Using Silicone for Nose Surgery

When someone decides to get a nasal augmentation rhinoplasty, there are two types of material that can be used: biologic materials, like cartilage, bone, and fascia, and alloplastic materials like silicone, Supramid, Vicryl, Proplast, Mersilene, Medpor, Goretex, and ivory. In general, biologic materials are believed to be more resistant to infection, but they are scarce and can sometimes be reabsorbed into the skin. Alloplastic materials are readily available and easy to shape, but they are prone to coming loose later on. In this article, we will be discussing silicone, a common alloplastic material.

Silicone is a controversial topic in the world of nose surgery. Silicone is rarely, if ever, used in most western countries. It is stigmatized as dangerous and unnatural, and it is rare to find a western nose surgeon well-versed in silicone. Another problem in the west is nose shape; westerners generally favor nose reduction, and beauty standards cause people to desire a smaller nose. Since silicone is only used to increase the size of the nose, for this reason also, silicone is rarely used in the west.

However, in Asia, silicone is the go-to augmenting agent in most countries. Asian doctors work harder to minimize cost, and silicone is also a dramatically cheaper solution than using biologic material. Silicone is not stigmatized the same way it is in the west, and in Asia, the predominant form of aesthetic nose surgery is for nose augmentation, not nose reduction. Asian beauty standards favor a larger nose than the one Asian people are typically born with.

Although the infection hypothesis has been disproved in recent times, the modern consensus is that silicone is a viable material used to increase nose size during surgery; even though it is fragile and can come loose relatively easy compared to biologic material, it is among the cheapest and easiest methods on the market for doctors.

Proponents and skeptics alike both agree that the use of silicone in rhinoplasty requires extra care post-operation. You can make sure your nose is properly cared for with Doctor CO Eyewear.