Risk of silicone implant vs rib vs cartilage

[masamasan]

hello, my nose has been my biggest insecurity since i was a child. i know i have a very low nose bridge but i want to avoid silicone implants at all cost… my glucose levels are bad (working on it rn) and i’m scared of a foreign object in my body. i know that the infection risk with silicone is only 1 - 5% but i read that people with silicone implants are expecting to have it removed or replaced eventually. i also don’t want to constantly worry about my nose…

anyone here who can recommend me clinics that specialize in bulbous noses and bridge augmentation without silicone?? also, anyone here who had their bridge augmentation done YEARS ago (either silicone or rib, dermis, cartilage) and share their experiences (and possible side effects)?

 

[Pialeo]

Not years ago but I'm approaching two years. I used my own rib. I used my own diced rib + glue aka the dcgg (diced cartilage glue graft). Its held up fine for me, no side effects. Overall, just think it's best to use your own material. Revisions cost money do you wouldn't want to re-do the nose if you have to take it out in the future. dermis usually is not enough support, it's just soft tissue that can be used for slight augmentation but nothing major. I wouldn't consider dermis to fix your problem.

 

[masamasan]

Not years ago but I'm approaching two years. I used my own rib. I used my own diced rib + glue aka the dcgg (diced cartilage glue graft). Its held up fine for me, no side effects. Overall, just think it's best to use your own material. Revisions cost money do you wouldn't want to re-do the nose if you have to take it out in the future. dermis usually is not enough support, it's just soft tissue that can be used for slight augmentation but nothing major. I wouldn't consider dermis to fix your problem.

Where did you get it done? I heard some negative experiences with diced rib as some have experienced absorption and therefore unevenness in the bridge… I also heard that most who get revision get their implant taken out anyway, so I might as well do it without silicone in the first place! And I hate surgery and I don’t want to go through it all over again…

 

[Ally12345]

Where did you get it done? I heard some negative experiences with diced rib as some have experienced absorption and therefore unevenness in the bridge… I also heard that most who get revision get their implant taken out anyway, so I might as well do it without silicone in the first place! And I hate surgery and I don’t want to go through it all over again…

I had diced wrapped in fascia almost 7 years ago, and starting from maybe 3-4 years ago it started shrinking pretty bad. I could always feel a lot of jagged pieces in my bridge and tip, and eventually it looks like mosquito bites/pimply bumps on my bridge. I just changed to solid rib w the same dr, he used to do only diced but said it was giving people problems.

 

[masamasan]

I had diced wrapped in fascia almost 7 years ago, and starting from maybe 3-4 years ago it started shrinking pretty bad. I could always feel a lot of jagged pieces in my bridge and tip, and eventually it looks like mosquito bites/pimply bumps on my bridge. I just changed to solid rib w the same dr, he used to do only diced but said it was giving people problems.

How has the rib rhino been so far? My doc offered me rib but he told me he cannot create the same height as the silicone implant… Have you experienced any sort of absorption? Or bumpiness?

 

[lalaland1997]

I did silicone for the bridge and my own rib cartilage for the tip last year. So far, everything is great.

 

[Ally12345]

How has the rib rhino been so far? My doc offered me rib but he told me he cannot create the same height as the silicone implant… Have you experienced any sort of absorption? Or bumpiness?

It’s ok so far, no bumpiness since it’s all one piece. It’s higher than my diced graft and maybe a little too high for my face so hoping it will go down a bit

 

[Pialeo]

Where did you get it done? I heard some negative experiences with diced rib as some have experienced absorption and therefore unevenness in the bridge… I also heard that most who get revision get their implant taken out anyway, so I might as well do it without silicone in the first place! And I hate surgery and I don’t want to go through it all over again…

I got it done in the states and I've read the same experiences. Like maybe one or two cases from what I've seen but also tbh I don't think rib rhino is primarily talked about and should be. I think a lot don't use it (since I'm in the states, a lot just use their septal cartilage). I read the comment below yours that replied to you and they are farther out. I can't speak for how I will be reaching three years but hoping for the best. It just feels like if resorption were to happen, it should have been done at the one year mark or two years cause why would it suddenly happen so later out I'm not rebutting them, it's more of me rebutting the body being like why do you reabsorb so late lol.

 

[MissOrange]

Hi @masamasan,

I had rib rhinoplasty in 2016 and it is still good in 2024. I had Lucian Ion in the uk. The height of the bridge was raised and tip angled up but my nose was shortened so not perfect. To lengthen contracted noses, have a look at this Korean surgeon.

 

[masamasan]

Hi @masamasan,

I had rib rhinoplasty in 2016 and it is still good in 2024. I had Lucian Ion in the uk. The height of the bridge was raised and tip angled up but my nose was shortened so not perfect. To lengthen contracted noses, have a look at this Korean surgeon.

View attachment 5970110

Oh, wow 8 years! You reassured me a lot that it’ll be fine. I’ve only ever seen people with silicone implants who had to either replace it with a new one after a couple of years or get their nose revisioned with rib… I think contractes noses are those caused by silicone implants. My doc wants to add length to my nose by stretching out the tip

 

[felix22]

i heard rib cartilage is very expensive

 

[yayas]

the reason why rib cartilage get reaborsed is because when you do a nose job, you body thinks your nose is literally broken so it tries to "heal it self", the body will send blood which is why it swells, and because rib cartilage is bone, your body is trying to "fix" the bone by "fusing" it. over time the cartilage will be reabsorbed to a degree. BUT that doesn't mean that your nose will just disappear after a few years. If the reabsorption is a lot, most people get it done again without much difficulty.

I understand that a lot of people are really uncomfortable with the idea of silicone but I also feel like a lot of people misunderstand it. Yes, it is a foreign object but comparing it rib cartilage there are different pros and cons. For silicone, you're not limited to the cartilage you have, for some people who want non-implant surgery, they have to use a combination of septal + rib (usually because they have a low nose bridge and are trying to achieve a much higher nose bridge). When you use silicone you're not limited to how much you can get from the cartilages. because it's a lot more customizable, you can kinda predict what the outcome is a lot better than other methods. if you show a doctor a nose you want yours to look like, silicone does a better job at making your nose as close to the reference photo as possible because the doctor is(should) be customizing the implant to the reference. A lot of people like the outcomes of silicone better then rib.

Rib cartilage is also a lot more harder than the type of silicone they use today, this wasn't the case a while ago, now many clinics use ultra soft silicone. Silicone is also a lot easier to perform revision on vs dcf. Rib cartilage is also mainly used for revision because usually you have already use your ear/septal.

rib cartilage is usually 2-4Mil won EXTRA on top of the surgery cost, depending on if you use your own or donated.

If you're asian, usually ear + septal isn't enough depending on what you are trying to achieve, of course. If you are not trying to raise your nose bridge but define your tip or do functional rhinoplasty, ear and septal should be enough, and I'd wouldn't recommend silicone or rib.

 

[yayas]

Also fun fact: when you get surgery your body is freaking out about the cuts(from scalpel) and broken bones, naturally because our bodies are amazing, our brain will send white blood cells and cartilage to protect the body and "fix" itself(this is called inflammation) hence, super swollen face. if you take anti-inflammatory supplements, its telling your body to chill out which helps deswell.

if you ever broke your arm/leg, you'd know how it balloons up lol. it takes a really long time to deswell, I feel like a lot of Korean doctors understate how swollen you can be, I keep hearing 2 months but it actually much longer, up to a year or more if you are doing something like jaw surgery. anything that involves cutting bones will take forever to really deswell.

ive broken my ankle before and it toke months for it to really heal and go back to normal so imagine a knife making cuts to open your face to shave off bone

 

[liltay]

the reason why rib cartilage get reaborsed is because when you do a nose job, you body thinks your nose is literally broken so it tries to "heal it self", the body will send blood which is why it swells, and because rib cartilage is bone, your body is trying to "fix" the bone by "fusing" it. over time the cartilage will be reabsorbed to a degree. BUT that doesn't mean that your nose will just disappear after a few years. If the reabsorption is a lot, most people get it done again without much difficulty.

I understand that a lot of people are really uncomfortable with the idea of silicone but I also feel like a lot of people misunderstand it. Yes, it is a foreign object but comparing it rib cartilage there are different pros and cons. For silicone, you're not limited to the cartilage you have, for some people who want non-implant surgery, they have to use a combination of septal + rib (usually because they have a low nose bridge and are trying to achieve a much higher nose bridge). When you use silicone you're not limited to how much you can get from the cartilages. because it's a lot more customizable, you can kinda predict what the outcome is a lot better than other methods. if you show a doctor a nose you want yours to look like, silicone does a better job at making your nose as close to the reference photo as possible because the doctor is(should) be customizing the implant to the reference. A lot of people like the outcomes of silicone better then rib.

Rib cartilage is also a lot more harder than the type of silicone they use today, this wasn't the case a while ago, now many clinics use ultra soft silicone. Silicone is also a lot easier to perform revision on vs dcf. Rib cartilage is also mainly used for revision because usually you have already use your ear/septal.

rib cartilage is usually 2-4Mil won EXTRA on top of the surgery cost, depending on if you use your own or donated.

If you're asian, usually ear + septal isn't enough depending on what you are trying to achieve, of course. If you are not trying to raise your nose bridge but define your tip or do functional rhinoplasty, ear and septal should be enough, and I'd wouldn't recommend silicone or rib.

This is so helpful! Is it more popular to use donated or your own rib cartilage?

 

[mochiboba]

hello, my nose has been my biggest insecurity since i was a child. i know i have a very low nose bridge but i want to avoid silicone implants at all cost… my glucose levels are bad (working on it rn) and i’m scared of a foreign object in my body. i know that the infection risk with silicone is only 1 - 5% but i read that people with silicone implants are expecting to have it removed or replaced eventually. i also don’t want to constantly worry about my nose…

anyone here who can recommend me clinics that specialize in bulbous noses and bridge augmentation without silicone?? also, anyone here who had their bridge augmentation done YEARS ago (either silicone or rib, dermis, cartilage) and share their experiences (and possible side effects)?

Hi lovely! I have silicone and ear cartlidge, don’t regret it! Super happy