Rhinoplasty: Stories

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Been Waiting over Half my Life

MzA23
posted 8 months ago
updated 6 months ago

Not Sure
Cost: $9,000
Dr. Richard J. Warren (Vancouver, BC)

Oct. 7, 2012 - It's been almost two months since...

7 Oct 2012

Oct. 7, 2012 -
It's been almost two months since I scheduled a consultation with Dr. Richard J. Warren in Vancouver, BC for a rhinoplasty. His waitlists are apparently 1 year+ just to get a consultation because he's the best in Vancouver - possibly even Canada. Or so I've heard from online reviews. He doesn't advertise, he relies solely on promotion via word of mouth. A bit about why I'm choosing to go ahead with this:

I'm 22 years old (will probably be 23 by the time the surgery happens) and nearly completed my university degree. I've recently come into some inheritance money, so I can afford the surgery. I'm mature enough to know that this is what I want, and have undergone years of teasing to confirm this. I've told myself that I won't become addicted to plastic surgery and get many subsequent surgeries to correct any and all imperfections. I can get a push up bra to correct sagging boobs, I can wear lipsticks to plump up my lips, I can work out and eat right to prevent having to get liposuction. But I can't cover or self-correct my nose.

My boyfriend of 4 years loves me the way I am and will probably be very angry when he finds out that I went ahead and scheduled this consultation. I'm terrified to tell him. Once, I made a joke to him saying that I'm getting to get liposuction. He told me that if I were being serious, that would be a really stupid decision. I think we can all agree that a rhinoplasty is even more serious than lipo. I'm not sure how to make him see that I'm doing this for me. Not to silence my critics, not to become a cardboard cutout of a Hollywood starlet, but for ME so that I can finally look in the mirror and like myself from all angles. Some people might wonder why I'm bothering to do this since I already have a very serious relationship and have no need to impress other men. If you're doing something strictly to appeal to the opposite [or same] sex then you're in it for the wrong reasons. You need to do what you can to make yourself feel beautiful and hopefully confidence will come with that beauty.

I was teased and bullied throughout school and still, to this day, I get comments on my nose at times. Part of it is probably that I'm half Italian. Every one in my family has a large nose. Whenever people try to guess my ethnicity, they can always see the Italian in me. If they don't guess it right away, I will tell them what I am and they'll say "oh, yeah, I can see that." As much as I'd like to think it's because Italian women are often considered as being exotic and beautiful, my insecurities keep telling me it's because I have a large nose.

I need this surgery to gain confidence and to be able to face the mirror without cringing. I will be looking for a full time job when I graduate within a year, so this is the perfect time for me to make this transition. I will hopefully have my surgery after I graduate and before my new job begins.

I'm tired of facing people straight-on when I talk to them, even if they're sitting beside me. I'm tired of asking my friends to delete photos that they post of me because I hate how my nose looks. I'm tired of being scared whenever someone brings out a camera and having to decide which way to turn my face so that I can minimize how large my nose is.

If anyone could share any advice, reviews about Dr. Richard Warren, or just offer general support it would be much appreciated!

I'm thinking of also booking a consultation with...

30 Oct 2012

I'm thinking of also booking a consultation with Dr. Andrew Denton here in Vancouver. A girl I talked to recently about her nose job recommended him. I'm a little worried because his rating on RateMDs is 3.9/5, whereas Dr. Warren is 4.8/5. I guess it would be good to have a second opinion though, and I'm getting impatient with Dr. Warrren's one year wait list. What do you all think?

Just had my consultation with Dr. J. A. Barlett in...

21 Nov 2012

Just had my consultation with Dr. J. A. Barlett in Richmond yesterday. I got a really nice first impression from him. He didn't rush me at all and didn't try to sell me on anything I was uncomfortable with. He actually thought I had a "nice nose" and it didn't need as much work done on it as I thought.
I told him that I wanted it deprojected (brought in closer to my face) and the bulbous cartilage on the tip to be narrowed. He agreed about the tip needing to be narrowed, but said that it doesn't project as far out from my face and I think it does, and it had a nice obtuse angle. That made should have made me feel better but it also kind of made me feel crazy. Like, maybe there wasn't anything wrong with my nose this whole time. But that can't be, because I've had an issue with it since I was a child and the fact that so many people who don't even know each other have said mean things about it reaffirms that yes, it's larger than a normal person's.
He said that if I deproject my nose I will also have to shave off a tiny bump that I have at the top of the bridge of my nose. I guess this will prevent it from looking "hooked" when I deproject it. So basically, if I do all 3 of these things it will cost me $9000 + tax. And he said that I might benefit in the future from bringing my nostrils in closer because they should align with the corners of my eyes, and mine go out slightly more. If I add this to my procedure, it will bring the total to 10,500 + tax.
A lot to think about. I could either go the cheaper route and do what he thinks is the only necessary change - removing cartilage from the tip to make it less bulbous and wide. Or I could splurge and get the whole thing done. I'm less concerned about the money factor with going with the 3-in-1 deal than I am about the greater chances of something look wrong if I get that much done to it. But then again, I don't want to just get the one procedure done, the narrowing of the tip, and then realize after that the change wasn't great enough and go through this all over again. Not sure which I'm going to choose. Still on the waitlist for my consultation with Dr. Warren and still haven't told my parents yet. Maybe my mom can help me out with this.

So I finally told my mom about my plans a few days...

2 Dec 2012

So I finally told my mom about my plans a few days ago because her support is important to me. She was surprisingly okay with it - she's just relieved that I didn't say I want a tattoo! She said she's sad that I feel this way because she thinks I'm gorgeous but she understands where I'm coming from. She remembers how upset I used to get as a kid when people made fun of me for how I looked. She believes that anything you can do to restore your confidence is worth doing. I'm happy that she understands and was surprised to learn that she considered the same thing when she was younger. However, she was painfully shy and too afraid to get the procedure done, even when it would have been very easy to ask her doctor to do it when she had to get her nose reset after breaking it a couple times.

Our plan is to not tell my father because he will definitely be opposed to it. He even hates it when we dye our hair. Since it's not going to be that huge of a change (I'm probably only going to get it narrowed, as per Dr. Bartlett's suggestion) and it takes almost a year for the gradual changes to develop, he honestly probably won't even notice. For the days that I'm in the hospital and recovering we'll just say that I'm staying at either my boyfriend's or best friend's house. When I return home, I'll be looking as good as new.

My boyfriend was surprised to hear of how supportive my mom was of me getting this done. I think he was encouraging me to tell her about it secretly because he thought she would be opposed and could talk me out of it. But nope, that didn't happen, so I hope that he will soon see the light too.

It's a Christmas miracle! My boyfriend finally...

23 Dec 2012

It's a Christmas miracle! My boyfriend finally gave his consent to me getting this surgery. This came after I showed him a website that had the top 10 best celebrity nose jobs (can be found here http://www.totallytop10.com/entertainment/top-10-examples-of-great-nose-surgery-nose-jobs ) and explained that they all looked better after and the difference was very subtle in some cases; I also mentioned that every single one of the ones in the top 10 worst list completely overdid their faces and clearly don't know when to stop. That won't be me. He said he doesn't need any further convincing and he finally approves of me getting this done. Yay! Now my dad is going to be the toughest one to convince.. . Still haven't decided whether I should tell him or not.

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Comments (30)

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Matilda24
2 Feb 2013

Wow, you're so pretty! I honestly can't see anything wrong with your nose, but then i guess it's always different when it's someone else. Can't wait to see your pictures after surgery, you're already so beautiful. Good luck and check back in soon!

amorandpeace
8 Dec 2012

You're so pretty but I know where you're coming from about wanting a rhinoplasty and I also know how it is to be bullied because of my nose and not being able to do anything about it, but good thing that we are old enough now and those things can change! :) My boyfriend was opposed to me changing the way that I looked when I first told him about it, but after giving him sometime to think about it and telling him how much it has effected me to have a nose that is out of proportion to the rest of my face, he understood more and now supports me. I also know how you feel about the photos and trying to face people face on so that they won't be distracted my how bad my nose looks and I look forward everyday to the surgery so I won't have to worry about those things. Thx for sharing your story! You're beautiful and with your surgery you will be even more! Good luck and keep us updated!

MzA23
8 Dec 2012

Thank you, you're very sweet! I looked at your profile and I like your nose better than mine! Funny how the grass is always greener on the other side. I'm really glad that your boyfriend finally understood where you're coming from, especially after reading one of your earlier posts that he was pretty upset after the consultation. Good luck with your surgery, have you finalized a surgeon/surgery date yet? Are there a lot of excellent plastic surgeons to choose from where you're from?

newyear44
2 Dec 2012

My dad is like that too! It was the worst thing ever when I went blonde haha I have mentioned it to mine a couple of times and he was outraged at first, 6 months later disappointed and now think he is in denial not wanting to talk about it at all. I really don't think he will notice at all either. Its really good your mother is being supportive! Even one persons support can make all the difference :)

MzA23
4 Dec 2012

i definitely think it's a dad thing! they see their little girls as princesses and don't want us to change or grow up, and they especially don't want us to go through a procedure that will cause us physical pain. btw i saw your after photo, it looks great! that's how i want mine to look hahah but i think you had a better starting look than i do

gift2myself
22 Nov 2012

To help me out this time (because I don't have Photoshop), I took pics of my face, enlarged them, and printed them on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. I used tracing paper to redraw my face. Then I made subtle changes to the nose on my drawing. I did it with a front-view and a profile picture. It helped clarify for me in my mind what I should change. (I had to outline the printed pics with marker to be able to see them through the tracing paper, but another option would be to tape the printed pics to a window cause the light shining through makes it easy to trace.) Anyway, long story short (I know, too late - lol), I recently read that in the old days - before computer imaging, that was a common practice amongst rhinoplasty surgeons! Alternatively, you could just keep it simple, and ask your mom! :-D

MzA23
22 Nov 2012

Wow that's pretty creative! Very impressive. Apparently the surgeon I'm on the waitlist for, Dr. Warren, prefers to do things the old fashioned way and draws on a photo of you rather than using computer imaging software. He's the best at what he does so I guess he's doing something right. Working up the courage right now to tell my mom. Not that I need her approval, I'm in my 20s, but I don't want to disappoint her

gift2myself
22 Nov 2012

Your story reminds me of when I first went for a consultation (30 years ago). I went to discuss a nose job, and the surgeon told me what I really needed was reconstructive jaw surgery. Maybe I needed both... I don't know! But it confused me. I'm sure your mom will have thoughts to help you out.

gift2myself
19 Nov 2012

It doesn't matter for the pictures if you wear makeup or not. It's all about the shape. However, the doctor will most likely be touching, feeling, and/or squeezing your nose to get a sense for it.

MzA23
19 Nov 2012

I wear full make up on a daily basis - foundation, concealer, powder, everything. Should I refrain from wearing a lot of face make up at my consultation tomorrow? Not sure if it would affect the image result he's going to produce for me or hide flaws that need to be fixed. Any one have any advice?

Sairbear15
1 Nov 2012

Good luck with your Rhinoplasty surgery! I recently made the decision, after years of thinking on it and doing research, that next year I am going to get a breast augmentation and rhinoplasty. I don't want anything ridiculously different from what I have now; I just want to change those things a bit to make me feel more feminine and comfortable in my skin. But I understand what you mean about not letting yourself get addicted to plastic surgery; aside from those 2 procedures, there's nothing else about me I don't like. If I feel out of shape, I will work out; my teeth always bothered me, so I have braces. There is nothing wrong with fixing something that makes you not feel confident - it's not about hating what you have, it's about making something good even GREATER. You just need to remember, no matter what, to love yourself first, which you seem to have a firm grasp on. :) I was really nervous to tell my fiance about my decision, and I'm very sorry that you are so worried that your boyfriend will be angry. My fiance admitted that he loves me body/face the way it is and that he doesn't think I need "corrections," but he was never judgmental about my decision and is 100% supportive and just says that so long as I'm doing it for me, he's behind me completely. Having been with you for 4 years, he clearly loves you and because of that, he will eventually be supportive no matter what. He may not agree with it, but I think he'd come around with time. Who knows, maybe he'll completely surprise you and not be that opposed to it once he hears your reasoning. :) I'd actually never heard of Dr. Warren until she brought his name up, and I do have to agree with gift2myself, that the fact that his website lacks any photos of his work does put me off a bit (but that's just my personal preference) - but he DOES have amazing reviews on ratemds.com! Ultimately, go with your heart. I do have a consultation schedule with Dr. Denton on Monday though, so I can let you know how that goes and what I think of him if you'd like :)

MzA23
15 Nov 2012

Hey, thanks for posting such a thoughtful comment! I finally told my boyfriend. He wasn't angry and didn't say I'm making a stupid decision like I thought he would. He was calm and tried understanding but ultimately he said I can do whatever I want but he 100% does not agree with it. I guess that's fair enough, it's a big thing to wrap your head around. I don't think he'll ever approve of it. He started talking about how what if our daughter one day wants to change how she looks, what kind of an example am I setting for her. I personally don't think that would be our children's business but he seems to think that they might look at old photos of me and figure it out themselves. From what I can gather, we won't ever see eye to eye on this because it comes down to morals, which are very hard to break. He is morally opposed to the idea of plastic surgery of any kind of "artificialness" (except hair dye and make up, which I pointed out, but he said that's different because those are temporary). I, on the other hand, am not. I don't know if it's because he's religious and I'm not, but he seems to think that we are born the way we're supposed to look and we shouldn't change that. I'd love to hear how your consultation with Dr. Denton went, if you have the time!

Sairbear15
16 Nov 2012

I do not know you, but I am very proud of you for having the courage to discuss it with your boyfriend; and though he doesn't agree, it's a very good sign that he was at least still as supportive as he can be. Maybe once you go ahead with it and he sees that you're still YOU, only more confident in your own skin, he'll slowly come around a bit. There is always hope :) My consultation with Dr. Denton was fantastic! I had read a bunch of reviews on him both on here and ratemds.com, and there seemed to be a few that described him as not very personable, and made them feel like he was rushing them and wouldn't answer all of their questions. Now, I went in with a prepared list (printed out) of 40+ questions, and a list of my expectations, likes, and dislikes. When I went in, he was very nice, and touched my nose and listened to what I wanted to change. He agreed with my outlook on my nose and then patiently listened to and answered all of my questions. I explained my likes and dislikes and informed him of pre-existing conditions that he should know that effects my nose (for example, I have a misaligned jaw, so it sets off my nose to the right ever so slightly, but could have bearing on trying to create symmetry). He seemed to really appreciate the fact that I had done so much research, so that would be a good thing if you went as prepared as absolutely possible with information. I like the fact that he said (in my case) he would probably do a closed rhinoplasty, and didn't use packing or stints for non-septoplasty cases, cause I heard that can be VERY unpleasant to have removed. He also said that he uses Twilight sedation only, which I've never had, but he said it reduces the chances of nausea after surgery. Then he took photos of my nose and did the computer imaging. When he first started editing my nose, I have to admit, I thought, "Oh my god, no! That's not what I had in mind at all - I don't like it! This is a mistake!" But then the longer I looked at it, the more I started to like it. And suddenly I realized that it wasn't that I didn't like it; it was that I was so used to looking at my nose every day for 21 years, and so seeing such a different nose was strange and different to me. But I really do love the imaging, and he says that the actual results are very close to the computer imaging. If you'd like to see my computer images he gave me (for an idea), or maybe his responses to my questions (there were a lot of questions where his answers give very good insight into his methods, his credibility, etc. and I find very useful), just send me a private message, and I can message you that

Kirstabell
31 Oct 2012

I had a consultation with Dr.Denton and my surgery is 1 week away!! He is very professional and kind man .... I recommend him just from meeting him and reading his reviews. I will update how my surgery goes and everything next week.

MzA23
15 Nov 2012

excellent, let me know how your surgery went!

gift2myself
31 Oct 2012

Oops, meant to also say, that if you do choose Dr. Warren in the end because you believe he's the best doctor for you, then maybe waiting 1 year is worth it. You want to be as sure as you can that 5, 10, 20, or 30 years from now, you made the best choice for you! Best wishes!

newyear44
31 Oct 2012

It is really good you are considering on doing this for yourself. If its possible to fix something so you are less insecure, more confident with everyday things like mirrors and cameras then that is money well spent. If you explain your history of teasing and how you feel about it Im sure your bf would understand. When I first told my bf he thought it was silly and there was no reason I should do it but after awhile he realized it was more about what I saw in the mirror and started to understand how badly I felt about it. now that he understands how important it is he has been super understanding. Its good you are going on reputation, I definitely recommend going to at least two different surgeon consults and go on your gut feeling :)

MzA23
31 Oct 2012

Hey, thank you for the reassurance! How did you first bring it up to your bf? How did he react at first and how long did it take him to realize this is what you want and he should your decision? I'm wondering if I should tell mine before or after I've had my first consultation

newyear44
31 Oct 2012

It took a couple of months for him to accept it then a couple more to really understand where I was coming from. I said "how would you feel if I were to get a nose job" and he said "it would be silly cause you don't need it." And I said "but what would you do?" and he said "nothing cause I love you no matter what but its stupid you don't need it etc." I kind of didn't talk about it too much but every so often brought up how much I wanted it so he got more used to the idea. Then there were moments when he saw how upset I was and then I think thats when he actually understood that it was something I was hurting about not being vain and now he is very supportive. He is really worried something will go wrong but by explaining everything makes him less scared for e.g how qualified my surgeon is. My Parents were really against it and I found the best way was to bring it up in small doses being completely mature about it and be assertive saying you have been wanting this for awhile and its not something you are taking lightly. I had to deal with my parents being so upset and angry, like huuuge arguments but I tried to never get defensive and know they are just scared for me and their role is to be protective etc so I would also be open about everything, saying things like I have a consultation and would they like to come. I knew they would say no but felt being open and welcoming about it would be better and it has. They have finally accepted it is going to happen. I took awhile in between consults and my surgery is still 3 months away and I think in a way it is good as I am really getting my head around what is to happen and same with my parents. It sucks waiting because I want it so bad but it has just turned out that way (my surgeon is pretty busy too). My advice is to be assertive, confident in your decision and don't get to upset if your bf gets angry. Its how people deal with shock or something they disagree with and feel they have no control over. Be patient and I am sure he will come around :)

gift2myself
30 Oct 2012

By the way, many people have online/email consultations with doctors in other cities. I don't know how you feel about that. It might be a good way to get doctors opinions without having to travel too far.

gift2myself
30 Oct 2012

Well, you have a tough decision to make... and for anyone reading this, please don't take my opinion personally. For myself, I chose my surgeon based on before/after pictures, because I wanted to see what challenges and successes the surgeon had experienced. And I wanted a surgeon who had worked on my type of nose and produced results based on what I hoped for. I find it really odd that Dr. Warren doesn't have any on his website. Between that, and the year-long wait, I would never choose him. I don't find it customer-friendly, and I would not like to 'feel like a number' in his extremely long line of patients. He may be an amazing surgeon, but Canada is a big country with many talented, educated people. I am sure there are other surgeons who are just as good as Dr. Warren.

jaguar333
11 Oct 2012

Hey, just curious, how long have you been waiting to see Dr. Warren.? I called his office over a year ago , I was informed it would be a year before i could book an appointment. Long story short they did call me back a year later, but I already booked with someone in Toronto. I have only heard amazing things about Warren so it's gonna be pretty exciting to see your results!!

MzA23
13 Oct 2012

Hi, I have been waiting for about 2 months so far. I booked my consultation back in August and they replied saying that the wait list is approximately a year and they will let me know when an appointment slot becomes available. Glad to hear that youve also heard positive reviews about him! Were they from friends and family or just general online reviews

Red_velvet
11 Oct 2012

I can relate to a lot of the things you are saying. I am pretty much in the same boat as you age wise and graduation wise... I think it`s the perfect time. Soon our lives will be a lot more serious so taking a break to fix this insecurity might not be possible. You are beautiful already so i`m sure you will look amazing, all the best of luck xo

Angiemcc (Community Manager)
9 Oct 2012

Thank you so much for starting your story on RealSelf! I hope your boyfriend comes around and realizes that this doesn't have much to do with him and won't affect your feelings for him. Hang in there and please let us know how your consultation goes. Will you be seeking consultations with other doctors as well?