Recently, it seems like Kate Middleton’s wardrobe and beautiful locks are not all that are sought after by Britons –  her nose is hot property as well! Plastic surgeons in the UK report that patient requests for a nose more like the Duchess of Cambridge’s has trebled since 2011.

The nose is an important part of our face – It sits right in the centre, making it stand out either like a sore thumb or complement the other features. The appreciation of the aesthetics of the nose is so hardwired in us that when we look at a person’s nose, we instinctively know whether it is a beautiful, or not so beautiful nose. For this reason, we hear people saying too often: “I hate my nose, it is too flat/big/round”.

Plastic surgeons explain that Kate Middleton’s nose is beautiful because:

– it has a well defined tip

– it has a gentle feminine swoop on the bridge

– there is good front to back projection

– her nose is in good proportion to the rest of her face.

Asians, on the other hand have a very different set of problems. We are exactly the opposite of our Caucasian counterparts – our noses are FLAT and ROUND.

If we look around, we will notice that many of us have relatively flat noses, little or no nose bridge, a rounded, fleshy tip which is poorly projected and downward pointing, resulting in a depressed columella angle, and often, nostrils which flare outwards too much, making the nose look bottom heavy and too large in proportion to the face. This is the typical South-Asian nose, seen in people from Southern China, and all over South Asia such as Singapore and Malaysia.

We may come from different continents, but the interesting thing is, our concept of a beautiful nose is relatively constant, across cultures and countries – whether Asian or Western. The same principles – good projection, proportion, height, definition and angles are the desired traits in an aesthetically beautiful nose.

This, is often what Asians look for in a nose – it is what my patients ask for what they see me, and similarly, what I try to achieve, with the use of Fillers injections.If you look at Korean actress Han Eun Jung, there is no doubt that she beautiful nose – one to-die-for, in fact. Her nose is not only well projected, with good height from bridge to tip, well defined at the tip, but also boasts some beautiful curves. Her nose curves immaculately into the orbital rim (eye area) and forehead (as seen from the front). From the side, her nose is straight, with a gentle concave curve – a soft, feminine touch. At the tip, the angle changes abruptly, almost 70 degrees, to flow into the columella with grace, before approaching the philtrum at an angle of 90 degrees, making her nose look regal and delicate. To top it off, her nose is in perfect proportion to her face – the ala (sides of the nose) is in line with the inner corners of her eyes, and the length of the nose almost equals that of the forehead – all conforming to the golden ratio.

Techniques for fillers injections for the nose have changed dramatically. In the past, filler nose augmentation was limited to nose bridge, making it higher. While this worked well for a selected few, it did little to address the majority of problems typical in a South Asian nose.

All these changed when we started to inject the whole nose, from the base, to the tip, to the bridge, to the bridge-orbit-forehead junction, rather than only the bridge like before. Now, with the humble Hyaluronic Acid filler, we are able to reshape the nose, bringing it closer to the aesthetic ideal described above.

Many of the problems associated with a South Asian nose can be improved with fillers alone. Most patients also love it simply because it is so convenient – taking only half and hour, with minimal downtime except some mild swelling and occasionally, mild bruising.

The trick to filler nose augmentation, I always tell my patients, is to put in just the right amount, ensuring the nose to blend in harmoniously with the rest of the face. More is not necessarily better – Just a little can make a big difference, if injected correctly to maximise the effects of shadows and lights.

Too often, we see people with nose bridges then end up too high after filler injections. This is something you must always remember to avoid should you decide to undergo the procedure. We have affectionately dubbed this the “Avatar Nose“, describing a nose which has lost the curves and angles from over-zealous correction of the nose bridges.

There are downsides to filler nose augmentation. The most obvious is its temporary effect. Typically, nose augmentation with hyaluronic acid fillers last  9 – 12 months, meaning you will have to repeat the procedure every year or so.  If a more permanent solution is desired, a silicone implant will also be more suitable. Next, fillers cannot solve all aesthetic issues with the nose. For instance, an open-rhinoplasty procedure will  be needed to convert a fleshy nose tip like my own to that of Korean actress Han Eun Jung’s.Hence, I will discuss the pros and cons of filler vs surgical nose augmentation with my patients in detail, before they decide on which they prefer. But for the most part, filler nose augmentation is an excellent treatment to improve your nose, bringing it closer to the aesthetic ideal.