Can Temporary Fillers Be Used to Soften Slightly Pinched Tip Until Future Surgery?

Thank you for the great question! Yes, soft tissue fillers can be used in the nose to soften contours. This technique is often called non-surgical rhinoplasty -- it can be a great option, but must be done carefully since the nasal tissues are more sensitive than the thicker facial tissues.  In terms of timing, fillers will last 6 to 9 months. Ideally, you would want these to be dissolved when you have your surgery. Otherwise, the filler may make it difficult to judge the contour of the grafts placed in the tip. Best of luck moving forward!

Hyaluronic acid fillers are excellent for
slightly pinched nasal tip in the interim to allow for maximum wound healing until
one can do a secondary operative procedure. One should wait 12-15 months before
considering revisional surgery.

Hello ella3,

Thanks for your question.  If you feel that you need a revision tip rhinoplasty but are not sure of when you want to proceed, soft tissue fillers can be a nice way to camouflage the area of concern.  Non-surgical rhinoplasty, as this is called, is used frequently by those who are not ready for surgery and those that need minor corrections after surgery.  In my practice, I typically recommend the use of HA fillers like Juvederm or Restylane because they are soft and will disappear over time.  More long-lasting fillers, such as Radiesse, can be used but are only recommended if patients are absolutely sure that they will never have primary or revision rhinoplasty.  The reason for this is that the calcium particles in Radiesse can be a source of problems during surgery.  

The advantages of fillers are that they are affordable, can be performed in the office, and, in the case of HA fillers, can be reversed if outcomes are unsatisfactory.  Additionally, touch-ups are easy to perform.  Some downsides of fillers are that they can create a larger nose, they are not really capable of creating sculpted definition, and they will disappear with time.

I hope this helps.

Good luck,

Dr. Shah