SKN: Why are some people seeking other options, aside from the traditional surgical nose job?

Dr. Novick: Some people might not have the money for a surgical "nose job," or what doctors call "rhinoplasty." Or some can't bear the thought of a long, painful recovery or afford the added expense of a two-week recuperative downtime away from work.

SKN: What products do you use to perform a non-surgical nose job?

Dr. Novick: I use a state-of-the-art soft-tissue volumizing material, Radiesse, and the fillers, Juvederm, and Restylane. All three are FDA-approved materials, and the safety of each has been well established in extensive human use in the U.S. as well as in many parts of the world where they were available long before their introduction here. Your doctor may choose to use only one of these materials or may combine them.

Radiesse, for example, may be injected more deeply to supply support to overlying tissue, while the hyaluronic acid products may be selected in order to achieve more superficial, finer shaping. The precise combination chosen will often depend upon physician preference and the specific types of irregularities being treated. Since the risk of local allergy is so low, neither Radiesse - a synthetic bone-like material made up of calcium hyroxylapatite - nor Juvederm and Restylane - synthetically produced hyaluronic acid derivatives - require pre-treatment skin testing. If you wish, you may literally be treated at the time of your initial consultation, something I frequently do in my practice.

SKN: Please take us through an actual procedure.

Dr. Novick: Prior to the procedure, the area to be treated is injected with a mixture of dilute volumes of lidocaine, a fast-acting local anesthetic, and "epinephrine," a blood vessel constrictor. The addition of the epinephrine serves to reduce the likelihood of oozing from the injection sites and of bruising afterward. Once the area is numb, the volumizer or filler is injected and then molded like clay into place to correct the deformity or irregularity. The entire procedure typically takes about five minutes, and in most cases, the results are immediate. After the procedure, you may experience some redness, mild swelling and tenderness, which may last one to three days. Occasionally, despite the epinephrine, you may develop some bruising that can take several days to fade, but is easily disguised with proper masking makeup.

SKN: What are some of the specific techniques you employ?

Dr. Novick: For a drooping nasal tip, a very common occurrence with aging or following pregnancy, tiny droplets of Botox Cosmetic, which has been used successfully to treat the dynamic wrinkles of the face, are injected directly into the crevices on each side of the nose and to the base of the nose where it joins the upper lip. This gently weakens those muscles responsible for pulling the nose downward and permits the small muscles higher up along the nose to draw the tip upward unopposed. The net result is that the tip is repositioned for a more youthful appearance. Next, a small amount of Radiesse placed along the base of the nose serves to buttress the tip upward and reinforce the effects of the Botox Cosmetic, contributing to a much longer-lasting result than would be achieved with Botox alone.

To smooth a bump or hump on the bridge of the nose, Radiesse is my augmenting agent of first choice. A tiny amount layered between bridge and the root of the nose can straighten a bent or hooked appearance with immediate and often dramatic improvement. The before and after photos shown here were taken just ten minutes apart.

SKN: Because this isn't a surgical procedure, the assumption is the results are temporary. How long do results last and how much are these procedures?

Dr. Novick: The results with Radiesse may last 12 to 18 months and those of Juvederm and Restylane for eight to 12 months before a touchup may be necessary. Depending upon the area of the country and what materials are used, a non-surgical nose job may cost between $750 and $1500.

Got a question for Dr. Novick? Send him an email here (info@skincare-news.com)! Your question might be featured in an upcoming article.

Skincare-News.com thanks Dr. Novick for his time and valuable expertise! Check back with Skincare-News.com for the other interviews in this series as well as other exciting interviews with our experts!

The Non-Surgical Rejuvenation Series:

Non-Surgical Rejuvenation: Dr. Novick on Non-Surgical Face Lifts (Part 1)

Non-Surgical Rejuvenation: Dr. Novick on Non-Surgical Eye and Brow Lifts (Part 3)

Talking Non-Surgical Neck Lifts (Part 5)

On Non-Surgical Chest Enhancement & Breast Lifting (Part 6)

Chatting About Non-Surgical Hand Rejuvenation: (Part 7)

In addition to Dr. Novick's role as bestselling author, clinical professor of dermatology at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and attending physician, he is also a fellow of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (FAACS) and maintains a private practice in Cosmetic Dermatology and Cosmetic Dermasurgery on Manhattan's Upper East Side. He has been featured on many popular television and radio shows and lends his expertise to scores of major publications.