Should I Tell my Friends and Family About my Rhinoplasty Surgery?

Each patient is very different in terms of their willingness for others to know they have had surgery. I have some patients who have gone out to the mall the day after a rhinoplasty (while still wearing their nasal splints) and have been very public about their procedures on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Other patients hide out in their homes or in hotels for 10-12 days following surgery until they are completely confident that no one would know about their surgery.

Your decision to undergo rhinoplasty or any facial plastic surgery is a very personal one and while it is helpful to have the support of family and friends, you should not feel obligated to tell anyone if you feel you may be unfairly judged. 

Best of luck,

Dr. Mehta

Sharing this specific information with your family and friends is a personal choice. I recommend my patients bring a companion to their surgery to make the experience more comfortable. Good luck with your surgery.

Disclosing to your friends, family, and close acquaintances about your nose job is entirely your decision. Still, depending on the severity of your condition and how many changes you are looking to make to alter your nose, avoiding telling the people who are close to you about your surgery might be difficult. A good rhinoplasty surgeon will try diligently to make your new nose look as natural as possible and to leave as few signs of surgery as they can. Nevertheless, considering that your friends and family know you best, they might still notice that you have had some work done. This decision should be something you think about and come to a conclusion about on your own, but I do not think you should be afraid about being “judged” or being considered “vain,”- a nose job can have a vast variety of positive implications on your life and even be considered life-changing. 

The most important person you have to please is yourself. If you are having the rhinoplasty performed in order to achieve a certain response from others, stop now, and re-evaluate. Your concerns are real. People will judge you, that's the reality and it will be for different reasons. It may be because of the money you spent; it may be  because you want to change your ethnic appearance; it may be because they are insecure about their appearance, etc. Do the surgery to please you, otherwise you may be disappointed.

You should tell whom ever you feel comfortable telling them about your surgery. Having a rhinoplasty does not make you vain. It only says that you care about the way you look. At the end of the day, you live with your nose and you decide what to do with it.

First and foremost, the motivation to have cosmetic surgery should come from you, and not anyone else. While disclosure of your decision to friends and family is a personal choice complicated by the unique characteristics of your relationships, I believe it is always easier to share the experience with those you love and trust. I would first turn to those who you know would give you constructive feedback and support.

Disclosure of any plastic surgery is a personal decision.  You should speak with your surgeon and his/her staff about this and their advice regarding how to handle this situation.  

Peer pressure can have its influences.  I would advise you to speak to close friends and family, rather than keeping it a secret.  Rhinoplasty surgery will improve your self esteem and is meant for you, not your peers. 

You have received many great responses here from my colleagues and I agree with all of them, it is a comfort level for you as an individual. I think the more people in your support circle, the better you will recover not only physically but also emotionally and spiritually.

However, make sure those you reveal your plans to are supportive and understand your goals; these individuals may be difficult to identify sometimes....you know who your friends and family are, and who can handle what and when and how much.

Advice, have a solid support network, do not undergo surgery alone without help and assistance.

Good luck!

Dr. C

Even though at first you might be reticent to tell friends and family about your surgery most everyone will find out at some point.  In my experience overwhelming majority of my patients report to me that their friends and family had only positive reaction.