Former Real Housewives of Orange County star Meghan King recently revealed that she underwent both a rhinoplasty and breast augmentation last month. “So the cat’s out of the bag. I’ve gotten my nose upgraded and my chest upgraded after 10 years. So I am going to share the story of how it happened,” she told her nearly 1 million followers in an Instagram story. She then posted a series of videos documenting her experience pre-surgery—from her final consult appointment to how she felt the day of. “I’m feeling ready, I just don’t want to look too different,” she said in a video taken the morning of her surgeries. Mission accomplished: “I totally felt at ease and came out looking like a natural, enhanced version of myself, which is what I wanted! Props to Cosmeticare!” she said, referring to her experience with her doctor, Dr. Michael Niccole, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Corona del Mar, California.
Still, the 38-year-old was very honest about the recovery process—particularly, what occurred when the bandages were removed from her nose one week post-op. “My nose was wider than it was originally. You guys, I had a vasovagal reaction…I puked,” she said. According to Dr. Niccole, that intense swelling was to be expected. “Swelling is completely normal and could last six months to a year,” he told RealSelf. But after her splint was removed, she was upright and standing, so the swelling went down drastically just with her being upright, he explains.
How the tip of the nose is taped can also contribute to more pronounced, immediate swelling, notes New York City board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Melissa Doft. Once the tape is removed, it will start to look better, as the fluid in the skin is able to be better reabsorbed, she explains. Indeed, King said that there was a dramatic difference in how her nose looked even after just a few hours.
King had previously hinted at her breast augmentation plans, via a bikini pic on Instagram, referencing that it had been 10 years since her first one and that she’d had three babies since. While pregnancy and breastfeeding have little effect on the actual implants, the associated changes can alter the shape of the breast afterward, notes Dr. Doft. This was the case for King. “She wanted to fill up her breasts with additional volume, to compensate for extra skin and volume loss,” says Dr. Niccole. “Her implants were also 11 years old, and the rupture rate increases once they are 10 years old. It was perfect timing to replace them.” More specifically, she went from a fourth-generation, 339cc silicone implant to a fifth-generation, 455cc gummy bear silicone implant, upgrading both the size and technology, he says.
Whether King opts for any more cosmetic surgeries remains to be seen, but given how open she’s been about this experience, odds are good that she’ll be sharing anything else that is to come.
