More than 2 years ago I had the worst decision of my life when I paid for an alarplasty with a non-surgeon. It's still hard to remember those days when I couldn't even stare a mirror without triggering suicidal thoughts.
To begin with, I never hated my nose shape but I had flared nostrils that was insecure about since my early teens (I guess everyone is insecure about their nose in some aspect).
Having a full rhinoplasty wasn't a plan for me since I wanted a subtle change, but I was foolish after all. If we can learn with mistakes, NEVER do something without extensive research. Alarplasty is not simple as we think. Have you notice you can barely find any article talking about "reversing" it? Nostrils are really soft tissue and some mm removed can do a massive difference in your face.
When I walked into that "non-surgeon" office I had expectations to boost my self-esteem but I completely ruined it instead. My nostrils were so narrowed that I had to clean it with a cotton swab and the shape was so unnatural and flat that was painful to smile. I was in a such bad state of mind also dealing with COVID pandemic situation going on.
My alarbase was so damaged that I thought it was unfixable. That's when I started talking with Dr. Pincus through emails and Skype after discovering Realself.
Prior to that, I saw 2 other doctors who didn't hear my wishes, but wanted to give me another nose or "theres nothing you can do about it, just accept" answer. If there's anything I can mention right away is that Dr. Pincus will LISTEN to you. He explained me so many times about the composite ear graft procedure (and I can be a pain in the ass cause I do ask too much). Always so polite and calm.
Since I'm not from USA, I waited for 2 years until I was able to travel early this year. In the meantime, I saved money working twice as hard (I'm from Latin America, so my currency is really bad), while I progressively went back to socializing with people after lockdown. I was so ashamed and having panic attacks in the beginning, but for my surprise people don't care about our looks as much as we think. No one was curious if I had something done while I was feeling like a frankenstein monster.
My whole family was against another procedure, so I convinced my brother to travel with me. Dr. Pincus saw me in person 2 days before my surgery and I still can remember vividly. It was wild finally seeing him after years exchanging emails, like a dream come true. We agreed about the procedure, he told me about the risks, he showed me some pics from his other patients with successful cases and I felt even more secure. He is undeniably a very skilled surgeon.
So the big day arrived and I was still so nervous about having surgery, specially taking anesthesia. But then I woke up, I felt so much happiness while I cried like a little baby when I saw my "old-self" again. This was the feeling I was craving for years. I would do it all over again.
The post-OP was a little more tricky than we expected because ear grafts were unpredictable in my case, but Dr. Pincus was always there taking care. I'll never forget that. He's the most human and empathetic doctor I've seen and I'm SO grateful that God gave me the change to meet him.
If there's one last thing I can also point out, it's that our minds play tricks and it's our worst enemy. We'll never be 100% satisfied. Most days I like my nose, some days I see flaws (selfies are really self-sabotaging). Going through a revision plastic surgery process is difficult cause you're already hurt, but I can finally say I found some comfort after all this rollercoaster.
I feel blessed that I had an improvement and my nose bothers me less. My nose before the revision was horrible and unacceptable to me. If I could travel back in time, I would have had my first rhinoplasty with Dr. Pincus without a doubt. If you're seeking help to solve this nightmare with alarplasty, he's the answer.
I shared some pictures from before and after while I'm waiting a full year to see the final result.
