Youve stared at your nose in the mirror for years wishing that something could be done to improve the bump on the bridge, eliminate the indentation in the middle, or raise up the tip. But, you could never gather up the courage or the money for a surgical nose job, what doctors call a rhinoplasty. Maybe you just could not bear the thought of a painful recovery or afford the added expense of the two-week downtime away from work. Now, with non-surgical rhinoplasty you may just be able to have your cake and eat it.

Two state-of-the-art soft-tissue filler materials, Radiesse and Restylane, may be just the answer for you. Both are FDA-approved materials, and their safety has been well established in human use. Neither Radiesse, a synthetic bone-like material made up of calcium hyroxylapatite nor Restylane, a synthetically produced hyaluronic acid derivative, require pre-treatment allergy testing. Each has been injected successfully to correct certain nasal irregularities.

The areas to be treated usually require a small amount of local anesthetic. The filler is then injected and molded into place to correct the deformity or irregularity. Treatment usually takes only a few minutes. Afterward, you may experience some redness, mild swelling, and tenderness, which may last one to two days. Occasionally, you may develop slight bruising that can last several days, but is easily coverable with makeup.

For a drooping nasal tip, a very common occurrence with aging, tiny droplets of Botox Cosmetic, which has been used so successfully to treat the dynamic wrinkles of the face, may be given to the sides of the nose and to the tip directly to weaken those muscles responsible for pulling the nose downward and to allow others that draw the tip upward to do so unopposed. The net result is that the tip is repostitioned to a more youthful appearance. Re-treatment may be necessary every few months to maintain this improvement.

The results with Radiesse may last twelve to eighteen months and those of Restylane for eight to twelve months before a touchup may be necessary.

Your doctor will discuss with you whether non-surgical rhinoplasty is appropriate for you, the benefits of each agent, and the best agent or combination of injectables for your particular needs. Now what are you waiting for?