This is not medical or professional advice. This is my own personal experience. Please read my full disclaimer, terms and conditions, and privacy policy.
INSECURITIES
One of my biggest fears of getting surgery is getting a botched nose job. At first, even getting fillers injected into my body scared me as well. There’s so many things that could go wrong. I don’t like the side profile because there’s a divot, creating a bump on the bridge of my nose. Whenever I smile, the tip of my nose droops. Since getting surgery scares me, I decided that getting a non-surgical nose job was the next best thing. It’s temporary, and if I didn’t like it, I could just get the filler dissolved. Or if I wasn’t satisfied, I could find another nurse or doctor.
I’ve always been insecure about a little dip on the bridge of my nose, but I didn’t want to go under the knife.
As I started looking for doctors and nurses who did non-surgical rhinoplasties, I ultimately decided to go to a doctor for my first visit. I was more comfortable going to a doctor first because I figured they would be more cautious of where they put the fillers. There’s still many things that could go wrong with getting filler injections. I watched many botched Youtube videos of people going to individuals that didn’t have correct licenses, so I didn’t want to take any chances.
(After my first visit with my doctor, I realized it is still safe to get the procedure done by nurses. You just need to do the correct due diligence, and make sure the nurse has correct licenses.)
PROCEDURE
I went to Dr. Haena Kim in Walnut Creek.
On the day of my appointment I was so nervous, but Dr. Haena Kim was easy to talk to. She helped ease my nerves.
We both worked together and talked about what we could achieve with my nose. I received just enough filler to diminish the look of the bump. Immediately after, my front and side profile were both more symmetrical! It was such a subtle change that it still looked like my nose, but better.A little bruise developed which scared me, but it went away – totally normal to bruise! I also think I bruised because I regularly take fish oil pills, which supposedly you’re not supposed to do a few days before the procedure.
I paid $875 total ($75 consultation; $800 procedure)
During my consultations, I told her I wanted to straighten my bridge and lift the tip of the nose. I also told her my concerns of my nose drooping when I smiled. She told me I’d need to go under the knife if I wanted my nose to stop drooping.
I was bummed because I’ve seen other nurses do amazing jobs lifting the nose with fillers, so that the nose wouldn’t appear droopy. Ultimately, I decided to proceed with Dr. Haena anyways because I was already there, she had good reviews, and I wanted to see her work on me (even though she couldn’t lift the tip).
The pain was a 5/10. My nose was numbed before injecting the filler.
It just feels like a little pinch/prick. The part that hurt most was when she was injecting through the tip of my nose.
AFTERTHOUGHTS & HEALING PROCESS
Although I didn’t love my results, I liked it. It was a good first experience with fillers.
It eased my thoughts for the future if I decided to get more injections. My nose was swollen and sensitive for a week. It hurt to the touch, but it wasn’t anything too scary. I healed perfectly fine. How long the fillers last depends on your metabolism. It can last anywhere from 6-12 months.
It has been 6 months since I’ve had the procedure.
Now that some months have passed, some of the filler dissolved and I can see my bump coming back. My metabolism is pretty fast, so this makes sense.
I would definitely get a non-surgical nose job again.
The next time I go, I want to go somewhere that knows how to lift the tip of my nose. There’s a nurse I’ve been eyeing and itching to go to. Maybe I’ll create a video when I go!
