Dr. Clutter is fabulous! He fixed my deviated septums and reconstructed my nose because I fractured it as a child. He made sure my new nose was functional and looked natural. Now I can breath and I have a beautiful new nose that I am no longer embarrassed of!
Middle Eastern Male. Had huge nose to big for my face. Droopy tip, long sides, very wide from the front. After meeting with Doctor Clutter he gave me the nose that I always wanted and that was meant for my face. Go to my profile to get into depth and view all pictures. Please message me if you have any questions. Does over 100 surgeries a year! He knows what he is doing, leave it to him! Recommending him to all family and friends.Super Satisfied as i thought getting the result i wanted was impossible!
Born into a wonderful ITALIAN family and live, love, love my dad, but the nose looks better on him than me. Scale for my face was too large and too much dorsal bump. Could not be happier...only first two days slowed me down...even went out to celebrate my son's bday the third day after surgery--a few odd stares--but I'm not one to miss a bday--especially one of my children's!
Dr. Clutter is excellent. As a vocalist, breathing is rather important and my sinuses often created problems for me. I found myself having to cancel performances and reschedule studio time, etc. He performed a septoplasty to open up my airways (all of which was covered by my insurance). The recovery was pretty uncomfortable for the first few days, but after the splints were removed, I could breathe like never before. There were no complications and he had me come in for follow-ups several times just to make sure everything was healing the right way. He also used some injectable filler to even out the tissue and bring more symmetry to the nose! My singing voice has improved noticeably since the operation. It lost that annoying nasal quality and developed a more rich sound. Not to mention I can take in bigger breaths! I would recommend Dr. Clutter to anyone with sinus problems or just looking to have some cosmetic work done.
Hi there Real Self. I have been wanting a rhino for more than a decade now (really since puberty), like most people on here. I have just always hated my nose and felt like it doesn't fit my face. I am finally In a place financially and with my family to have the procedure. After doing a lot of research and reading reviews on here, I had a consultation with Dr. Clutter in Folsom -- I knew I wanted an ENT who also specialized in facial plastic surgery and who does mostly rhinos. I have a fairly bad deviated septum so I really wanted a surgeon who could fix the functional aspect of my nose as well. The consultation went great! He said he would fix my deviated septum, refine my bulbous tip, slightly raise the tip, and remove the bony humps from my bridge to give me a more elegant profile. He was very thorough, answered all of my questions, and made me feel really at ease. So, I made the surgery date. It is August 4th. Getting really exciting but also really nervous. Will post more after my pre-op and will put up before and after photos after my surgery. :-) Updated on 26 Jul 2015: So I am pretty much equal parts excited and nervous about my rhinoplasty. And the closer it gets the more I think about it. My pre-op with Dr. Clutter went great, though, and I really feel like I am in good hands and he will be able to give me the nose I've always wanted. So, here are some "before" pics. It is really hard to put these up since they really show my nose in all its glory, but I wanted good pics to compare to after this is all over. I will update more throughout the healing process. Send me good vibes, everyone! Updated on 4 Aug 2015: Had surgery this morning. Overall, it was a good experience. The anticipation last night and this morning was by far the worst part of the whole thing. Now that it is over, I feel like I was kicked in the face (but it is bearable and even less of an issue after a Norco). EAting and drinking is proving really difficult, though, because my nose is completely plugged up. So swallowing feels really weird and puts a ton of pressure on my nose. I can feel myself swelling but have been icing non-stop since I got home. A hint of a bruise is appearing under my left eye. Even with this discomfort, I am glad I went through with it. And I have a lot of love and support around me. Well, that is enough for now. I will update tomorrow. Updated on 5 Aug 2015: The pain is much better today, although I have been keeping myself pretty heavily drugged. Norco every four hours has been absolutely necessary for sleep and general comfort. And I hate narcotics, they make me so nauseous. But I told Dr. Clutter that and he prescribed me some anti-nausea medication, which has made such a huge difference. I have experienced absolutely no sickness. Much more swollen today and I have nice black eyes. Started to question last night why I voluntarily did this to myself, but I think that is just the discomfort talking. It will all be worth it! Hopefully it will get easier soon, though! Updated on 6 Aug 2015: Feeling much better today overall. Getting used to being a mouth-breather, and eating and drinking is getting easier. I haven't taken any pain killers in 12 hours, either, which is making me feel more myself. I think I will switch to extra strength Tylenol, if I need anything more this week. My main complaint now is that my eyes are so swollen it hurts to open them. Hopefully I have reached the peak of the swelling and it will all be downhill from here. I am continuing to ice and rest. Taking it one day at a time. Updated on 8 Aug 2015: Well, things are still pretty much the same. But I am in better spirits and feeling more myself, so that is good. I look terrible, of course. My swelling has migrated down to my cheeks and jowels and the bruises under my eyes have turned a lovely shade of yellow. I am still super stuffed up. Started my saline irrigation yesterday, but it doesn't seem to do much--just falls right out because there is so much crap in my nostrils. Really looking forward to Tuesday and getting my face back! Only 2 1/2 more days!! Updated on 8 Aug 2015: Also, I just wanted to say that I am still feeling a ton of pressure in my sinuses. It is like then worst sinus infection ever. I read a lot of posts that claimed their rhinoplasty was relatively painless and recovery was easy. I don't know if it is because I also had a septoplasy or if I just got extra lucky, but that has not been my experience at all. It has been a tough recovery with quite a bit of discomfort (not outright pain, but still very unpleasant). All I can say is that I really hope this is all worth it in the end. I will post pics on Tuesday when the cast comes off... Updated on 11 Aug 2015: Got the cast off today! It didn't feel great when he was getting it off, but man is it nice to have it off of my face. I didn't get taped, which is strange because everyone else on here seemed to. And my internal splints were left in because the swelling inside my nps is still really bad. I have to use an OTC steroid nasal spray and go back Friday to get them out. I'm bummed about that because the splints have been bothering me more than anything. As for my nose, it is...different. That is all I can really say right now. It doesn't look bad. It looks weird, which is swelling I think. The bridge seemed really pinched looking, but Dr. Clutter assured me that it was just from the tight cast and everything would "fill out." I also have a slight indent in the left side that worries me, but again I think that is swelling. I love te profile, though! Nothing really prepared you for looking in the mirror and seeing a different nose. And mine is a pretty dramatic change. So I think I am in shock. I will post a couple pics today and then more next week after I get the splints out and everything has (hopefully) calmed down in terms of swelling. Updated on 12 Aug 2015: So...I am going to keep posting thoughts as I have them, and this will be a sort of diary that I hope will help others thinking of having rhinoplasty and help myself see my progression over these next several months. I am liking my nose even more today, even with the swelling (and man is it getting big)--but, actually, maybe that is why I like it, it is reminding me of my old nose lol But really, I am starting to get used to it and I think i will just continue to like it more and more as the swelling goes down and whatnot. There is still some asymmetry right above the tip--the left seems slightly indented--but it is too early to know if it is swelling or whether it will be noticeable when all is said and done. So I am going to try to focus on the positive and just wait and see. As for recovery, I feel pretty much back to normal. My main complaints are that my upper lip doesn't want to move, which makes for pretty hilarious attempts at smiling and gives me an overall alien look. And my skin. It is dry and oily at the same time and is driving me nuts. So I try to remind myself that it has only been a week and that, in time, everything will return to normal. And I've added some pics from today. Updated on 31 Aug 2015: So...it has been a month since surgery. My upper lip is finally regaining full motion and I can breathe pretty well through my nose. The left nostril is still pretty swollen inside, but it is getting better every day. My nose still feels completely foreign--like it was glued on my face, it is so stiff and numb--and the skin on my nose is oily all of the time and covered in blackheads. Overall, though, I feel great. No issues going out in public and I am back to my full activity level. The swelling on my nose has fluctuated a lot. The bridge has gone down a lot and is finally starting to look more refined and how I ultimately want it. The tip, on the other hand, has gotten significantly bigger over the past two weeks (which surprised me, I thought it was supposed to be all downhill after two weeks). It is now very bulbous and I feel like my nose sticks out from face too far. My attitude so far has been to avoid staring in the mirror or taking pictures as much as possible. I know that I am still seeing swelling, so I would rather just stay positive and focus on healing and other more important things in my life. But I just wanted to post an update and get some more pictures on here since I reached the one month mark (hooray!)
A little background... I was in a car accident as a teenager and broke my nose and it was severed at the columella on the steering wheel. I almost had my nose done 10 years ago when I was 24 and wish I would have but I could not justify the cost. Now I could not be more ready! I have a deviated septum, hanging columella, and small bump. Updated on 6 Nov 2014: I am worried if I fix this there will be too much space between my upper lip and nose! My fear is trading one thing I dislike for something else! Updated on 24 Nov 2014: I want a softer looking more feminine tip, fix the droop but not upturned looking, straighten the septum and basically just refine it. But I am so afraid of it looking too small!!! Most of all I am scared of people noticing when I am still swollen. I have 2 weeks off work....hoping that is enough. My husband does not want me to do it but says he supports me because it's something I have wanted for a long time. He said he loves my nose which is so hard to hear when I have done nothing but hate it for so long. It's hard not to second guess yourself and wonder if it's all worth it.... Updated on 12 Jan 2016: I am 8 days post op! My cast came off today and I was so anxious. That was the hardest part, the anxiety which I have never felt before. Was it the anesthesia or was it the claustrophobia of wearing the cast and splints for 8 days. This whole thing was not painful at all....but I felt like I was suffocating. I knew I had to breathe out of my mouth but I never felt like I was getting fresh air if that makes sense. Well, enough about the anxiety it is all gone now! Whooohooo! I can breathe, I can smell, I feel like a new person....Dr. Clutter is an impressive surgeon.The results far exceeded my expectations and my nose looks beautiful. When he handed me the mirror it was like an out of body experience. I felt speechless. I felt amazed that he could do what he did. When I went to the appointment I was so fixated on being able to breathe again I was almost not ready to absorb the visual result. He fixed my droopy tip! My nose is straighter and more refined. The cast removal was fast. The splint removal was faster, then he blew some stuff up my nose....it was just all overwhelming fast. I am just so glad I found Dr. Clutter on Real Self. His assistant Alisha was wonderful and helpful and never made me feel bad for emailing a bunch of questions. She was great. I am also grateful for all the reviewers. I followed Dr. Clutters reviews for 2 years before going for it. Some of the girls took their photos down which I can understand but I am just thankful for Real Self otherwise I would of never found Dr. Clutter. Talented surgeon! Updated on 12 Jan 2016: Updated on 12 Jan 2016: Updated on 12 Jan 2016: Updated on 13 Jan 2016: Updated on 3 Feb 2016: Updated on 3 Feb 2016: Swelling is up and down. If I don't sleep with a humidifier my nose feels tight in the morning. Breathing is much improved since my first 2 weeks. Saline rinses are a must! Updated on 3 Feb 2016: Updated on 3 Feb 2016: I am still very happy with my nose. I can't believe it has been a full month! Dr. Clutter said everything is looking great and I am definitely still swollen which is actually exciting to hear since I am already so happy and if it only gets better I will be over the moon! Updated on 3 Feb 2016: Another before photo that really shows the hanging columella. Thanks to the steering wheel:-) Updated on 5 Feb 2016: My only regret is wishing I would of found Dr. Clutter sooner. I am now so happy I don't have to stress anymore and it's over and done. It is honestly the most free I have ever felt. I am sure many of you that hate your nose know what I mean:-) Updated on 19 Feb 2016: I ate Chinese food the other day and my nose was so swollen. Big mistake. Its back down now thank goodness...
This is something i needed to have done since my teen years- my eyes were so puffy and baggy, they weighed down on my eyeballs. I was always being asked if i was tired or angry. As i got older the problem got worse. A friend told me about Dr Clutter & suggested i set up a consult. He explained everything and i was comfortable booking surgery. The surgery itself was a couple of hours- outpatient- at the office. I did not experience any pain until after the procedure- a moderate headache, but no eye pain. The swelling got worse for the first 2-3 days and then slowly improved. The ice was very helpful. I still have mild bruising that can be covered with makeup. After day 5 i developed a little chemosis, which is annoying- but i know this will improve over the next week or two (hopefully sooner). I have found that Systane eye drops and night ointment have helped a lot. I am also using OcUsoft cleaning pads on the lids-also helpful. I can't wait until i am completely healed, i already love what i see. Updated on 14 Jun 2014: Finally feel like chemosis is improving. My eyes are not tearing so much. Updated on 21 Jun 2014: Chemosis finally gone, able to wear my contact lenses again. Updated on 21 Jun 2014: So far i am very happy with my results. I can actually wear eye makeup and it is visible.
I've been a member of this site for over a year now and I can't tell you how valuable it has been for me. My story starts like most rhinoplasty stories begin... awkward puberty years, nose started getting bigger & crooked, constant embarrassment, lack of self esteem, etc. etc. In my late teens I started modeling and I learned my angles and learned how to pose for photos in the most flattering ways. This has been a life saver and a curse at the same time... I know I am hyper-critical of myself and I am constantly aware of cameras and where I am at in relation to the picture-taker. I have un-tagged probably hundreds of photos on social media- lol. Most of you can probably relate ;) My profile is awful. Straight on, there's a definite curve to my nose- it points off to the right. People only notice if I say something about it so I learned to stop doing that a long time ago. I have a big bump on my nose, and I feel that my nostrils are too long and my nose should be deprojected. I think that is my greatest fear about the surgery. I want to know that my Doctor can shorten the length of my nostrils while deprojecting my hose without ruining the tip. I actually like the narrowness of my nose and the way my tip looks. I plan to consult with a few Doctors locally. One is a referral from a girl I went to H.S. with, and the other is a Doctor I have seen mentioned on here a few times but who keeps more of a low profile. I plan on scheduling my consultations in January and feeling it out from there. This journal entry is my first big step... it is such a small one but it makes me feel like it's really going to happen. I am blessed with a supportive husband and as long as I feel comfortable with the surgeon, I know this is the right thing to do. I am SO TIRED of feeling self conscious about my face. I'll update when I get my consultations scheduled, and I will add some photos as well. Updated on 28 Jan 2015: It's been a year since my first entry and I'm finally taking a step towards my new nose: I scheduled a consultation with Dr. Clutter in Folsom for next Tuesday. I feel excited and nervous all at the same time! The reason for the delay in scheduling is a happy one; a few weeks after I posted my first entry I found out I was pregnant! In September we had our little boy and he is wonderful. I am breastfeeding and plan to for at least a year- so I anticipate a realistic surgery date of sometime next October (maybe I can just be a mummy for Halloween? ;) I've been reading articles about "what to ask your plastic surgeon" but I still feel overwhelmed. How many surgeons should I consult with? How will I know who's "the one"? How far out should I set a surgery date? I will update after my appointment. So far he's the only one I have a consult scheduled with but there's one other surgeon I would like to talk to for sure (Dr. Kaniff) Posting a couple of pics now so you can see what I'm working with (ugh) Updated on 4 Feb 2015: I had my consultation with Dr. Clutter yesterday and it went really well! His office is beautiful and the members of his staff were very friendly. I didn't have to wait for my appointment which I appreciated since I had my 4 month old with me :) We addressed the issues I have with my nose- overprojection, dorsal hump, how it veers off to one side... I also told him what I do like about my nose- the width and the tip. He basically told me "Don't you dare let ANYONE alter your tip, regardless of who you choose for your surgery!" I totally agree with him and I'm glad we had the same vision. Regarding my nostrils (which I think are too long), he explained that nostrils cannot be shortened without visible scars and deep creases where they meet the upper lip. I definitely don't want that! He told me that with some of the other things we would be doing, it would create an optical illusion of shorter/smaller nostrils. So the plan would be: shorten the nose a couple of millimeters remove the dorsal hump/ create a slight slope deproject the nose by a couple of millimeters straighten out the nose to align with the rest of my face Overall I really loved his approach- he doesn't want noses to look "done"- they should look natural and like the nose you could have been born with. I am a very tall girl (5'10) so I would look strange having one of those cute, sloped little button noses. On the same hand, my nose on a shorter girl would look completely ridiculous! ;) I feel extremely confident in Dr. Clutter's abilities and I have felt from the beginning like he would be the Dr. I choose. I do want to meet with at least one other surgeon though, just to be sure and to have something to compare to. My husband is so encouraging and knows I have wanted this done for so long-- when I told him about how well the consultation went he told me to book it! All along I have been planning on a fall surgery, but he keeps saying "Why don't you get it done before summer!?" I just feel like getting it done in the fall would make healing easier... does it matter? The summers are soooo hot here and I think it would make swelling even worse if I got it done in the spring. Am I overthinking it? Part of me does want to just book it and have it done ASAP! Updated on 29 Jun 2015: I scheduled my surgery for November 11th! Seems like an eternity from now but I know time will fly by. I feel so confident in Dr. Clutter and what he will accomplish withy surgery. I can't wait! Updated on 1 Sep 2015: It's been 7 months since my consultation with Dr. Clutter. My mommy brain has kicked into high gear and I basically forgot everything we spoke about back in February, so I asked for another sit-down meeting to discuss. His assistant was super sweet and didn't make me feel ridiculous for wanting to meet with him -again-! ;) So I'll be meeting with him on the 17th to go over the procedure, expectations, and I'll show him some simulations I've made since our initial consult to see if they're on track for what I can expect. I know he's not a fan of simulations and doesn't provide them, soooo I don't know what he'll say about my photoshop skills! haha! I really do trust this doctor- I love his work and I cannot wait to get on the operating table and get this over and done! Bring on the healing! I'm already making a list of shows to watch on Netflix while I'm holed up in my room avoiding my children so as not to terrify them with my bruising and bandages. Hope my husband is ready to be a full-time nurse AND stay-at-home-daddy! He's the best ;) Any other Clutter patients out there? Also- if anyone is looking for another rhino resource- check instagram! It's been enormously helpful. use #rhinoplastydiary to find a ton of other people going through this experience. Updated on 20 Nov 2015: I haven't been updating - but I knew I needed to now that my cast is off. I could not be more thrilled with my results. Dr. Clutter and his entire staff are absolutely amazing. I am blown away with what they were able to achieve with my nose, both aesthetically and functionally. I had my cast removed yesterday on POD8. I have some swelling going on, but even if nothing changed, I would be 100% satisfied. I almost cried when he handed me the mirror. This was the best decision I have ever made and I am SO glad I decided to go with Dr. Clutter as my surgeon! I have put up a couple photos so you can see my before & after. I'll update in a few weeks when my nose has settled into its shape a bit more. But again, WORTH IT. If you are considering rhinoplasty and you're in the general Sacramento/ Northern California you need to at least consult with Dr. Clutter. :) Updated on 20 Nov 2015: Meant to upload this one too. My new profile is so cute!
Hey everyone! I am just starting this whole thing to get some feedback from others out there that have already had a nose job or are thinking about getting one. I'm trying to decide if I really should do it? Like a lot of people on here, I have hated my nose for a long time. And I am finally considering getting it done. I'm a 28 year old mother and wife. My husband does not want me to do it....he doesn't understand why I want it done. I'm having a hard time with that because I really need his support if I do this. Another thing Is that I am SO intimidated in finding the right surgeon! I have only been researching for about two weeks now. Can someone tell me the most important things to look for in the right surgeon? I'm seriously terrified of getting a "bad nose job" if I do it! those that have had great outcomes can you tell me what you looked for in a surgeon? Thank you for any advice you can give! :) Updated on 27 Dec 2012: So I am so excited and nervous at the same time! I talked to my husband ( it was an intense conversation) for a long time yesterday and he has decided to support me in this. We need to pay off our debt first though but he is going to "let" me do this if it's really what I want. And it is. Our debt is not that bad and I am hoping we can pay the rest off this next year with our tax return. And when I say "let" it's more like he is saying he is on board with me in doing this. I'm so happy because I REALLY need his support if I do this. I have also talked to my mom which I was pretty nervous about. But she said she loves me however I am and will support whatever I choose to do. My little brother is also supportive. I have not talked to my dad yet. I am really nervous to tell him. He is a pastor, very conservative Christian and I'm afraid he will only see this as being really vain! I was kind of afraid my mom would feel the same way but she wasn't at all. She was actually way more supportive than even my husband. My problem right now is finding the right surgeon close to me. Everyone I find is a bit far. But I know if it's the right surgeon it will be worth the travel. Anyway sorry for my really poor writing skills. My husband is the writer, not me. ;) Updated on 31 Dec 2012: So...I'm feeling pretty depressed lately. I talked to my mom again and she, I think would be supportive if I do it but does not want me to at all. She just does not get it! I haven't talked to my dad about it. I think I will when I actually have a date scheduled for surgery so that he will see that it is a decision I have already made. I just know he will be so disappointed in me....And that is depressing. My dad has always been proud of me. He tells me all the time lol! But this is going to be something he will not be proud of. I just know it! At least my husband is going to support me in it. He's doing in kind of a resentful way though...which totally sucks! My daughter is supportive though! ok ok she is only 14 months but she is the only one that seams to get it hehe. I told a close friend of mine who lives out of state so she won't be telling others. But she said I should just do whatever makes me happy and if it's something I have always wanted to go for it! That was encouraging to hear. :) I'm also excited because all of the doctors I seam to like are in southern Ca and I am in Nor cal which was making it hard for me as I don't really have the extra money to pay for a place to stay in southern Ca. But I totally forgot my Aunt lives close to all the doctors I like and she has like 17 extra bedrooms which is plenty of room for me lol! And she is someone I would feel totally comfortable staying with and would be completely supportive of me! So I'm super happy that I have found a place to stay if I do go for a doctor in southern Ca! Anyway...that's my" update " for now. Hopefully It wont be too long until I actually get the surgery! I am SOOOO impatient and just want to do it! :) Updated on 11 Jan 2013: Ok.... So I'm kinda freaking out now! I just read thru a few " not worth it"reviews and it seriously scares me. I haven't decided to get my nose done for sure yet but I am/was definetly leaning towards doing it . That was before reading a bunch of the not worth it reviews. I'm so unsure if it would really be worth it. And I know my nose is not the worst nose ever but it's far from what I wish I had! I see all the good reviews and hope I could be one of them but then seeing all the bad ones..... Well I could be one of those too! My husband keeps telling me " don't fix what's not broken." And I think there is wisdom in that. But I just hate my nose! I just want to feel confident and not be constantly worried about it anymore. Ahhh this is for sure one of the hardest decision I've ever had to make! Any encouragement would definetly be welcomed! Updated on 18 Jan 2013: So I finally made my first consultation! It will be with a surgeon here in town which is great! I'm excited I found him because he seams amazing and is maybe 15 minutes away! He has 34 years experience with rhinoplasty. His name is Dr. John McAvoy. So far I haven't found to much info on him. But he is also the ONLY doctor that I have tried to contact that e-mailed me back personally! I thought that was really cool! Because everyone else has a secretary or something dealing with all that. But he said he wanted to answer my questions personally to make sure I got honest info. The consult is not for another couple weeks due to me being busy. I can't wait to see how it goes. I've also been wondering if I have a deviated septum and I know I may have broken my nose when I was younger. I'm excited for him to look up my nose and check it out! hahah never thought I'd want someone to do that! Anyway...I will update in a few weeks about the consult. Updated on 21 Jan 2013: I just wanted to post some new photos so people can get a better idea of my nose. Some have said its not that bad but I think that has a lot to do with my photos I had first posted. Just thought I'd give a better view. It's taking every bit of courage in me to post them. Updated on 27 Jan 2013: Ok another update! I hope this review won't be miles long once I'm done but I really like to update and keep a "diary" of this whole process mostly for myself and my husband who reads it from time to time. I am SO happy! We did our taxes a couple nights ago and our refund is going to be more than enough to pay off all of our debt! My husband and I had decided earlier that we wouldn't get the rhinoplasty done until our debt was paid off! SO this means when our refund comes in the mail ( 21 days or less) I will get to go back into debt by getting a loan for a rhinoplasty ( If I qualify which I shouldn't have a problem with)!! It sucks to go back into debt but I feel it will be the best debt I've had to live with ;). Another thing. A couple weeks ago I talked to my dad about the rhinoplasty. I wasn't going to until I was further along in this whole process but the time was just perfect so I thought I would just throw it out there to see his reaction. My dad is SO hard to read. His first reaction was "WHAT? WHY? Why on earth would you want to do that!?" He likened me to Helen Hunt saying she is so beautiful and I remind him of her. For some reason that didn't help me....he is an artist and finds my nose gives me character and a different kind of beauty ( yeah the ugly kind of beauty) . But still his opinion mattered to me and matters to me. His reaction was better than I thought it would be. I thought he would be really upset. But the thing is he is so timid and a bit passive I can't really tell what he is really thinking. SO annoying haha. I just wanted to get him used to the idea though. I have a feeling it's not real to him yet. I think he thinks this will pass and I will come to love my nose. But It wont. I've hated it for about 16 years now. I think I will continue hating it unless something is done. Any who I'm so excited that my nose job may be closer than I thought! I can't wait to get the refund check in the mail and pay my car and credit card off so I can get a new loan and start over! ;) Does anyone have any financial tips? I don't know if I want to get a personal loan or what. I have looked into care credit but I'm not sure if just going through my bank would be easier. Sigh....I just can't wait to get started. I already sent Dr. Grygoryants an e-mail asking for a consultation! I hope they get back to me soon so I can get that scheduled and set! The doctors I'm debating between are Dr. Grygoryants, Dr. Clutter and Dr McAvoy. It's such a nerve wrecking decision to decide on what doc to do the procedure! I just pray and hope I choose the right one! :) I may add a couple more pics that are a little more "normal" of me because I look at the ones I have and I cringe....yikes. Not purty. I'd like some honest feedback of my nose and if you think it really would be worth it. I think it would but I want some more help because some people on here have been saying and trying to persuade others not to go through with it because they didn't think that persons nose was that bad. So i guess what I'm asking is on a scale from one to ten (one being SO not worth it and 10 being VERY worth it) how much do you think it would be worth it for me to get a rhinoplasty? I won't be hurt by honestly. I mean I'm asking for it.... literally! Thanks so much for the help. :) Updated on 6 Feb 2013: Alrighty then! I had my consultation today with Dr. McAvoy! He is the one in my home town. It went really well! He is super honest and genuine. Been doing this for 35 + years. He is a strong advocate for truth in advertising and likes to keep a low profile due to attracting "a certain type of patient". Apparently there is a LOT of crap out there he has learned to avoid. He's an older guy ( I think 68 or so) but is super nice and talks talks talkity talky! He seriously answered more than half of my questions (35 of em) before I even started asking! This consult was free. Supposed to be an hour and half at the most. It was about TWO and a HALF HOURS! For free though! So that's super awesomeness right?! Anyway...I really like him as a person and as a surgeon but his before and afters weren't stellar or anything. Although a lot of them didn't look like easy cases as mine is pretty easy. The ones that did look simple looked very good though. He doesn't do a ton of them and made it clear that many surgeons use the number of how many rhinoplasty's they do to compete and didn't want to give me an official "number" for that reason. He is the go to guy for other surgeons family members (I've read) and he has a lot of great achievements. He didn't boast about any of them. I just knew them from research. I liked that he wasn't giving me some type of infomercial. It was real and honest. He did some computer imaging but said that he needs to update it so the print out he gave me makes my nose look pointier than it would actually look like. And it looked pointier on the print out then it did on the screen. So I will put a pic up but it's much more projected than it would actually be. He said I probably do have a deviated septum but that probably about 70% of people walking around have a deviated septum. He didn't do a full on examination. He felt my nose but didn't look up it or anything ( should I be concerned about that?) He took my blood pressure and oxygen too. I am concerned that he doesn't do a lot of rhinoplatstys. He has done a lot but not so much anymore. I think he said maybe 3 within the last 3 or two months. But it's not a big city and we aren't too far from San Francisco which probably makes it difficult for him to get very many rhinoplastys. He also said many surgeons over price. He estimated it at $5,500. WAY more affordable than I thought it would be! He also said because I'm still trying to wean my daughter that that price would be good for a year. I also found out that my little brothers friends wife ( haha ahh the connections) had a rhinoplasty done by him. So I am going to call her right now and ask about it. Soooo excited about that connection and to get to talk to her! My husband came with me. He and my mom both are now really getting against the whole thing. :-( I feel totally alone in this except for the awesome peeps on here. The doctor even said I don't really need it. But that I am a good candidate for it. I still want to do at least one other consult. Sigh... I am torn. He did't really seam to think my nose was that bad and didn't really think I should do it. But he could do it and was really confident in being able to create what we talked about. It's hard to decide on this big a thing when you feel like everyone is against the whole idea. I need some encouragement. I'm going to put up the pic he did but just remember it's much more pointier than he would make it. It's just the print out that came out like that. ;) Updated on 6 Feb 2013: Just want to clarify from my last post. Dr. M wasn't trying to talk me out of it. Sorry I made it sound like that. He was just saying nobody really "needs" cosmetic surgery. And in my case I do not "need" it but If I want it he could do what I want done pretty easily and confidently. :) I feel pretty confident in his ability but I am not sure if I would choose him. Updated on 7 Feb 2013: Sorry about all the updates lately! But just wanted to say I have another consultation scheduled. It's with Dr. Clutter in Folsom on March 14Th. It's not for a while but I'm realizing this is a longer process then I thought it would be. Which is ok. I am happy to be learning more and more about this procedure and other doctors. SO excited about this consult though because he is supposedly a fantastic surgeon and ENT! Woo hoo! Updated on 15 Mar 2013: Finally had my second consult today! I was supposed to have two today but one cancelled on me which sucked because I had driven the night before and stayed in a hotel in order to avoid traffic and getting up super early to make it in time ( because I live about 3 hours away from the surgeons)! I was pretty bummed about that. But I still had another appointment with another PS. And my husband, daughter and I made a day of it and just explored the town since my next consult wasn't until 4....anyway....like you really need to know all that. SO my consult was with Dr. Clutter in Folsom. It went really well! I really like Dr. Clutter. He got straight to the point and told me what he would do to my nose and it was exactly what I wanted to hear. His before and afters were beautiful too! He said he does about 150 rhinos yearly and has been doing them for 30 years! I definitely prefer him over my first consult! The only thing I was bummed about is that he didn't do computer imaging. He showed me what he would do on paper and by touching my nose and showing me in a mirror. But surprisingly I think I could trust him enough to do it right anyway. He said my nose is very basic and not difficult at all and he's really confident he could do it. AND he would do a closed rhino! Which I really wanted! The other PS I was going to see was actually in the same building and Dr. Clutter and Dr. Mabourkh work hand and hand a lot. Apparently they are good friends. So Dr. Clutter said to see him too because he's very good and it's good to get as many consults as you can. So I have a consult with Dr. Mabourkh on April 9th! AHHHH I have to wait again! I had scheduled two on the same day to avoid two trips. So I'm pretty irritated that they cancelled. But he had two emergency surgeries. So I understand. The difference between Clutter and Mabourkh. Clutter is an ENT and Dr. M is a board certified plastic surgeon. Both are great. I have a feeling this will be a hard decision! Oh and Dr. Clutter confirmed that I have a deviated septum FYI. Which I had been curious about. I'm SO excited now! I can't wait for my consult with Dr. M. It's Just so frustrating to have to wait again! I will update again after my next consult. Does anyone have experience going to a doctor that doesn't do computer imaging? I'm a little concerned about him not using it. I am really visual and I feel like I need to see what his idea is for my nose. He had good reason not to use it. Saying it gives a false impression of what a persons nose could look like and people could easily be disappointed with their results. What do you all think about that? He said that a lot of surgeon don't use computer imaging. :-/ Updated on 8 Apr 2013: Today I had my consult with Dr. Jacobs. I was excited about him because he is so close to home I wouldn't have to stay in a hotel or anything. He was fantastic! I loved his computer imaging and everything he said was exactly what I wanted done. He said he uses sedation (twilight) though and that kinda freaks me out. But not enough to not go through with it. I was a little concerned that his practice is only about 25% dedicated to Rhinoplasty though. But he has done about 2500-3000 rhinos. Which is a good amount. Anyway I will update tomorrow because I have one more consult with Dr. Mabourkh! Can't wait! :) Updated on 9 Apr 2013: Alright! I had my (most likely) last consult today! It was with Dr. Mabourkh in Folsom. I've had 4 consults in total which I think is pretty good and more then I thought I would have. The more I go to consults the more I want to get this done. Not only that but as I see other posters on here and comments people posting to them saying "Yes do it!" or "No don't do it" etc. The ones that get a ton of "You look great the way you are!" Really do actually look beautiful already and don't really need it. But I see mine and well.....not very many of those which just confirms all the more that I really do need this and would benefit from it. Not that I'm doing this for others but it helps to hear other honest opinions when all I hear from family is that I don't need it. Ok so about the consult today! Dr. Mabourkh was so sweet, quiet and almost shy. It was so weird because all the the other doctors I saw were loud and completely open and talkative. At first it was totally awkward for me and our conversation was not going very far haha. Because I also am shy and quiet. Put two quiet people together and it's pretty darn uh....quiet. But after a few more minutes of awkward silence we finally started to hit it off. He did do computer imaging but I had to go in the waiting room while he worked on it then he showed me black and white print outs. I liked them even though they were hard to see ( they were pretty bad print outs) but everything he told me he would do to my nose was the same as Dr. Jacobs but Dr. M was charging WAY less 6800 compared to 9300! Dr. Jacobs was good but I don't think he is any better then Dr. M. Dr. Mabourkh was pretty much fitting all my requirements. He was a bit shy but that was almost better as he wasn't trying to sell me anything. It wasn't like a "infomercial" or something! Which I totally appreciated. Another bonus is that he loves performing rhinos. It's his favorite procedure and he's really conservative with them too. They look really natural and beautiful! He's also a perfectionist (as his assistant told me) and doesn't stop until it's perfect. She was so helpful. Also while I was waiting for the imaging a girl came in that just happen to have had her nose done by him. So I got to talk to her. Her nose looked totally natural and she was 4 months post op. That was so cool as I had never been able to talk to anyone (in person) that had had a rhinoplasty. She loves her new nose and said a lot of her friends didn't even notice. She showed me her before and it really does look so different yet still her. All that to say I think I've chosen my surgeon. I'm pretty sure Dr. Mabourkh is my guy! One thing I was really concerned about was after my hump was removed I really wanted the projection and tip brought in and up just a tiny bit. First he didn't think I needed it but he said as he was doing the imaging he thought it did look better bringing the tip in and up just a little. So happy he agreed because Dr. Clutter didn't seam to think I needed that but I was pretty sure I did. Dr. Jacobs thought I did need it but was WAY pricey! I'm so happy I went ahead and saw him. I wasn't going to but I went for it anyway and he was worth the drive. I will update soon with hopefully a surgery date! :) Updated on 19 Apr 2013: Wow....I need some advice! I can't decide between Dr. Clutter and Dr. Mabourakh! One is and ENT and certified with the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. That one is Dr. Clutter. The other Dr. Mabourakh is certified with The American Board Of Plastic Surgery and the FACS. So one is an ENT and the other is a plastic surgeon. I guess I don't know what's better. They are both great surgeons. Clutter does more rhinoplastys then Mabourakh. But Mabourakh still does about 2-4 a month. While Clutter does about 2-4 a week....this is really hard. I'm leaning toward Clutter now because he was more confident to me and I could talk to him more easily. What do you think is better? I just want some feedback! :) Thanks! Updated on 22 Apr 2013: FINALLY my surgery is Scheduled! I'm SO excited! The lady that scheduled it was pretty irritated...don't know why but whatever she's not doing my surgery! haha. I'm too happy to be annoyed at her rudeness. :) If you pray I ask that you would keep me in your prayers now. I'm nervous but so happy too! FYI my husband picked my new title for my post. I'm not the type to call myself cute. :) Updated on 22 Apr 2013: Oh and also the reason I ended up choosing Dr. Clutter over Mabourakh is because 95% of his practice is dedicated to Rhinoplasty as Dr. M's was about 25%. The one key reason I was going to choose Dr. M was because he saw that I needed my nose to be de-projected after the hump is removed where as Dr. Clutter didn't think it needed that. But I called Dr Clutter and asked if he would be willing to de-project it and bring it up just a tad and he said that's not a problem. Also Dr. Clutter said I can continue breastfeeding after surgery where as Dr. M said I wouldn't be able to for about 5 days (because he gives steroids to help with swelling). I really didn't want to attempt to wean as my daughter is SO not ready and extremely needy. I didn't really want to deal with that while recovering. Hopefully that all makes sense. It just seamed to me that Dr. Clutter, although he didn't use computer imaging, is still a fantastic surgeon and meets all my needs. I think I will just show him my own computer imaging on my phone to be reassured. I'm sorry this review is really long already! I will try and keep all my other post short and sweet. ;) Updated on 23 Apr 2013: I realized that I didn't put anything in my review about my nose having trauma to it. I was slapped around a lot as a child and teenager and as a result ( I believe) my nose has been pretty messed up as there were numerous times I got a bloody nose from being hit in the face so often. I also had a rock thrown at me when I was about 7 years old. And that didn't help it either. A couple of the doctors I have had a consult with asked if I had had trauma to my nose and after thinking about it I see that I have. I always try and block those days out and as a result I somewhat forget. But being asked by these doctors pretty much brought it back to the surface. Anyway....just one more reason I can't wait to get this done. Another part of my past that is a part of me but that I will be able to truly put behind me. ;) Updated on 5 May 2013: Just want to share this dream I had! Finally starting to have nose job dreams! Last night I dreamed that I was going to get my cast off and Charlize Theron was my surgeon. She was telling me that it was really really swollen and that I should also get my eyelids done...ok....haha. Then when I posted my post op nose on here someone commented saying how ugly I looked and how stupid my nose is because it got so swollen. hahah my stupid nose! lol. Anyway....just thought it was hilarious that Charlize was my doctor. How cool would that be?! In my dream she was still an actress but also a surgeon. Oh the dreams we have during this time huh? ;) Updated on 6 May 2013: Ugh! I need some serious real self love! I need my nose family ( as hanna calls it :) Last night was horrible! I found out "People were talking" about me having surgery but the thing is nobody was supposed to know (except the few that I had told) One in particular person I didn't want to know ( in fact she is the LAST person on earth I want to know) found out. She is like the gossip queen! And I was pissed and was trying to figure out who told her. I know people will know eventually but this is such a personal and even kinda embarrassing thing that I didn't want everyone to know until after. That way nobody is trying to talk me out of it and judging me. Ahhhh I was so frustrated. Three of my closest friends all told me something different. They were all pointing fingers and none of them have faced up to it. I felt seriously back stabbed last night. Because those that knew were people I completely trusted and would NEVER think they would tell the one person they knew I didn't want knowing. One of my brothers that didn't know about it found out ( in fact his wife is the one I didn't want knowing). He is the one brother I REALLY didn't want to know ( I have 5 brothers by the way...) But this one is so hard headed and closed minded I knew he would be totally against the idea and he was....and let me have it last night to the point that I was in tears and ready to just not get it done. He knows I have been around to different countries on mission trips helping people and seeing lots of poverty and so he threw that in my face saying I could use this money for them and he couldn't believe I was being so selfish! I was so mad at him. Anyway....my husband and parents put me at ease. Talking to my parents really helped. Because they understand somewhat and just want me to be happy and they say if this will help with my depression and help in any way that I should just do it. They really put me at ease as my parents and my husband are really the only ones I truly care how they feel about this. Anyway has anyone else dealt with gossip over this? I cannot believe how people react to this surgery! You'd think I was getting my legs removed the way people are reacting. To me it's not a HUGE deal as they are making it out to be. I seriously told my husband I wish we could just move and start fresh! Has anyone else felt like this? Sigh... I just want it to be over! Sorry my review is already crazy long....haha I just have nobody to vent to and you guys and gals are so awesome! And you know what it's like to go through all of this stuff. Thanks for being so cool and being there for me. God bless Real Self! haha ;) Updated on 4 Jun 2013: Updated on 7 Jun 2013: I had a question for those of you that went through surgery already. I live about 3 hours away from my surgery center. Would you suggest staying another night after surgery or driving straight home right after surgery? I'm staying the night before but I'm trying to get things scheduled with the hotel. My doctors staff said it's different for everyone. Didn't really help much. I just need to know if right after surgery it will be too hard to drive ( in the passenger seat of course) for 3 hours? Thanks for any advice! Updated on 9 Jun 2013: Updated on 10 Jun 2013: Updated on 18 Jun 2013: Getting crazy nervous and excited!! Updated on 21 Jun 2013: Had my pre op today and it went really well! I feel SO much more confident with my surgeon now that I got to talk to him again. He's so nice. Seriously reminds me of Jimmy Stewart! Haha ;) which I love. Anyway... 10 more days till surgery! Soooo soon!! Updated on 25 Jun 2013: Almost here! Updated on 27 Jun 2013: Just got my prescription filled! Oh my gosh I had to go to 4 different places! Apparently nobody carried what my doc prescribed! So frustrating! 4 days until the big day! Holy crap I'm getting nervous! But I'm also SOOOO excited and I can't wait to see my new nose. It's all paid in full now too! So no going back. Updated on 1 Jul 2013: I can't believe I have less than 24 hours until surgery! I'm pretty excited and nervous. I keep thinking... is it really that bad? Am I making a horrible mistake and will this turn to a nightmare!? Is this totally un-necessary? Anyone else having these thoughts? I'm sure you are. Even last night I was trying to think about who I would want to "mother" my daughter if things go terribly wrong....I know that's probably totally crazy and won't happen but has anyone else freaked out to that sort of thinking? Anyway...I went shopping over the weekend and bought a few things.. Neck pillow some easy to eat snacks Some kids "ice packs" small enough to go on each eye. It's like a little gel pack. gauze pads paper tape arnica gel and tablets ( I started taking the tablets a few days earlier) hydrogen peroxide vitamin C Q-tips saline spray (I also borrowed my parents recliner because I didn't have one so I can sleep upright) I tried to only get very necessary things. As we are spending so much money as it is. I may have got a couple other things I'm forgetting. I will post later if I remember. I had my parents and husband pray for me last night. That was really nice and comforting. I'm also extra worried because my blood test came back with low neutrophils (which is the type or a type of white blood cell that is key in fighting infection). I have to take another test in three months to see if they are still low...if so I may have some serious concerns. I'm praying and hoping it's nothing. I'm extra worried about surgery because I'm a little more prone to infection now. But my doctor and surgeon said I can still go through surgery. That that wouldn't be a problem. I'd appreciate a prayer if you pray. Thank you for all the support! :) Updated on 2 Jul 2013: Surgery went perfectly and I'm on my way home! Will update more later! Thanks for all the love Updated on 2 Jul 2013: Thank God I'm home! My daughter did so well during the drive home too! SO happy about that....cause last night was hell on the road! She screamed and screamed all the way there! Whew! Can't believe I'm on the other side now. The surgery staff was seriously SO nice! I was really impressed with how wonderful everyone was. My nurses were just the best! And my anesthesiologist was funny and great! He cracked me up. Ok, so I cannot believe how I don't remember anything after he gave me my fist dose of happy drugs! I seriously only remember looking at my hubby and saying " I feel a little dizzy" and after that it's a blur. But my husband said after that they asked me more questions and he gave me a kiss and said goodbye ( I completely don't remember any of that)!! It's kinda freaky. I don't remember changing from my pre-op bed to the surgery table...I'm a little worried I flashed my doc and the nurse during that part ( because of the open back gown) cause I uh....wore thongs! lol WRONG CHOICE of under pants on my part! haha oh well! Maybe I got a little extra attention from my doctor for that free show! Anyway...I woke up and was totally loopy! my husband was there right next to me along with my nurse. I guess I kept saying over and over again " I can't believe I don't remember any of it!" and I kept asking the same questions over and over again. My doctor came over to me and I said "There's my James Stewart!" lol he was like "oh? why is that?" He told me I was the perfect patient and he thinks I will really like it. Really reassuring. He gave me some directions and when he left I looked at my nurse and said "I almost told him I loved him." Almost wish I would have said it because I think I do! The ride home was fine but I started feeling a bit of pain so I took my pain meds. I feel SO much better now. Been icing my eyes, taking arnica, put arnica cream on my bruises (very carefully with a q-tip), had applesauce, iced coffee, unsalted crackers, and now I'm eating some pineapple. I don't have that much of an appetite at all but I need to eat because of the meds. Anyway I'm gonna rest up more and I will update tomorrow. Love all of you peeps and I thank God for all of you! I'm so grateful for this website. ;) Updated on 2 Jul 2013: Updated on 2 Jul 2013: Hey again! I had a question? I have what looks like a gelatin like "clot" in one of my nostrils. I can't tell for sure if it's a blood clot or packing ( which he didn't say he was going to do) so I don't think it's that. Have any of you had a clot like that that covers the whole nostril and and kind of soft? Sounds gross but I don't know what it is. We called the doc but it wasn't my doctor. He said it sounded like a blood clot but he didn't know for sure. Told me to call again tomorrow to talk to my doctor. Probably shouldn't mess with it but if I can I want to get it out. It somewhat hurts. Anyone experience this? Updated on 2 Jul 2013: I just wanted to post another pic of how much more swollen and bruised I am tonight. It's become worse over the day....of course. But just thought I would post so others can see how bad it can get. My cheeks and middle of my forehead are swollen along with under my eyes. Updated on 2 Jul 2013: Updated on 3 Jul 2013: Soooo swollen! Honestly didn't think I'd get this swollen. My forehead, cheeks and eyes are all swollen... So my whole face! I was surprised to be able to get some sleep last night. I kept waking up to drink some water because my throat was so dry but still, I slept. I'm not really in any pain. It's just mostly a bit un-comfortable. I wanted to also share another funny thing I said after surgery. My husband told me the nurse asked me what the doc prescribed me and he said " happy pill" she asked again and I insisted that he prescribed me happy pills. So the nurse just looked at my husband and he told her what I was prescribed. I was seriously so "drunk" . I was telling the nurses they were pretty and kept asking the same questions over and over again. I've never been drunk so this was all pretty amusing to my husband. Haha Updated on 3 Jul 2013: I just wanted to let you guys know that the gelatin "blood clot" thing was actually dissolve able packing that came . I hadn't heard of that before so I thought I would let others know that there is such a thing. It ends up looking like blood tinged jelly. Gross , I know. So if you see something like that in your nose after surgery that could very well be what it is. Updated on 3 Jul 2013: Updated on 4 Jul 2013: FYI my tip is super pulled up so it looks really upturned but it's not. My doctor told me before surgery that it would look like that but that it's just the way the cast and tape are set. Glad he warned me of that cause it looks funny upturned like this. :) I'm still not in any pain just crazy bruised and swollen still. I have always bruised easily so I'm not surprised about that. It's the swelling they sucks! Updated on 5 Jul 2013: I feel SUPER stuffy today! I started my saline spray and ointment but I still can't breathe at all through my nose. I don't know if he put internal splints in or not. So I can't tell if I'm stuffy from "stuff" being in my nose or from actual just mucous. I'm still crazy bruised and a bit swollen but it's getting gradually better. I don't feel any pain at all! So I'm very thankful for that. My mom saw me yesterday and said that color around my eyes was pretty. haha. ;) my dad brought me gorgeous roses and Greek frozen yogurt. It's so nice having them support me now! Especially when in the beginning it was a shock to them both and they were not "for" it. My husband has been amazing! He took two weeks off work for this. Thank God cause I have been pretty out of it and wouldn't have been able to take care of my two year old by myself. Anyway....the cast is actually not bothering me at all yet. It's really just the bruising and swelling that's been so frustrating. I can't wait to see my new nose though. The anesthesiologist called the other day to check up on me and said that he thought it looked amazing and thinks I will be thrilled with the end results! He said I was the perfect patient and Dr. Clutter did a phenomenal job on me. So that was SO nice of him and reassuring. He has done a ton of surgeries with Dr. C so I was confident with him. I hope the other girls that had their's done the same time I did are doing ok. We will get through this! ;) Updated on 6 Jul 2013: Sorry my eyebrows are crazy right now. I have been trying to grow them out so I can get them reshaped....they are in desperate need of some professional help ;) Updated on 6 Jul 2013: I look like a chipmunk today. :) Updated on 7 Jul 2013: Can't wait to get my cast off! I'm seriously so impatient! ;) I'm going to try and venture out to my parents house today. Woo hoo party at the parents! lol Probably the only place I can go and feel comfortable. But at least it's OUT of my house! I'm getting serious cabin fever here! I can't drive down my street without someone being out front...so I'm going to sit in the back seat so they can't see me. lol The curse of living on such a friendly wonderful street is that everyone is in everyone's business. Cuss my friendly neighborhood! haha ;) Oh and also I feel really good. I haven't had to take any pain medicine since day two. And my swelling is down my cheeks now. I don't like the chubby face look right now but I know it's temporary. I also want to say to anyone that wants to get this done and has young children that this has not seamed to affect my two year old at all. Even when I was crazy swollen she didn't cry. She was a little stand off ish but that stopped by the end of day two. And now she just says mommy has an owie on her nose and eyes. Just wanted to put that out there because I was freaked out that she would cry and not know who I was. But she knew exactly who I was and I think she will still know when my cast is off. Hopefully that puts some people at ease that have youngsters. Anyway....Hope everyone is doing great! Thanks so much for all the support. :) xoxox Updated on 8 Jul 2013: Feeling fine. I can't wait till Wednesday to get the cast off! I'm already happy with my new nose. I just hope I will still be happy after cast removal. I wish I knew if I had splints in my nose or not. I want to clean it out more but I'm afraid I will mess something up. Anyway...my bruising is going away slowly but surely. My swelling is still a little in my lower cheeks. But it doesn't bother me at all. I have only gone out once. I want to go out more but I don't want to put up with staring and the possibility of my neighbors seeing me and asking a bunch of questions. Well, I hope everyone's doing good. Can't wait to see all the new results! Good luck! xoxox Updated on 8 Jul 2013: Hey everyone. I just found out that I do have splints in my nose. I couldn't see them so I called to ask. Now I'm kinda worried about how it's going to feel coming out. Can anyone tell me if it hurts very much? I can't see them at all so I'm really worried about how they are going to come out. Thanks for any help. :) ONE more day and my cast is off! Updated on 9 Jul 2013: Tomorrow I get the cast off! I'm bummed I have to wait a whole day longer than most. But I am just going to try and make this day go by fast. I washed my hair today and it felt SO good! My hair gets crazy oily so it looks and feels so much better. I am a little nervous about getting the splints out....does anyone else feel like their nose is just full of boogers? lol I know it's disgusting but it's going to be sick when he pulls the splints out! ewww! Not really looking forward to the gross part about that but totally looking forward to finally breathe through my nose! I HATE this stuffed up feeling and I'm so sick of breathing through my mouth at night. Anyway good luck to all that gals getting their cast off today! Can't wait to read your updates! ;) Updated on 10 Jul 2013: Check it out. I have to keep the tape on till Saturday. Keep in mind I have no makeup on at all in my after pic. Update more soon! ;) Updated on 10 Jul 2013: Finally got my cast off and those nasty splints out! SO happy I can breathe now! And I can breathe like never before! :) I had to wait like an hour! That was incredibly annoying but worth it! The cast coming off wasn't bad at all. Then he went to get the splints and it just felt weird. THEN he used this vacuum thing in my nose I was completely not ready for! haha it went pretty far back too! That hurt a bit but worth the pain to get all the gunk out. Then he sprayed this weird decongestant in my nose that tasted horrible and made me gag but apparently it helps numb it a bit. My throat and back of my tongue are still a little numb. But nothing bad. Anyway at first when he gave me the mirror I was totally in shock with how skinny it looked! I was honestly a little worried at first but my profile was nearly perfect! He said it is swollen and will go down more and have more of a slope. But only a little slope nothing crazy. :) I cannot believe how little my nose feels!! It's so strange to touch it! To not have my bump there anymore. I already have been enjoying this liberating feeling in public. Yes, even with no makeup and bruises I felt great! I didn't CARE when people saw me from the side! That is SO nice! These pictures seriously don't do it justice. I feel like it looks a bit bigger in the pics than it actually is. But still smaller than before! I'm SOOOOOOOO happy and thrilled! Dr. Clutter did an incredible job at making me still look like me but better! My little brother and dad saw me too and said it looked great! My mom, daughter and husband were all with me. My mom loves it. I love it! I can't wait to see it as the swelling goes down. I'm happy even with the swelling! So I can only imagine how much better it will be! The tape is coming off Saturday. But at least I can see it now! :) Thank you all for the kind comments. I'm so happy to have a bunch of people supporting me here! :) Xoxoxo Updated on 11 Jul 2013: So I finally put makeup on today...I didn't have the right concealer so you can still totally see my bruising but oh well! I feel more human with makeup on. I want to get my hair done too. Any suggestions on how I should get is cut? My nose is totally swollen and yet I still love it! My tip is obviously swollen and hard. My bridge is too and I can't wait to see it when it slopes a bit more. I also wanted to point out that I didn't want a Kim Kardashian nose or Angelina nose ( not that that's bad to want that but it wasn't for me) My goal was more Elizabeth Taylor, Jeanne Crain or Vivien Leigh type nose. Will post pics of them. I like the old version of beauty better than todays version. And I wanted that classic natural beauty look. I just say that because so many people on here want that Kim and Angelina look and I didn't want anyone thinking that was what I was going for. Anyway....So far so good and I can't wait for my tape to come off! ;) Updated on 11 Jul 2013: Updated on 13 Jul 2013: Took the tape off today! And boy did it feel amazing to finally get to take a shower and get my whole face wet! This sticky stuff from the tape is SO hard to get completely off though. And I have nasty black heads on my nose now too. I LOVE the outcome! It's funny because I feel like it's the nose I always had. before I would think I looked a certain way but then see photos and be like "WHAT I don't look like that!!" But now I see in photos what I always thought I looked like. Does that make since? I'm SO happy I chose Dr. Clutter. I think he was the perfect man for the job. He made me look like me but better. I love that I don't see a completely different person in the mirror. I still see me but the me I always knew was in there. I feel relieved and liberated in public. It's SOOOOO worth it! AND I still have a lot of healing to do. It's only going to get better! I'm swollen and yet I don't actually think I look that swollen. It's probably do to my crazy thin skin. So I'm not even bothered at all by the swelling....even in the tip. I think it looks cute. Which I NEVER thought I'd ever say that about myself. So my tip is swollen and my bridge is swollen. The bridge will have slightly more of a slope. But honestly, even if it didn't I'd be happy with my nose. I just LOVE Dr. Clutter. I highly recommend him. He had so much talent and yet nobody really knows about him in this area. I'm truly grateful to LGgirly for recommending him to me. I can't get a hold of her now but she is to be thanked for referring him to me. The only thing now is my bruising! I heal very slowly anyway and it's driving me crazy that they are still under my eyes. They are going away but it just feels like it's taking forever! I've been using Arnica gel and it is working but I have always been a slow healer. So I guess I just need to be patient. Anyway..thank you all for all the sweet comments and for all the support. I couldn't do this without you all. This forum has been a HUGE blessing to me and all the ladies and men have too. So thank you all for your love and support. xoxoxo Hope you guys are doing great and happy healing to those that are going through recovery. Updated on 15 Jul 2013: I've been using different filters to cover up my bruising in my photos. It's still there even though it's not obvious in these pics. But I just wanted to say I enjoy taking photos SO much more now! I love it! Mostly because I can take pics with my baby and love them! Updated on 22 Jul 2013: Doing good. I have a post-op appointment tomorrow. Can't wait to ask what is swelling and what's not. I'm concerned about my nostrils. Very uneven and my nose is slightly curved like a C shape. I'm not actually that worried about it considering its not even a month post op yet. But I still want to ask. My daughter kicked my face ( hitting my nose) this morning and its been hit a lot already. Not super hard but still it's been hit.... So I'm afraid it's messed up. :-/ anyway... Even if my nose were to stay the way it is now forever I would still say its worth it! But I know my tip is pretty swollen. Can't wait to see the end results! This really is a waiting game. It's still 10 times better than my old nose! And I have been SO much more confident in public. Oh! Also yesterday I went to church for the first time since surgery and nobody noticed! My bruising is pretty much gone. I was so happy nobody even looked twice at me! These are people that have known me since I was a baby! Just wanted to add that. anyway...if you're thinking anout having this surgery you need to be a patient person! It's key in being happy right after surgery. I also think if you're expecting perfection... You're not ready for this surgery. Updated on 30 Jul 2013: Doing good. Saw my doctor last week and he said I was really swollen. I'm surprised because I didn't think I was that swollen. So I'm really excited to see the final results. He said the uneven nostrils and bump on my bridge is all just swelling. So that was good to hear from him . Everything looked fine and he is happy with it so far. :) thanks for all the sweet comments! Updated on 5 Aug 2013: I just wanted to say I am just so happy and can't wait to see my final final result. It's still swollen and yet I feel totally confident and happy with it. As I look through my old photos I am THRILLED and SO glad I did this! I can't believe how bad my nose was before. I didn't think it was THAT bad but ugh! Gross. ;) Anyway I also want to say that nobody has noticed except those that already knew. The other day I had coffee with a friend that I've known for 22 years and she didn't say anything or look twice at me! My aunts and cousin came to visit this weekend and they didn't notice either. Or if they did they didn't say anything about it. I caught one aunt looking at me with her head tilted a bit a couple times but she never did say anything or ask questions. I think my nose is pretty drastic comparing to my old pics and yet nobody noticed. So just to help those that are worried about that part of it I don't think it's really something worth worrying over. My nose has a little bump on the bridge and my nostrils are still uneven but that's to be expected I guess? Anyone else have a bump on the bridge? did it go away? Thanks again for all the nice comments. :) Updated on 15 Aug 2013: Wow can't believe it's already been 6 weeks! Just wanted to do a quick update . Went to see my doc yesterday and everything is fine. I have a bit of scar tissue causing a tiny bump on my bridge( really only noticeable to me and my doctor) so he said to put a bit if pressure on a few times a day for two weeks. He said NOT to massage it just to put pressure on it. It's not that big if a problem and even if it were to stay I'd be happy my nose. Much better than my old one!! Nobody has noticed except those that knew already. I haven't been on here much cause our Internet is down so I can only use my phone and that's a bit hard to do. Hope everyone is doing great! Good luck to all those who have surgery coming up! Updated on 15 Aug 2013: So I forgot to talk about my nostrils! How can I forget the nostrils! Haha they are still a little uneven do to swelling but they look better than a few weeks ago. :) I also wanted to say that I've had a downfall in my depression. I was already depressed but had it under control ( with meds) before surgery. But since surgery I've been intensely down. Even to the point of suicidal thoughts ( which I used to have all the time pre-medicine days) . So I asked my doctor ( surgeon ) about it yesterday and he said that can happen after surgery and its not totally uncommon. Like I have been regretting life decisions and so on. The weird thing is it has absolutely nothing to do with my rhinoplasty. I'm thrilled with my nose. Don't even think about it in a bad way at all! It's other random stuff. Anyone wake have a bout of depression after surgery? Updated on 15 Aug 2013: Totally forgot to add the pic of nostrils.... Cause you know it's so exciting to look up my nose! ;) Updated on 20 Aug 2013: Loving my new nose!! Updated on 4 Sep 2013: Doing good! All I have is my phone until tomorrow! Woo hoo SOoo excited to get my Internet back up and kickin! I'm missing out on so much on here! Sooooo anyway just had an appointment with Clutter and I have to keep putting pressure on the bridge of my nose to shape it more. As its a tiny but crooked and there's a slight bump. Nothing big though. And it's changed from doing that these last few weeks so the doc is pretty sure we can shape it manually instead of a whole other surgery. I'll let you know if it changes by doing that anymore these next few weeks. I'm still totally thrilled with my new nose! And still happy I chose Dr.Clutter! Updated on 6 Sep 2013: I have been looking at my old photos and OH MY GOSH!!! I am SOOOOOOO happy I did this! I can't believe that was my old nose! haha How did I go that long with that thing on my face?!? If you are considering doing this DO IT! It's AMAZING! Truly.....I'm SO happy with this new nose! It's like the nose I was always supposed to have! Just make sure you do your research and fully trust your surgeon. Updated on 14 Sep 2013: I'm posting a pic of how I have been directed to put pressure on my nose to mold it as it heals in this early phase. I put one finger on the bridge and push down while putting the other finger on the side of my nostril and push slightly the opposite direction as I do the bridge. As seen in the picture (because my nose curves slightly in one direction). I did that for a while a few weeks back and it has helped. My doctor wants me to continue doing it for a month to see if it helps any more. I do a few times throughout the day holding for about a minute or so. Sometimes not a whole minute. But it seams to help. I wouldn't do that unless directed by your doctor though. Ask first. One point my doctor made clear was to NOT massage it. It's just pressure on the scar tissue. Updated on 14 Sep 2013: Updated on 3 Oct 2013: Wow time is flying! My nose is still bending slightly to one side. Still doing the "molding" thing but I haven't felt like it has been helping. Although I suppose it hasn't been that long. I'm still loving my new nose. But if I were to be completely honest and ridiculously picky I could complain that it's not totally straight from the front and looks pretty different from my quarter angles. I'm also wishing there was a bit more of a slope but I'm happy it's not TOO sloped! So I'm not that worried about that. I can't wait to see how different it will look later on. I can't help but feel it wont look that different. And yet I hope it will appear smaller a few months from now. But honestly even if it doesn't I'll still be so glad I did this! I wasn't expecting perfection and truly perfection just doesn't go with the rest of my face anyway. lol So that's good. ;) Hope everybody is doing great! Updated on 22 Oct 2013: ... Updated on 22 Oct 2013: ... Updated on 17 Dec 2013: Hey everyone sorry it's been a while!! But thought I would post real quick. Took pics down as I started to get paranoid lol. If you want to see the full face pics pm me and I'll be happy to e-mail them. :) I'm very happy with my results!! It's not perfection but that's good. Looks more natural. Nobody has noticed at all!! Only the people that knew anyway. Even family that don't know about it haven't noticed! I love that! Lol less to have to explain or being judged about it. I can't even tell you how happy I am with my result. I highly recommend getting a rhinoplasty if it's something you've always considered. Just do research and know your surgeons results well. Also do not expect perfection and you'll be happy! Any questions feel free to ask! Love to you all and to all my fellow surgery date gals!! Hope everyone is doing amazing! Updated on 30 Dec 2013: Just wanted to post pics for a little bit. I know that helped me a lot when searching for a doctor! Updated on 30 Dec 2013: These are all recent. over 5 months post op . Updated on 30 Dec 2013: Sorry not in order got a two year old crawling all over me while doing this. Updated on 30 Dec 2013: Updated on 6 Feb 2014: I cannot believe its been 7 months already! My nose is good! Me, on the other hand....I've been seriously struggling with my medication and depression. I'm all over the place with my meds and trying to even out everything. Has anyone else had this problem? I've just changed so much and have different feelings about so many things. I'm even going through divorce. Obviously for more reasons than just my depression. WAY more serious stuff than that. But still...anyone else experiencing THAT drastic of a change in their life? Anyway...more about the nose. It tends to bend to one side still. It doesn't actually bug me much but still a little bummed about it. I would never take back my decision to get it done though. It's given me so much confidence. I feel so completely free. I'm also curious about swelling....will it go down more at 7 months? Hopefully everyone is doing great! Congrats to all those that just went through it and good luck to those that are about to! xoxoxox to you all! Updated on 3 Mar 2014: Just a quick update. My last visit to the doc he gave me an option to to correct my nose a little. It's a little crooked...or looks somewhat off from the front. It's not something I'm angry or frustrated over but he gave me an option to go in and shave down my right side a little and fill in that side nostril a bit to give an "optical illusion" that it's straight. It's hard because my face is naturally "off" like one side is higher than the other. Mostly due to me having bells paulsy for a while when I was pregnant. But everyones face and body is "off" by a tiny bit. like everyone has a bigger side than the other. Anyway because of that my nose looks off a bit. So I'm trying to decide if it would be worth it. It's a quick in office procedure and I wouldn't be put under. Just numbing the nose. What do you guys think?? Is it worth it? Let me know. Thanks! Updated on 4 Aug 2014: I am doing great! I highly recommend getting this done if it's something you've wanted for a long long time! It's life changing! I am so happy! That being said....I am thinking about having Dr. Clutter do a little tweak to my nose. It's not as straight as it could be from the front. It would be a quick in office procedure. Trying to decide if I want to do it or not. Any suggestions? Updated on 22 Jul 2022: It’s been probably about 8-9 years since my rhinoplasty. I was just thinking of this and thought I would share a little. I rarely think about the fact that I had this surgery done. But I never regret doing it! I’m still so happy I had it done as it allowed and allows me to live so much more freely. If you’re trying to decide to do this I highly recommend! As long as you do your research on the doctor you choose. I loved my doctor as he made it look so natural ( not a cookie cutter nose) that I have friends that didn’t even notice! And yet it’s still a drastic change! Only my family knows. And nobody else has asked me anything about it. I think Dr. Clutter is truly an artist. To be able to take someones nose and change it yet still allow the person to look like themselves is no easy task! And he did it! He realizes everyone is different and won’t look good with the same nose as everyone else. I needed a longer nose to go with the rest of my face. If he had made it too small I would look ridiculous. I’m thankful I still look unique and myself. Don’t waste anymore time if this is something you’ve wanted for a long time. Just do it! You won’t regret it! Updated on 22 Jul 2022: It’s been a long time! But I just thought I’d share how I’m doing. I rarely ever think about the fact that I got a rhinoplasty. But I never regret it! Dr. Clutter is a true artist. He did such a great job that even friends didn’t notice. Yet it was still a drastic change. Someone who can change someone’s nose yet still allow them to look themselves and unique is a true artist. He did a great job and there’s not a day that goes by that I regret it. If you’ve been considering doing this I highly recommend it! Just do your research and make sure you get a good doctor! I feel so much more free now and am so glad I did this! I hope this helps someone else out there who’s considering getting this done. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s drastic or selfish etc. It was horrible living with such self consciousness that it controlled my life and made it hard for me to truly enjoy myself. It’s ok to do something for you every once in a while. Not only did it help me but it allowed me to focus on other more important things in life. It allowed me to get on with life and not worry so much. Just do it! You won’t regret it!
I have an upcoming nose job in Sac town on December 6th of this week! So completely nervous and excited at the same time. I'm getting this procedure done for the tip mainly- its a bit bulbous and my bridge has a slight bump. So basically i want this surgery to be very natural and conservative. That is why I have chosen Dr.Donald Clutter whom i've found on realself.com reviewer. Wish me luck!!! xoxo Updated on 5 Dec 2012: surgery is tomorrow ahhhhhhhhhhhhh. i'll update in a week ...stay tuned. xoxo Updated on 11 Dec 2012: Going to get my cast off tomorrow at 3:30pm ! SUPER excited :D don't be scared of my bruising, it'll go away. My blood shot eyes are the worst part GRRRR Updated on 12 Dec 2012: so just got home from the cast removal..DA NA NA! I am ECSTATIC with the results and its only the 6th day!! take a look guys. even my bruising has gone down TREMENDOUSLY! xoxo..update in 2 weeks. Updated on 16 Dec 2012: so its my 10th day post op and i just took the tape off . I cannot BELIEVE how good my nose looks (thank you God and Dr.Clutter)!!!! it was CLOSED RHINOPLASTY so there is absolutely no sign of the nose job. it looks outstanding! If you would like to see it, i will send it to you. Had to take my pics off due to respect for my family. xoxo guys. please do a ton of research before you decide to take the big step! Make sure the surgeon MAINLY focuses on noses/face.
Excision may be the ultimate technique, but injections with filler could significantly improve the appearance of the scar. The downside to filler is that you would have to do it every year but it would only require a small amount and would allow you to avoid a surgical procedure.
I would recommend you wait 1 week before participating in non-contact sports. You should wait at least 6-8 weeks before playing any contact sports such as rugby.
You may get moderate benefits from laser resurfacing procedures or occasional microneedling. You would not see a benefit with chemical peels or neck lift.
Fillers are the best option. Botox is not usually helpful and fillers should be used cautiously as they can alter or change the smile and expression slightly.
All have similar safety record. I prefer Restylane and Juvederm products. They last typically 10-12 months. The new fillers Restylane Lift and Juvederm Voluma are thought to last 18-24 months.
