Forehead Reduction, 21 Years Old - Bondi, AU

For nearly all of my life i had always been really uncomfortable with the size of my forehead, i felt as though my face was out of proportion and i never felt really 'feminine'. When i discovered that having the size of my forehead reduced was an option, i waded over the decision for about 3 years before going through with it.
It's coming up to 3 months since i had the procedure, and while there is still more healing to come i can without a doubt say that it has been the most rewarding decision i have ever made.
There are several factors as to why i believe i had such a successful outcome, one of the most important being my choice of surgeon, Dr. Warwick Nettle, and the other majority being my personal reasons, expectations, research and aftercare.
Dr. Nettle and his team looked after me from the very beginning. When i initially contacted Silkwood Medical for information about hairline lowering, i began speaking to a lady named Michelle, who was extremely helpful, understanding and always really easy to talk to. Michelle basically did all of the organising for my consult, procedure date, finances and any other information i needed or questions i had. As i live interstate the whole trip was a little more stressful to organise, so having someone like Michelle with such a friendly demeanour made the whole process a lot easier and gave me a sense of reassurance.
I first got to Sydney early monday morning on the 15th and had my consult around lunch time. The first person i saw was a nurse named Cherieve, who basically gave me a run down of everything and asked me a few questions etc. I ended up spending quite a bit of time with Cherieve, as she was the one who took out my stitches/staples and also saw me a day or so after my surgery when i was really nauseous (and promptly gave me something to fix that). I couldn't have been happier with her care, not only was she always lovely to talk to, but was also really encouraging when she saw me after my operation. I hardly felt a thing when she had to remove my stitches and staples too! All in all, Cherieve made me feel really positive about my procedure and any patient would be lucky to have her.
After seeing Cherieve for the first time i then went on to meet Dr. Nettle and discuss all the finer details.
I was initially nervous to meet Dr. Nettle, but from our first hello he was nothing but calming and comforting. He was very informed and knew exactly what he was talking about, listened intently to not only my concerns but my mother's (who came with me to my consult) and answered all our questions thoroughly. He seemed to really take on board what i wanted and how i felt, and also gave me his advice, which I'm glad i trusted.
I left my consult feeling really confident and knew i had made a decision that i was unlikely to regret. That afternoon was spent buying the medication i was prescribed and food/essentials for the following days.
That night before my operation, i wasn't anxious or excited, but i felt sort of numb. I think because what i was about to do was so out of the norm for me, it was as though my brain didn't know how to process what was about to happen.
The morning of my operation, i think i took either 1 or 2 medications that Dr. Nettle gave me to help me relax. And although they definitely did what the were supposed to, in hindsight i would not have taken them. The reason being is that as a person, i like to feel really awake, aware and in control of myself. And as it was such an important morning i really wished i had been more present, instead of feeling so out of it. But that's an individual choice, and as i'd never had surgery before i wasn't really sure what to expect.
Once i got to the hospital that morning it was all pretty stock standard as i can imagine. The anaesthetist came to speak to me and went over a few things, then there was a bit of waiting and then Dr. Nettle came to see me and mark up my measurements and where they were going to do the incisions etc. Once that was done, the anaesthetist came back in and took me away to the operating room. The last thing i remember was watching what i think was a cannula being put in my arm. The first thing i remember was waking up in the operating room after my surgery for a very brief moment and then i think i was moved back into my room. After that i was pretty well in and out of sleep for what i think was a couple of hours. I didn't have any pain beside a sore throat. I was given lunch (they catered for me being vegan) and what i believe wasn't too long after that i was able to stand up and get dressed. My mum and i took a taxi back to our hotel, which was really easy, although i did feel quite self conscious as the bandage that was wrapped around my head made quite a fashion statement (although a very small price to pay!).
The first night after my operation i slept really well, inclined with a few pillows and woke up the next day feeling fairly good.
The next couple of days i basically sat in bed, getting up occasionally for a small walk around the room and being fed breakfast, lunch and tea in bed (awesome).
On one of the nights earlier on in my recovery i woke up feeling extremely nauseous and that morning threw up, and I'm not going to lie, the strain that it put on my incisions/head was extremely painful. I'm not sure whether the nausea was a side affect of the anaesthetic, or the codeine in the panadole i had taken that night, but after that i stuck to regular panadole to be on the safe side as i didn't want a repeat of that morning's events.
I spent 10 days in Sydney, and for about the first 7 days i took panadole daily. While the pain wasn't that bad, it was just more of a preventative and to make me feel a bit more comfortable.
I can't quite recall what happened on what exact days as i didn't document my time, but around the 3rd day i had my bandage taken off, which was a lot more comfortable as it was getting a bit itchy under there and was then able to shower and wash my hair with baby shampoo.
Once the bandage was off i felt much happier going out in public and just wore a baseball cap with a clean piece of tissue or cloth over the incision to make sure it was kept clean.
For about 4 nights post op i had been taking temazepam to help me sleep, as the few pillows stacked made it a little harder to get comfortable. Although as i found the temazepam made me feel drowsy/dizzy during the day, i decided to stop taking it and felt one hundred times better.
I not 100% sure, but i think i had a check up on day 5, and half my stitches and staples out on day 7 and then the remainder on day 10. The most uncomfortable part for me were the staples, which were on the sides of my head where the incision went back. Especially by day 10, they were hard and tight and were probably what made sleeping hardest for me.
From the moment i first saw my new hairline i could tell with a bit of time i was going to be very happy. I definitely had to use my imagination a little as i did look similar to Frankenstein's monster with all my stitches etc. but i could tell Dr. Nettle had done an amazing job. My mum was really nervous about me having this procedure, as most parents would be, but once she saw me without my bandage she was seriously impressed by Dr. Nettle's intricate work.
Once the 10 days was over and it was time to go home i was feeling really great. Although for about a week after that i definitely tired more easily and was more susceptible to headaches etc.
I imagined that once i got back home i'd need to get a fringe cut, but with some strategic hair placement it was undetectable to people who didn't know i'd had it done. I'm still yet to tell any of my friends and not one of them has said anything, besides the fact that they think i've done something with my hair and that it looks good! lol. - Which really goes to show how amazing Dr. Nettle's work really is.
The time since i've had my surgery and until now has had its ups and down as far as healing. In the first month i had some hair loss, but not enough to be worried, just enough to notice when i brushed my hair or showered. Toward the end of the second month i got really bad dandruff, which i've never really had before, which was itchy as anything but went away reasonably quickly once i started using anti-dandruff shampoo. And now nearing the third month, everything is going really well. Throughout the healing time i've had the occasional little red pimple-like bumps that have gone away on their own, and also had one ingrown hair. Day to day my scar changes, some days its a little redder and some days parts of it are virtually invisible. But as time has gone on it has continually gotten better and i am now wearing my hair back off my face, with a few small looser bits of hair at the front and feel completely comfortable.
For about a month or so after surgery i used an ice pack every day, especially during the first few weeks, which really helped so, so much and is a must for anyone having this procedure. I have also been using a silicone gel since week 3, morning and night diligently. I first purchased one that Silkwood recommend to me, although found another one not long after that is exactly the same but comes in a different applicator that has a bumpy massage roller on one end, that supposedly helps to flatten scars. Although i don't really use it along my scar, i have found it to be the most amazing feeling to roll across the top of my scalp, which is still partially numb/itchy.
My scalp is still tender, but only noticeably so if i hit my head on something or if my hair gets pulled.
There are probably a lot more details that i could write, but that is the general gist of my whole experience. But once again i cannot explain how thrilled i am and how happy i am with the care i received at Silkwood Medical and expertise from all staff and especially the surgical expertise from Dr. Nettle. I would go through the whole experience again in a heart beat, knowing how happy i am now.
I will say that i went into this with what i believe to be very realistic expectations and was fully aware that complications could arise, and also knew that i had to be patient while my scar and scalp healed, and is while it still continues to heal now.
I would 100% recommend researching every nook and cranny over the internet that you can and also asking the clinic as many questions possible.
There are only a few things i would do differently if i had my time over-
1. Making sure i knew the best way to get around in terms of transport and asking locals prior to visiting Sydney. Taxi's turned out to be a lot less reliable that i would have thought!
2. Staying as close to the clinic as possible.
3. Getting something for nausea before i had the operation in the event that i did end up being sick post op, so i didn't have to wait until i got to the clinic.
4. Spending a little extra money on my accommodation to ensure i was completely comfortable, as i spent a lot of time in my hotel.
One last and really important thing is to definitely only tell people who need to know, especially pre-op as friends, family and people that are close to you can have a really negative affect on your experience, even if their concerns are coming from the right place.
The night before i had my surgery both my brother and sister sent me messages that almost put me off having my procedure. Like i said, they both came from a loving place but it gave me feelings of really bad guilt and it made me question myself and my decisions in a negative way, which a day before surgery is really not what you need.
I also found that certain family members would say stuff like "oh I'm so sorry you feel like you need to go through with this etc. etc." But in reality i was so excited that i was doing it and the last thing i wanted was people feeling sorry for me. So other people's feelings could definitely been damaging had i let them get to me. I was very lucky to have my mother's support and understanding the whole time, and hope that anyone who goes through any sort of surgery has one person they can rely on in such a way.
While surgery is a very big deal and lot to consider, it's definitely not as scary as it seems. I think once you're sure of your decision and confident in your Doctor, i would just say to organise yourself, sit back and then enjoy the ride.
I couldn't fault Silkwood and would recommend them to anyone. I'm glad i took a leap of faith and went ahead with the procedure as it really has changed my life.