Myths and Facts on Noselift Surgery (Rhinoplasty)

Augmentation rhinoplasty, commonly known as noselifting, is still the most popular plastic surgery operation to date. It is no wonder then that it also has the most misconceptions in the mind of the public. These fallacies are further perpetuated by unscrupulous individuals who are not trained adequately and still perform the operation, taking advantage of gullible patients.

One of the most amusing myth is that plastic surgery of the nose involves the use of plastic materials, similar to common household plastic utensils. Perhaps this came from people who do not know that the word “plastic” in plastic surgery comes from the Greek word “plastikos,” which means to mold or to form. This is basically what plastic surgeons do to tissues. Or perhaps this mistaken notion came from patients who had the misfortune of having the wrong plastic on their noses. One of the plastic surgeons in our group practice, Dr. Alex de Leon, had this hilarious experience of removing an implant from a patient’s botched up nose. The implant was made of the plastic scoop you find in a can of infant’s milk. The surgery was performed somewhere in northern Luzon.

The implant of choice for noselifts in Asians is medical grade silicon in rubber form. These are carved from a block or purchased preformed and just shaped according to the patients’ needs. Some surgeons would create a mold of the face and use it as a guide in carving the implant. Other doctors would carve it during the surgery itself.

A predominant misconception is the belief that the plastic surgeon is like a magician and can create any type of nose desired by the patient. Patients would usually bring pictures of celebrities and demand that their noses should look like that of their idols. Of course we can work only on what the patients have. This means that more often than not, we can only refine or improve what the patients have. Patients who have unrealistic expectations are turned down.

Another common myth in noselifts is that the patient has to be very careful with their operated nose because the implant might get displaced. The position of the implant depends on how the plastic surgeon made the pocket. So if the pocket is created more to the one side, the implant will be displaced to that side. This problem becomes apparent only after a few days or weeks when the swelling subsides. However, very few surgeons would admit their mistake and readily blame it on the patient’s carelessness. Once the operated nose is healed (about 10 days) patients are usually advised that they can resume all normal activities without compromising the results of the operation.

It is also not true that once you have a noselift you should avoid being exposed to the sun because the implant or the nose might melt. For sure this myth came about because of the experience of a lot of unfortunate patients who were fooled to subject themselves to “instant noselifts” by paraffin or candle wax injections. When silicon gel for injections was banned and withdrawn from the market, profit driven doctors and cosmetologists resorted to using paraffin, instead with disastrous results. Paraffin when exposed to heat usually softens with the resultant deformity of the nose. Medical grade silicon in rubber form however is resistant to heat and is even sterilized by exposing it to extreme heat for a few minutes. This allows noselifted patients to be able to stay under the sun for as long as they like.

Smiling or laughing out loud was never a restriction after a nosejob. When we put stitches, we suture it in a way that even if it is stretched because of smiling or sneezing it would resist breaking up. In fact, as early as four days after surgery, we already remove the stitches to avoid stitch marks or unsightly scars.

Speaking of scars, it is not true that when plastic surgeons perform the surgery, there will be no scars. Scars always follow whenever wounds are made. The reason why scars are not obvious in noselifts is because plastic surgeons know where to hide them. We usually hide them within the nose where they cannot be seen or along crease or wrinkle lines so they look like natural lines. Good scars are scars that do not need to be concealed or camouflaged by make up. Everybody interested in any plastic surgery, especially in the face, should realize that scars do not become invisible overnight. Depending on the location of the incision and how the patient heals, scars may still be reddish and visible even up to six weeks to six months.

A common fear of noselift candidates is that the implant or the surgery could cause some form of cancer to grow in the area. Or the implant will cause some allergic reaction and destroy the skin of the nose. Or that the implant will decay over time and has to be replaced on a regular basis. All of these are untrue. There has been no reported case to date, of cancer related to silicone. Silicone does not react to tissues and is non-allergenic. It is so durable that it will outlast the patient. These myths may have their beginnings when such complications occur because the surgeon did not use medical grade silicon. Not all silicon products are the same. Sometimes other materials are mixed with the silicon so as to make it easier to shape and carve. Usually these types of implants are the favorite of beginners, quacks and the inexperienced. To avoid this from happening to you, you should be very careful in selecting your surgeon.

Very few people know that not all patients who come to our office and request for noselift surgery, are accommodated. Patients should have the right reasons for requesting the surgery, otherwise we will refuse them. A good reason is that they are doing this for themselves and not for anybody else. Patients who do not have the right reasons for the operation will usually become problem patients during the recovery period.

Another misconception is that noselifting being a “minor” procedure could be done safely in any office. To avoid complications like infections this procedure is better performed in the sterile environment of an operating room. Patients are then allowed to go home since there is no need for hospitalization.

A very common fear among patients is the pain during the surgery and during the recovery or healing period. The fact is, patients are comfortable with just local anesthesia. They are not put to sleep or even sedated. Most of the patients do not even encounter the need to take their pain medications that are provided after the surgery. The removal of stitches four days after surgery is also almost painless.

A lot of people also think that a noselift is very expensive and is only for movie stars and the very rich. With the development of well-equipped outpatient surgery centers and the increasing number of well trained plastic surgeons, the cost of surgery of the nose has gone down to affordable levels. Currently the going rate for this operation is between P 15,000 to a high P40,000. Patients should be wary if the surgeon is charging lower or higher than this range. If the charge is lower, chances are the surgery will be done in an ill-equipped office clinic using cheap, inferior quality implants. Higher charges usually accompany operations done in the hospitals. Patients should always be careful so that they get their money’s worth.

For more information about rhinoplasty, please call or text Jane Rosales at 09279350405.