38 Year Old Rhinoplasty, Bulbous Nose with Droopy Tip

I'm a product designer and improve the appearance of three dimensional things for a living, so let's just say my research was exhaustive and highly skeptical. I focused on pictures. Sam Riszk's noses are beautiful in their own right, and specific to every face. As much time as I put into looking, he was the only surgeon I actually met in person. He radiates elegant calm and sober intelligence. He told me what he recommended without making me feel insecure and I trusted him to do what he does best. I've just had my surgery so I cannot comment on the results yet, but I am very happy with the results so far and look forward to keeping you posted.

I'm on day three post rhinoplasty and am starting to get a better idea of what my nose will look like. I have no bruising and no pain and the swelling has gone down dramatically. After seeing so many post rhinoplasty pictures with massive black eyes, I credit this to my surgeon. The first day was by far the most uncomfortable and I was very happy to have my sister helping me. My surgeon didn't mention Biotene, but that was an absolute life saver on the first night. An odd thing that would not have occurred to me- my surgeon had me cut out caffeine for 48 hours before the procedure and I wouldn't have expected my two cup a day habit to result in such rollicking caffeine withdrawal headaches. It felt like the worst migraine I've ever had, especially since I was also restricted to only using extra strength Tylenol. I highly recommend tapering down to half a cup a few days before, because it was bizarrely one of the most uncomfortable parts of my recovery. The thing I really felt when waking up from surgery was an intense throbbing at the base of my nose. It's a little bit more than the painkiller could mask and I definitely wasn't one of the "I only needed a Tylenol" patients. You really do need the painkillers the first day, or at least I did. Lest this review make me sound like a complete baby, I think you're probably fine with Tylenol on the second day, which was mainly just mildly uncomfortable. I was done with the drip pad halfway into day two, which was a huge relief, since it does start to irritate your skin. I might keep this mind and go a bit easy on changing it all the time. I iced my face in fifteen minute increments for the first two days and the swelling has gone down dramatically. I also caution you to stay away from the mirror, since your appearance does improve dramatically and I think it could certainly give you a dark night of the soul staring at stitches and worrying about the outcome. Now that I'm on day three, I can see my nose start to take shape and feel confident that the result will be beautiful. I considered a less expensive surgeon but I'm honestly really glad that I spent a few thousand more on someone I had complete confidence in. Outcome aside, I think it would be a scary first few days if you had any reservations about your surgeon's skill. It does take a bit of faith to trust the process. These reviews were very helpful to me in my research! I hope this helps! All in all, I'm feeling a lot better and am very happy with how this has gone so far.

Everyone says this, but please take my word for it- your nose will swell up to its previous size or larger once the cast is off, so don't expect that to be the day you celebrate. Do take a good look at the bridge so that you can remind yourself later, because it will swell up and the bump may seem like it has returned. The swelling is quite unnerving, since it does give you the feeling you didn't do enough and that you're back where you started. After worrying it was too small and I might look like a member of the Jackson family, this was a funny reversal. Now that the swelling has started to go down significantly, I can tell that I wasn't overdone and that it will have a lovely result. It looks good now and will look even better once the remaining swelling is gone. It is also strange to realize it's still "you"- it's your skin and very much your nose, with all of the damaged pores or scars or quirks you might have had before- just sculpted. Again, it sounds obvious, but when you're all covered up, whatever lies underneath feels a bit alien. It is ultimately reassuring to know that you will still be "you" and your mom will recognize you. Just improved. Know that Dr. Rizk's office doesn't do a lot of hand holding- a nurse took off my cast and I will have my first follow up with the surgeon for the remaining stitches 13 days after my surgery. The anesthesiologist called the day before and after, which I appreciated. I only cared about the surgeon's aesthetics and skill and was fine with this, but if personal attention from the surgeon is important to you, I might adjust expectations slightly. I've had no bruising- none- and aside from a lot of very itchy stitches, this recovery was quite smooth compared to everything I've read online.