that caused the nasal tip to look large and prominent. With filler injections to the bridge and tip, I was able to smooth out the nasal contours, giving her an improved profile and boosting her confidence.

Wide Bridge

An angular, defined bridge is considered universally attractive, and can enhance the overall appearance of your face. Many individuals have a wide bridge that lacks definition, and non surgical rhinoplasty is an ideal solution for this problem. I use injections of JUVÉDERM® or Restylane to build up the bridge, creating a more pronounced nasal dorsum that improves both the profile and the frontal appearance.

BA-wide-bridge

Despite being happy with the overall size and character of her nose, this woman wanted subtle refinements that wouldn’t look “done.” I used one syringe of Restylane to give definition to the bridge and tip, which turned her “fine” nose into a perfect one.

Hump Reduction

A prominent dorsal hump is a common complaint that sends women and men to the plastic surgeon’s office. Many of my patients who thought surgery was their only option are surprised to see how much improvement can be achieved with dermal fillers. Each case is different, but I typically add Restylane to the bridge and tip, essentially straightening the nasal profile and smoothing out the appearance of the hump.

BA-hump-reduction

I dramatically improved this woman’s profile by adding filler above the hump. I also slightly rotated the tip upward using Restylane Lyft.

You can see many more of our patients’ non surgical nose job before and after pictures in our photo gallery.

Can Filler Make a Nose Look Smaller?

Of course filler can’t actually shrink the nose, but there are several techniques that allow me to make your nose look significantly smaller or more proportional. Take a look at this quick video or read this blog post to learn more:

How Much Does a Non Surgical Nose Job Cost?

Non surgical rhinoplasty with Dr. Mabrie at MFI costs $3,300. This includes your first and second appointments and up to 2 syringes of filler over 2 visits. 

Once your nose is just right, you move into the maintenance phase of treatment. From this point on, we only need to see you once every 9 to 12 months, and annual maintenance averages about $1,000-$1,200, although individual needs can vary.

Looking at the Big Picture

Many of my non surgical rhinoplasty patients initially came to me for treatment of other concerns, such as dark circles or nasolabial folds. But after a thorough consultation, we determined that improvements to the nasal contours would enhance their overall attractiveness. This is often part of MFI’s Illumination 360° treatment process, in which we take a full-face approach to correcting flaws and highlighting key features to optimize a person’s looks. You can see from these cases, subtle, artful refinements to the nose can play a key role in achieving your best face.

Non Surgical Nose Job Before and After Photos

Before & After contouring for Non Surgical Nose Job face shape
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After
Before & After contouring for Non Surgical Nose Job face shape
Before
After
Before & After contouring for Non Surgical Nose Job face shape
Before
After
Before & After contouring for Non Surgical Nose Job face shape
Before
After
Before & After contouring for Non Surgical Nose Job face shape
Before
After

We’d Love To See You

If you’re considering a non surgical nose job or other facial contouring procedures with fillers like Restylane or JUVÉDERM® in the San Francisco Bay Area and want to learn more, please contact us using our online form or by calling us at (415) 445-9513.  Our Concierge Team is available to answer your questions or to schedule a time for your initial assessment.

Dr. David Mabrie

Dr. David Mabrie

Facial Plastic Surgeon & Founder of Mabrie Facial Institute Dr. David Mabrie is a recognized leader, innovator, and educator in the use of dermal fillers for facial sculpting and has dedicated his practice entirely to facial rejuvenation with injectables. Years of experience led Dr. Mabrie to pioneer the Illumination 360° approach, just one of the ways Dr. Mabrie brings life to his practice’s mantra: “your face, perfected.”

12 Responses to Is Non Surgical Nose Job Better Than Surgery? (Updated 2023)

    • Dr. David Mabrie says:

      Hi Khatik ~ thank you for your question. Dr. Mabrie performs non-surgical rhinoplasty. He was one of the first San Francisco surgeons to offer this unique procedure. The in-office treatment can help shape, contour, and enhance the nose without surgery. Be sure to read our March Blog, “Can Nonsurgical Rhinoplasty Do What Surgery Does” to learn more about it. There you can check out real results, from real patients and see a treatment video. In our practice, the fee for non-surgical rhinoplasty is $2,700.00. Give us a call if you would like more information or to find out if you’re a candidate for this procedure. Thank you for checking-out our blog!

  • Dr. Mohan Thomas says:

    Informative post!! I was looking for rhinoplasty surgery in Mumbai but was very tense about the surgery and all. Thanks to this article, It has provided me some good set of knowledge. Thanks for sharing!!

  • Amy Batth says:

    I love the work shown on your hump reduction section. I was wondering why it was so expensive ($2700) are the results permanent? Or would I need to come back every so often to get more fillers?

    • Susan Cole says:

      @Amy Batth – thank you for checking-out our blog and your question. We love knowing that you love our results! Non-surgical rhinoplasty costs can vary, but we urge you to avoid price shopping when considering any filler procedure. In particular, non-surgical rhinoplasty can be an anatomically challenging and should only be performed by an Expert Injector with plenty of demonstrated experience. Your results should last about 1 year before needing a touch-up. Your maintenance costs are about $500-$1,000.00 and lower than your Initial Examination/Assessment. I hope that helps. If you have any more questions, give us a call. We’re happy to help and hope to welcome you to the practice.

    • Susan Cole says:

      Hi Kelly ~ thank you for checking out our blog for Nonsurgical Rhinoplasty. Our Initial Assessment fee is $300 with one of our Physician Assistants and $500 with Dr. Mabrie. It includes your consultation/examination; medical photography, and your customized treatment plan. If you opt for same-day treatment, we’ll credit $100 towards your treatment. Please let me know if you would like to come into the office. I’m happy to schedule a date/time for your to meet with one of our Injectors. We look forward to welcoming you to the practice.

  • MM says:

    I’ve recently gained wait that shows in my face and had made my nose appear larger. Is it better to do a rhinoplasty now or once I’ve lost the wait and the natural size and shape of my nose is more clear?

  • nina says:

    hi would i be able to have non surgical on a boxy tip and if so is your nose elongated or appear more bigger are there any pics that its been done on a boxy tip? thanks

    • Hi Nina – great question about improving the appearance of a boxy tip with nonsurgical rhinoplasty. The answer is…yes! Nonsurgical rhinoplasty can improve the appearance of the nose by contouring the bridge and tip. By strategically smoothing and sculpting the nose, the results elongate rather than create a bulky of bigger appearance. You may want to check out our before/after photo gallery for nonsurgical rhinoplasty results. I think Case 480 is a nice example of refining a boxy tip. To find out if you’re a good candidate for nonsurgical rhinoplasty, you may want to submit some photos for a complimentary Virtual Assessment. Find the Virtual Assessment instructions on our website under “Resources” for step-by-step instructions. I hope that helps!

  • angela Orlick says:

    I have a bolbous nose, it was finer when I was younger and has gotten rounder as I’ve aged. How can you make it look less round? Wouldn’t fillet make it bigger?

    • Hi Angela – thank you for checking out our blog. This is a great question – the quick answer is…filler won’t make your nose look bigger. It can be a little confusing when you think about “adding” filler and making the nose appear smaller. Properly placed filler performed by an experienced Injector, will create nasal contours on a bulbous nose. The effect is similar to contouring with make-up. Fillers can define and contour the tip and bridge that area bulbous and flat. Check-out case #227 on our before/after patient images for a visual example. I hope that helps.

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