the plastics

Temporary Nose Jobs Are Cheap, Easy, and Potentially Dangerous

Photo: Lena Clara/Getty Images

Nose jobs are popular, but boy, are they expensive. The average cost of rhinoplasty surgery is nearly $5,000. As an alternative, cheaper, nonsurgical options are rising in popularity. One that you might want to skip is the Nose Lifter, which advises users to shove a tiny piece of plastic up their nostrils to make the nose appear slimmer.

Unlike the temporary nonsurgical nose jobs made popular by Kardashian family dermatologist, Dr. Simon Ourian, Nose Lifter requires neither a visit to the doctor nor an injection of hyaluronic acid. Instead, you just choose from Nose Lifter’s seven size options (super-petite to extra-large) and insert the two pieces of plastic up your right and left nostrils until they fit “snugly,” as the brand’s website describes. Essentially, the plastic “tents” flare the nostrils so that the nose appears leaner. For $20, it might be tempting to give it a shot.

“The danger to this is that it could get stuck up your nose,” says Dr. Lisa Ishii, a plastic surgeon at Johns Hopkins. “If it got lodged in the back of your nose and sat there, it could cause an infection.”

While a device like Nose Lifter might serve as a quick fix for photos, the dangers are real. If it were to break and you accidentally inhaled the plastic, it could make its way to your lungs. It’s also extremely uncomfortable, according to blogger Raiza Contawi in her testimonial on YouTube. So for now, it’s likely better to leave the nose jobs to the professionals, or, you know, just accept that noses come in all sizes, too.

Temporary Nose Jobs Are Cheap, Easy, Potentially Dangerous