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POSTED UNDER Rhinoplasty REVIEWS

It's time for a new and improved nose - Glendale, CA

ORIGINAL POST

I've hated my nose ever since I was 14. I played a...

Night1993
WORTH IT$10,500
I've hated my nose ever since I was 14. I played a lot of sports and have been hit in the face by every type of ball imaginable. I'm not sure if that had anything to do with how my nose turned out or not but what I do know is that I hate it! Large noses run in my family and while a couple of my siblings have dodged the genetic bullet I, unfortunately, did not. My parents kept telling me to be happy with what God gave me and that it could be a lot worse. For some reason that's not very encouraging. I started to get used to my nose and even stopped being self conscious about it while I was in my early to mid 20s. My face did seem to grow into it but these past few years my nose seems to appear more crooked and droopy than ever. I don't want a small nose just a straight one that doesn't droop down when I smile. I hate pictures of myself and avoid getting them when at all possible. I expressed my feelings with my husband about how much I hate my nose and while he doesn't think I should get plastic surgery he is supportive of my decision.

So, the research began. First, I started looking at plastic surgeons nearby (Boston, New York) but wasn't too impressed with what I found. Then, I started looking at places that were popular for plastic surgery like Florida and California. I was contemplating going to Dr Salzhauer in the Miami area because he is well known for noses and his prices are very reasonable but after looking into his practice more I just didn't feel confident about his skills. While price is somewhat important to me getting my nose done right is even more important to me. After all this is my face we're talking about here and I only want this done once. I also want to feel like I received the best possible outcome that could come with what I have to work with. I Googled "rhinoplasty cost" and stumbled across RealSelf. I saw a woman who's nose came out so beautifully I had to know who did it. It so happened that it was Dr. Grigoryants in Glendale, CA. So I visited his website and was extremely impressed with all the before and after photos and that he performs "closed rhinoplasty". So I looked him up on RealSelf and was impressed with all the outcomes of the people who were generous enough to share their stories and pictures. I normally don't like sharing photos and personal information on the internet but RealSelf has helped me tremendously in my search for a reliable surgeon that I feel like I should return the favor.

Since I was so impressed with his reviews and results I decided to contact his office. His office told me that he answers e-mails frequently and to send pictures of my face (front, left, right, and nostrils) so I sent him an e-mail. He responded the next day with basically the same message as everyone else on here seems to get "You have a beautiful face and I agree reshaping the nose will improve facial balance. I would reduce the small bump, deproject the nose , narrow the bones, refine the tip and possibly nostrils, I will open your airways at the same time if necessary." I don't mind that he copies and pastes messages because he is extremely busy and I find e-mails far more convenient than skype or any other form of online consulting so I was quite pleased with that message. After receiving his timely response and looking over his impressive results I decided he was the one for me. I wanted to just book my surgery date right then but my husband strongly urged me to make an in person consultation with him just to be sure. So I reluctantly agreed since my husband has been so supportive. I just really don't want to make a 14 hour flight (I live on the East Coast) for a 15 minute consultation but if it makes my hubby happy I'll do it. I booked my consultation with him for November 11, 2015. I can't do the surgery until April of next year because I have to save up. I'd do it tomorrow if I had the funds and if my husband had the time off.

Since I have three small children I have to go to the consultation by myself and I have to do the surgery all by myself as well. This is very disappointing to me but my husband has to stay home and take care of the children. I would take a family member or close friend but they would totally freak out if they knew I was getting a nose job. I'm not going to tell them and I'm hoping they won't even notice but if they do then it's too late for them to do anything or say anything about it. I'm not expecting to come out of this surgery a new and beautiful person I just want a symmetrical nose that fits my face and that doesn't detract from my other features. When I look at pictures the first thing I notice is my long, crooked, droopy nose and it just bothers me so much. I think it's finally time for a change.

Night1993's provider

Vladimir Grigoryants, MD

Vladimir Grigoryants, MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

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Replies (30)

June 3, 2015
I find your story almost exactly the same. I feel the same about how I was over it in my early 20s but after having kids and reaching 30 I spotted that I looked really bad on pictures. You have beautiful features i know you will like Dr.g. I am having surgery tomorrow I feel excited but of course nervous scared many emotions so I'm here on realself and I don't feel alone but I wanted to let you know that I felt the same about my family members and I'm such a big mouth and ended telling them and I'm so glad I did I was surprised how supportive they've been. So maybe trust some member I feel bad that you will be by yourself without your hubby. Well thanks for sharing I hope to share my experience too :)
June 3, 2015
Hi ladies, I'm in the exact same boat as you both. 30's with children and finally ready for a change since I can't even look at myself in photos with my daughter. I too will have to travel from the east coast for the surgery which isn't optimal but want to meet Dr. G before booking. Nncy did you also fly in to meet him? I am considering it as I feel uneasy booking without meeting the dr. His email response is canned and that's understandable since he is busy but it makes me wonder if he is really looking at the photos we all send etc. I've seen so many beautiful stories and outcomes on this site he seems like the right doctor for me aesthetically but want to make sure he is what he seems before I'm on the op table. I will follow both of your stories and good luck!!!! I can't wait to see results!!
June 3, 2015
It's funny you mentioned if you wonder if he even looks at the photos we all send. I wondered the same thing. I do think he looks at people's photos but to be honest I don't think he pays too much attention to the "desired" photos of other people (celebrities, etc.) people bring in. I tend to think that he has a "cookie cutter" nose which is a smooth straight bridge with slightly upturned tip. I think he pretty much does that for everyone despite what they request. I think he might change it up for taller people (probably doesn't lift the tip as much) and I think he'll listen to people who are adamant about not having an upturned tip. I don't think this is a bad thing because you know exactly what you are going to get and it shows just how consistent he is. I have yet to find a "botched" nose job by Dr G. and I doubt I ever will because he has a specific style and just goes with it with all or at least most of his patients. I just so happen to LOVE his style and that's one of the biggest reasons I chose him. He's has a good eye, excellent consistency, and very skilled hands. At least that's what I've noticed by looking at his website and all the RealSelfers beautiful noses. I could be wrong about all this it's just my opinion. I'm not bringing in any "desired" photos of celebrities (I particularly like Kate Beckinsale's nose) because I think he'l l humor me by looking at them but I seriously doubt he'll put much stock into it. I did make a collage of all the people on his website that had similar noses to mine (well at least similar problems like crookedness, etc.) to show him so I can explain what I liked about what he did. In the end I think he is going to do what he feels is best and I'm just fine with that.
June 4, 2015
I agree that his noses appear very similar (straight, with an upturn). That is also part of why I like him as well. Did you book the surgery date before your in-person consult? i'm so hesitant to pull the trigger! I'm so paranoid also. I keep thinking what if all these posts are fake about him b/c he seems too good to be true! Am I nuts??!
June 4, 2015
I wanted to book my surgery date right away but my husband told me to wait until after I meet with him in person.My in person consultation isn't until November so I will not be booking a surgery date until then. I'm shooting for April of 2016. He charges a $750 non-refundable charge (which goes towards your surgery) for booking the surgery date which is why my husband won't let me book until after I meet with him. I'm pretty much positive that I will go with him so I'd like to book right now so that I am insured and April date but mu husband really wants me to wait.
June 4, 2015
I don't think all these posts are fake. I don't really think any of them are. I've seen some stunning noses by him on here and some mediocre ones. I feel like the mediocre ones are that way because again he uses a "cookie cutter" nose and that nose just doesn't look as good on some people. Those people still look way better than they did before but not as good as some others I have seen. If I didn't absolutely hate my nose I wouldn't get it done at all but since I hate it I figure even if the "cookie cutter" nose doesn't look good on me it will still look 100 times better than my natural nose. I mostly hate how crooked my nose is. When I smile it's even worse. I look like a Picasso painting or something. If he can straighten it out I'll be happy. I don't think it's a bad thing that he performs a "cookie cutter" nose because his style looks really good to me and it gives you a pretty good idea of how your nose is going to turn out. If he did different styles on every single person it would be hard to judge consistency and just what kind of nose you will get.
June 4, 2015
I do feel like I am singing his praises and I haven't even had my surgery yet. I should be careful about that because mine may not come out so good. But I promise that I will post my after surgery pictures good or bad and let you all be the judge of whether or not it was successful. This is why I decided to create a RealSelf story because your stories have helped me so much. If I hadn't stumbled upon RealSelf I'd probably have gone with Dr. Salzhauer in Miami. I'm really really grateful I discovered RealSelf because now I feel really confident in my choice for a surgeon. I have a really good gut feeling about Dr. Grigoryants for some reason. I'm sure he's not perfect but he's the most consistent I have found. I'm not concerned that I will come out with a "botched" nose but I am concerned that I will come out with a $10,500 nose that doesn't look a whole lot better than my old one. That's a lot of money to pay for not much improvement if any. I'll just have to wait and see.
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June 3, 2015
I just recently contacted Dr. grigoryants as well. My best friends sister considered several people before going to him last year, and after seeing her results, I decided that an in person consultation wasn't necessary. I know he will do an amazing job. Good luck! Do you know when you are going to have the actual procedure done?
June 4, 2015
I'm hoping for April 2016. I agree that an in person consult is unnecessary especially if you live far away like I do (East Coast) but my husband said this is a big investment so you better see this guy in person before you book any surgery dates. I feel like I'm wasting time and money flying out there to have a short consult but I want to make my husband feel better so I'm flying out in November to see him in person. I will book my surgery date after I meet him. I've already purchased my plane tickets for the consultation.
June 3, 2015
Go for it mama, just don't get an upturned one like he does with a lot of his patients.. You're going to look great:-)
June 4, 2015
I would like a slight upturn because when I smile my nose droops badly. I would like my nose to stay straight or slightly upturned when I smile. I certainly don't want to look like a pig but I haven't seen any of his patients come out that way. I'm also pretty short 5'2" so having a slight upturn shouldn't be too big a deal since no one is short enough to look up my nose. My nose is also very long so a slight upturn will make it appear shorter in length which I would like very much. If I had a short nose I wouldn't want an upturn because it would make it look much shorter and pig like. I'll ask him what he thinks would look best on me at my consultation. He doesn't suggest an upturned nose for everyone. I've read some Realselfers claim that he said and upturned nose would not be best for them because they are tall and people would be looking up their nose. What I really want is a smooth straight bridge that's the same width from the top to the bottom with a slightly lifted tip and for my nose to be a little less projected. I really hope I don't get that pinched nose or piggy look. I'm not too concerned about the piggy look because again my nose is very long but he will have to narrow my bones to give me that straight bridge and sometimes people come out with that pinched nose look.
June 4, 2015
I actually think your profile is not bad at all.. It's pretty nice , but the front needs to be slightly more narrow.. U will not have the pinched look because u don't not have wide nostrils so I would not worry about that at all:-) good luck and you're going to look great.
June 4, 2015
Yeah I'm not too disappointed with my profile. But the front and 3/4 views make me cringe. I really hate those tri-view mirrors. My nose looks so huge in those. My nose doesn't droop too bad when I'm not smiling so these pictures don't show that but when I do it really drops. Maybe I'll take some pictures of me smiling and post them.
June 5, 2015
U are going to look so good because your have nice eyes and fuller lips.. It's going to bring them out more. Really excited for u!! I know how u feel about the mirrors. Plus, I feel like our noses look bigger in pics than it really is in person. Well, at least I hope so! Sometimes I take a pic of myself and I'm like whoa! Does my nose really look like that because when I'm looking at it in the mirror it's not that bad!! Anyways, u chose a very qualified surgeon and really think u are In Great hands!
June 6, 2015
We areally very similar. I also don't mind seeing my nose in the mirror (except tri-view). I actually thought it looked quite nice. I didn't notice for a long time that I even had a crooked nose. One of my sisters kept saying to me "wow you have a crooked nose". Obviously selfies are bad because the camera is right up in your face lol. But, I would see pictures of me at picnics, weddings, and even family portraits and I'm like "really that's what I actually look like". I'd even show my husband a picture of me and say "Is that really what I look like because that's not what I see in the mirror". My nose s definitely changed a lot (for the worst) these past few years. I can't wait to have a straighter smaller nose. I'm very excited to have finally taken this step. Thank you very much for your compliments.
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June 4, 2015
@Amgync check out this profile: http://www.realself.com/review/glendale-ca-rhinoplasty-grigoryants-gal-deck-surgery-april-30th# It's my best friend's sister... She looks stunning afterwards.. I don't think any of the reviews are fake!
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June 4, 2015

Thanks for starting your story! It will be fun to follow along on your journey as you get closer to the big day. Please keep us updated!

UPDATED FROM Night1993
6 months pre

Tilted back view

Night1993
I forgot to add my lovely and flattering "nostrils" view. All the pictures I have on here so far are the ones I sent Dr. G in an e-mail for evaluation.

Replies (4)

June 4, 2015
Did Dr G email you back? do you have a surgery date already?
June 4, 2015
He did e-mail me back. He said the same thing he says to pretty much everybody which is "You have a beautiful face and I agree reshaping the nose will improve facial balance. I would reduce the small bump, deproject the nose , narrow the bones, refine the tip and possibly nostrils, I will open your airways at the same time if necessary." I e-mailed him mostly to get a quote. I was a little discouraged by the quote I got because I appear to have gotten the highest quote of anyone on here except for maybe people who had revision rhinoplasty or had multiple surgeries done like chin implant or ears tucked. I'm not sure what criteria he uses to determine how much he charges but I didn't complain about it because this man will be operating on my face and I don't want to make him mad lol. I have not booked a surgery date yet because my husband insisted on me meeting Dr. G in person. I scheduled a consultation for November of this year. My husband works a lot so I had to choose a holiday (Veteran's Day) to see Dr G. so my husband could stay home and watch the kids. You know you could get a much earlier consult date. I picked a late date because I only had a few days to choose from (holidays only) because my husband has no time off left for this year. I will book a surgery date right after I meet with the doctor in November. I'm shooting for April 2016 because that is when I will have all the funds I need for the surgery. Dr. G charges a non-refundable $750 to book a surgery date so make sure you are confident he's the one for you. I am confident that he's the one for me but my husband won't let me book until I meet with him in person.
June 5, 2015
Thank you for your reply. I am waiting for my reply and the quoted price as well. I thought it runs around $9500. I wish you good luck in your surgery, I think yours will be before mine because I plan to schedule my surgery for july 2016th. I will be following you!!
January 6, 2016
Did you fly out there and back home the same day? Would you have been comfortable booking the surgery and having the consult the same day? I think he's the best from seeing his before and after pics and everyone's reviews. There are only a couple bad ones that scare me.
UPDATED FROM Night1993
6 months pre

Can't Wait for New Nose

Night1993
I know I shouldn't be wishing my life away but I just want it to be April 2016 so I can get my new nose!! I really want to do it this year but I have to save up. I just went to a wedding last weekend and I have another wedding that I'm going to in August. I just keep thinking to myself wouldn't it be nice if I had my new nose so I won't cringe when the pictures come out? I know it will come soon enough and I should focus on other things.

Replies (2)

June 13, 2015
Good luck! I know how you feel, I'm dreaming away the days till my surgery in December! Dr G seems like an incredible surgeon, worth waiting for xx
July 16, 2015
I know how you feel! I have saved up a bit but have decided to go ahead and bite the bullet and have the surgery done even I don't have the total funds by March! I don't want to live another moment longer with an insecurity on my face and better to get the most years I can out of my new nose while I'm young and have no other responsibilities or commitments.