Heya! I always knew something was 'off' or...
Heya! I always knew something was 'off' or 'different' about my face but I couldn't put my finger on it until I became a teenager. It was my chin or.. lack thereof. Waves of insecurity would come + go as a teen/early 20's but for past couple of years, it's all I see when I look in the mirror. I think about it often. I don't think I can look at my reflection without sticking out my bottom jaw to look like I have a jawline/bigger chin.
Now, I'm finally at a place in my life where I can feel confident about making a big change to my face. Here we go! I'm getting a chin implant AND neck lipo on July 28th.
Had my consultation today and I'm definitely a lot more nervous than before - simply because the date is set, the deposit is paid, and it finally feels real. It's no longer something I daydream about!
Two more days!
Hey y'all,
Two more days before the big day. Thought I'd check in once more before my surgery. Trying not to think too much about it so I don't get too nervous. The moment seeing my new chin for the first time is going to be a big one.
Day 1!
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28 Jul 2016
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Day of treatment
Got my chin implant and neck lipo this morning. Everything was super quick and I was back home in my bed by noon.
The ride home was a little rough - I was in a lot of pain but as soon as I took pain pills and passed out for a few hours, I felt a lot better.
Now everything just feel super tight and fragile. No nausea, appetite is normal (soft diet right now), and very sleepy/groggy.
First look at my chin with my head wrap on, I am hopeful that it's going to turn out well. I'm a little weary of how 'masculine' or 'square' it seems right now but I am hopeful that it's just the swelling based on what I've been told by my doctor and what I've read on here.
Another thing to note is nothing seems super numb where I can touch/see so that's good! I was nervous my lips would be numb for weeks but I can still smile like I normally do!
Overall, I'm happy it's over with and hopeful that I'll get the results I wanted. Stay tuned!
Day 2 - Bandage off
Got my bandage off this morning!
My face is incredibly swollen so looking in the mirror without the bandage was a big, sort of disappointing shock but I've been assured that I'm not going to like what I see for the first several weeks so this is a good practice in faith and patience. I currently look super square head on but I'm digging my profile so far. I never noticed how small my upper lip was until now, haha!
As far as how I'm feeling: I feel a lot more crummy today. I think it's all the different pills sitting in my system.
I'm optimistic!
First day back at work - 4 days post op
It's been 4 days now since my chin implant + neck lipo.
Today, I'm going to do a half day at work. This will be my first time out in public since Thursday.
Unfortunately, not feeling super confident. I like my profile, something I've cringed looking at for as long as I can remember, but I am really concerned about the full-ness/square shape from head on.
The fear of looking 'square' was the biggest fear of mine going into this and I really, really hope this isn't going to be my reality.
I know it's only been 4 days, but I don't feel super swollen, which is why I guess I'm so concerned. An anxious, "wait, this is it? It's gonna get tighter and more contoured, right?" is a good way to sum up the last couple days.
Starting to feel regretful, but I'm hoping a couple months from now I'll look back on this post and laugh for being so worried..
Would love any feedback, suggestions, etc.
1 week post-op
Made it to one week! It feels like it's been 1 year, haha. This has definitely been one of the longest weeks of my life.
I've been feeling super crummy from all the medications so I've only been able to do two half days at work this week.
The left side of my chin is still very tender to the touch, sore, and bruised compared to the other side.
My neck is still incredibly tight and it's difficult to look upwards.
It's getting easier to talk but I still can't open my mouth and move it the way I used to. My smile is very different which is bumming me out every time I try to crack one.
Eating is still difficult and I constantly worry if chewing is going to shift something out of place.
As far as how it looks, I love my side profile. I already feel a lot more confident wearing glasses and my hair up!
Still not a fan of my face head-on, which is becoming depressing. It looks manly to me. I was expecting it to look more angular. I'm trying to stay optimistic that it will look better a couple months when everything is fully healed.
After a week out, I'm very conflicted with how I feel and if it was worth it. I love my side profile but damn, my face head-on is messing me up.
I gave my 1 week post-op appointment tomorrow so hopefully I can get some peace of mind.
2 weeks post op
Hey all,
I am 2 weeks post op as of yesterday! It seems like it's been a lot longer than only 2 weeks!
My swelling has gone down a ton so naturally, I'm feeling a lot better about my face head on. I no longer feel manly or square and I'm much happier with it.
I think the reason I was so stressed out was because I was expecting a more defined/different jawline but that would require jaw surgery - something I'm not going to put myself through. My bone structure and roundness of my face will always remain the same and I'm ok with that now. This has been a great lesson in acceptance and self-love.
I'm in love with my profile now and feel a lot more confident. I can actually buy the sunglasses I want, wear my hair up or in a braid, wear lipstick - all without feel self conscious about my chin/profile view!
I'll probably update once more after a couple months.
Overall, I'm now happy and grateful for my results.
Almost 6 months post op! Update!
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16 Jan 2017
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6 months post
Hi guys!
Sorry for the lack of updates - life happened.
I am currently almost 6 months post op and doing great overall. My fears of my face looking box-y have long disappeared, I can smile fully again, look upwards with no issues, and no more numbness.
I would say I am completely healed unless my doctor says something different at this month's checkup.
I'm pleased with results and happy I did it. I'll be honest, it wasn't as majorly life-changing as I was expecting it to be but instead, I simply no longer have the daily insecurity and stress I used to live with. I'm now able to look into a mirror with confidence and not immediately feel awful about my chin area and that's what I'm forever thankful for and why this procedure was worth it.
My doctor was Dr. Majmundar in Atlanta, GA for everyone who was wondering in the area. Him and his staff were wonderful through the entire process - I highly recommend.
