HOUSTON – A nose job without the knife and no recovery downtime? There is a new way to change the shape of your nose without having to go through surgery. A “liquid nose job” is growing in popularity because of the ease and affordability so we wanted to see how it works.
“I have such a heavy insecurity about the beak I have,” said Valerie Espinoza. “I have this hump on my nose, it’s my side profile that I can’t stand.”
For as long as 23-year-old Valerie Espinoza can remember, she has worried about the look of her nose.
“Since I was younger maybe even elementary, I’ve been like, ‘I need to get this fixed,’” she said. “I want it to look more proportional with my face, not so sticking out.”
She didn’t want to go through painful surgery and recovery that could take weeks. Facial plastic surgeon Dr. Sanaz Harirchian said Espinoza is a great candidate for the liquid nose job.
“Liquid rhinoplasty is really good for camouflaging humps, building up a ridge, lifting a tip, adding hight to a bridge, filling little irregularity,” said Harirchian from My Houston Surgeons.
In the procedure, doctors inject fillers into certain areas of the nose to change the shape.
“It’s really the ultimate optical illusion in this procedure," Harirchian said. “There is no downtime and they can walk in and leave the office 15 minutes later and have a new nose, feel more confident in their skin.”
Would a liquid nose job work for me?
You might not be the right candidate for a liquid nose job if your main complaint is the width of your nose. Fillers would not work to camouflage that complaint. For Espinoza, Harirchian did a consultation to see if this procedure would work for her.
“I’m ready to do this,” said an excited Espinoza.
Harirchian decided to also add a little filler to her chin.
“It’s all about balance,” Harirchian said.
The results
The results of the liquid nose job equal a noticeable difference in the way Espinoza looks.
“Oh my gosh! I’m shaking right now. It looks good! I love it!” said Espinoza. “I would rather take this procedure. If you do an actual rhinoplasty, there is downtime. This is just a quick fix and you can see results right away.”
Espinoza said the procedure is practically painless.
“There was just some minor pinching so nothing extreme," she said. "They put numbing cream on before so you really didn’t feel anything.”
Harirchian said the results last about 12 to 18 months.
“I have patients who come in every year or every few years for (a) touchup," the doctor said. “A little bit lasts, so you can keep building on that, so I see patients year after year and every time it keeps getting better and better.”
How much does it cost?
Depending on where you go, it will cost you about $1,000. Also, you don’t want to go to just anyone who does fillers. Because of the delicate areas on the face, you need someone who is experienced.
