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I have always noticed my nose was larger than any...
I have always noticed my nose was larger than any of my friends and although I was never picked on for it, I never felt comfortable. It was always the same struggle when taking photos, both sides were horrible and I just stopped taking photos all together. I was very outgoing, but in the back of my head I would always think about my nose and if people cared or noticed at all. Everyone kept telling me I didn't need rhinoplasty, but once they saw the before and after they realized there was a huge improvement and that it was well worth it. I also had trouble breathing through my nose, so I was pleased to know I could also get that fixed with the procedure.
I had been looking at Real Self for quite a while and I always kept coming across Dr. Elam's profile. I decided to go see him to get an opinion about my nose and ask any questions I had. The staff was incredible from the start and they made me feel comfortable. When I met Dr. Elam from the start I knew I wanted him to do the procedure on me. I felt very confident that he was the perfect doctor. He showed me a before and possible after on the computer and explained what he could do realistically and promised me that it was going to look beautiful. He also said I had a bad deviated septum and that it would be corrected. I went home and thought about making appointments with other doctors, but I had already made up my mind. Dr. Elam has incredible reviews and even more incredible before and after. So right away I decided to book the surgery.
The day of the surgery (August 15th) I wasn't one bit nervous, I just wanted the whole thing to be over with. I was a bit scared about the anesthesia because I had never been put under before. Everyone kept me calm and told me I was going to be okay and that the nose was going to look amazing. When I woke up which was literally felt like 5 seconds I still had the tube inside my mouth and that hurt a bit when they took it out. Other than that I didn't feel anything else until that night. I did take a few pain killers, but it wasn't horrible.
The next day they took out the packing which made my nose feel a bit better. I didn't sleep that much the night with the packing, but once it was off I slept great. I did buy those travel pillows which kept my head in place since I usually move a lot when I sleep. I only wanted to eat mashed potatoes and nectarines, everything else sounded gross and it was hard to eat. My appetite wasn't that big anyway, but I did try to eat regularly. I drank a lot of lemonade (lemon, water, and honey) which tasted amazing and water. I didn't care for tea, coffee, or any other beverages. I kept it very simple because I wanted a good recovery.
The day of the cast removal was more nerve wrecking than the day of surgery. The previous 2 nights I kept telling everyone I felt my nose still looked huge under all the bandages and that I saw a bump still. Before I knew it the cast was off and he showed me the results. I was amazed to say the least. It was such a huge improvement, I couldn't believe it. At that point I was beyond happy and I didn't mind one bit the swelling. If my nose were to have stayed like that I would of been happy regardless. I was thinking about not telling anyone except family and friends about my nose, but I loved the results so much that I ended up telling everyone.
It has now been a month since my surgery and there is still swelling especially on the tip and one side is larger than the other. It is to be expected since he did work on one side more than the other. It looks fine though! I did have a problem the second week after surgery. I noticed a bump on one side of the nose, but right now it's a bit less noticeable. Either way it is nothing like the bump I used to have so it doesn't bother me. I can't breathe 100% yet, but I do notice a difference and improvement!
I am doing this review because I know it is hard to make that initial decision, but it is even more hard to find a great doctor. I am happy and extremely satisfied with the results. It exceeded my expectations and it continues to do so. If I feel amazing now I can't wait to know how I will feel after a year and when there's no more swelling.
If you have any questions feel free to send me a message. I can provide more before and after photos!
Good luck!
I had been looking at Real Self for quite a while and I always kept coming across Dr. Elam's profile. I decided to go see him to get an opinion about my nose and ask any questions I had. The staff was incredible from the start and they made me feel comfortable. When I met Dr. Elam from the start I knew I wanted him to do the procedure on me. I felt very confident that he was the perfect doctor. He showed me a before and possible after on the computer and explained what he could do realistically and promised me that it was going to look beautiful. He also said I had a bad deviated septum and that it would be corrected. I went home and thought about making appointments with other doctors, but I had already made up my mind. Dr. Elam has incredible reviews and even more incredible before and after. So right away I decided to book the surgery.
The day of the surgery (August 15th) I wasn't one bit nervous, I just wanted the whole thing to be over with. I was a bit scared about the anesthesia because I had never been put under before. Everyone kept me calm and told me I was going to be okay and that the nose was going to look amazing. When I woke up which was literally felt like 5 seconds I still had the tube inside my mouth and that hurt a bit when they took it out. Other than that I didn't feel anything else until that night. I did take a few pain killers, but it wasn't horrible.
The next day they took out the packing which made my nose feel a bit better. I didn't sleep that much the night with the packing, but once it was off I slept great. I did buy those travel pillows which kept my head in place since I usually move a lot when I sleep. I only wanted to eat mashed potatoes and nectarines, everything else sounded gross and it was hard to eat. My appetite wasn't that big anyway, but I did try to eat regularly. I drank a lot of lemonade (lemon, water, and honey) which tasted amazing and water. I didn't care for tea, coffee, or any other beverages. I kept it very simple because I wanted a good recovery.
The day of the cast removal was more nerve wrecking than the day of surgery. The previous 2 nights I kept telling everyone I felt my nose still looked huge under all the bandages and that I saw a bump still. Before I knew it the cast was off and he showed me the results. I was amazed to say the least. It was such a huge improvement, I couldn't believe it. At that point I was beyond happy and I didn't mind one bit the swelling. If my nose were to have stayed like that I would of been happy regardless. I was thinking about not telling anyone except family and friends about my nose, but I loved the results so much that I ended up telling everyone.
It has now been a month since my surgery and there is still swelling especially on the tip and one side is larger than the other. It is to be expected since he did work on one side more than the other. It looks fine though! I did have a problem the second week after surgery. I noticed a bump on one side of the nose, but right now it's a bit less noticeable. Either way it is nothing like the bump I used to have so it doesn't bother me. I can't breathe 100% yet, but I do notice a difference and improvement!
I am doing this review because I know it is hard to make that initial decision, but it is even more hard to find a great doctor. I am happy and extremely satisfied with the results. It exceeded my expectations and it continues to do so. If I feel amazing now I can't wait to know how I will feel after a year and when there's no more swelling.
If you have any questions feel free to send me a message. I can provide more before and after photos!
Good luck!
Provider Review
Board Certified Otolaryngologist
360 San Miguel Dr., Newport Beach, California
Dr. Elam is very professional and caring. He made me feel comfortable since the first appointment and continues to do so on the follow ups. His staff is as amazing as he is and they are all sweet.