Well, I have been hating my nose for a long time...
Well, I have been hating my nose for a long time now, just didn't have the guts to do anything about it. I have been contemplating Rhinoplasty seriously for a few years now, and had been for some consults since 2012. I eventually found a doctor I felt was a right match for me and who envisioned the same thing I wanted for my nose.
I wanted something that looked natural, that wasn't too obviously "worked on". At the same time, because I started with a large and quite prominent nose, anyone who knows me well would definitely notice the change. After all, I figured if I am going to go under the knife, I knew it would not just be to change one thing about my nose, like the size or the hump, it would be to change everything I disliked.
Some pics
Some before and after pics, although I am only one day post op so far.. So have yet to really see the results ????
Day 3 PO
So the last few days have been a bit rough. Thursday, after my surgery I felt pretty good, it's the next few days that things get worse- your nose is completely stuffed up, bad headache, feeling very out of it with the meds and in general just tired. I have spent most of my time in bed, only getting up for a few hours each day when I really felt like it. For the most part I have wanted to sleep though. As far as my nose, I am really happy with the results so far, I can tell my nose is a lot smaller which I wanted. The only thing now I am concerned about is the nostrils, as I feel they look quite different. I know it is WAY too early to stress too much though, because I am very swollen! Time will tell! But so far so good!
4 days PO
So I am now 4 days post op! I am feeling a bit better this morning! My head doesn't feel so heavy and stuffed up! Over all I have not had much pain in my nose area, more of a discomfort, along with some headaches and BAD congestion. I still took the pain meds though, but as of today I am not going to take any more because I really don't think I need to. My nose is still quite swollen, I can see the tip especially. I actually get my splint off tomorrow morning so I am very excited to see what's under there. At the same time I know that what i see tomorrow will still be different from the final results. I just can't wait to get this thing off my nose and be somewhat back to normal. As you can see I got a little yellow bruising under my eyes on my cheeks but it's not very noticeable and I'm sure will be gone soon! I think I was lucky, as some people get very bad bruising!
Day 4 PO
Waiting to get my cast off tomorrow and in the meantime put together a couple photo comparisons! Mainly so that I can see the difference! When I look at the "before" side profile photos I wanna just cringe!! Should have done this sooner lol
Cast off! 5 days PO
Well I got my cast off today. Not a very nice experience getting those splints out of the nostrils. It HURT!
Seeing my nose without the cast was pretty scary for me. My nose looks completely different, and my FACE looks completely different it's so odd. I do like my profile as my hump has been removed and my nose is now smaller in size, however I have to say I REALLY don't like my nose when I see it straight on. Because my nostrils are different, when you see me straight on, my nose looks kind of off or slanted. The swelling only makes it look a lot worse.
I am trying to stay positive at this point. I am just gonna try and do anything in the next few weeks to help this swelling. Will keep you guys updated.
Thanks!
PO DAY 10 Update
Well, I have not posted for a few days. I have been just relaxing, taking it easy and WAITING. lol... Rhinoplasty is just that- a waiting game!! My new nose has now started to feel like my own. I still have a lot of congestion, and constant dripping. That is actually the only real annoying thing at that point. I just carry tissues and Q tips wherever I go. I experienced lip numbness pretty bad after surgery and that has started to dissipate also. It's not completely gone yet, so I do feel strange smiling.. but slowly its getting better!! :)
If I could give one piece of advice after Rhinoplasty I would say be patient. In time your nose will start to look and feel like the nose you wanted and wished for. No matter how many times I reminded myself my nose was going to be very swollen, I still freaked out the days after my cast came off. I hated looking in the mirror. At this point the swelling is subsiding and I am feeling a LOT better. Just be prepared to not like what you see, and know that in the next days, weeks, months, you hopefully WILL like what you see! :)
The pics I posted are from today. I am still wearing a cap in public because I really don't feel that comfortable yet, however I think starting at some point this week I will have the balls to take it off and go out without it! Today is also the first time I have really worn makeup since my surgery. I put a little on the day I got my cast off but up until today my nose has been way to tender to apply any pressure at all. It still does hurt a bit when i touch it but not like before. Also, the makeup helps make you feel more like your old self!! :)
PS- I also added a few BEFORE pics just because!
Two weeks+two days post op
My nose is definitely starting to improve and the swelling is still going down! Actually the last few days I really noticed a change! If I compare my week out and two weeks photos I can really see a change!
3 weeks post op
Just a few updated pictures!
1 month Post OP!!
Hey to everyone reading this! Cannot believe its been one month. Time flies when you are having fun right? LOL I have my one month PO appointment on Monday with my doctor. Gonna address a couple of my concerns with him, however in general I am really happy with how my nose is healing. I am hoping the size will be somewhat smaller for the final result, so here is to wishing for that!! I started back at the gym about a week ago. LORD did i feel that, after being away for three weeks! haha.. I don't really pay too much attention to my nose swelling/going down during the day, so not sure if it swelled up during my routine, but i can imagine it did a little. My dripping was worse, but in general it has decreased a TON! SO happy about that! Its very annoying to have to keep dabbing your nose! Everything is back to normal now, I am now less aware of my nose, like someone else mentioned-at the beginning you are aware of it being there like EVERY minute, so now it is not nearly as bad. One thing i do have to remember though, is to be aware enough that I don't smack it into something! It is still quite sensitive if I touch it or apply makeup, so I am pretty gentle. If anyone has any questions they can PM me, I am more than happy to help if I can! :)
1 month PO Doctor photos
Hey guys, had my 1 month appointment (these photos are taken in-office at exactly 1 month + 4 days) Put some before pictures next to them for comparison. I feel like there is a slight bump that I am hoping will go down, doctor said there is swelling on my bridge and it's just going to take time. I hope he's right! I think if all the humpy-bumpyness COMPLETELY goes away and my tip get smaller I will be pretty happy with my new nose! :)
6 weeks po
My nose is still swollen! (obviously lol) In general I am happy my nose is not my old nose, but am I really satisfied with the results...? I will have to wait and see... as of right now, I am still far from what I wanted... Still smiling though!! :)
the desired outcome VS the outcome
This is what I am hoping for after the swelling has subsided and there is more definition. The picture is a little sharp so I don't expect it to be like that, but just a bit more similar. Something I explained before my surgery was that I did not want a slope to my nose but I didn't want it to be like a straight diagonal line as I think it just makes the nose look larger and not very attractive! We will see! I will keep posting updates, probably the next one at 2 months PO. Thanks! :)
2 Months Post OP- Not sure if results are gonna be what I wanted
Hey all! Thanks for reading about my experience. So 2 Months post op, trust me I know I still have some swelling, though I also have very thin skin, so I would not expect my nose to change drastically in the months ahead.
So far, I am happy my nose looks normal, like its not messed up bad or anything, which I am thankful for. The side profile is not bad, although it definitely was not what I asked for. My nostrils if you can remember when I first got out of surgery were pretty uneven. As swelling has gone down, they have evened out more, however they are still uneven and it is noticeable from the front on view.
Something else that has come up now that the swelling is gone down is a sharp point at the top of my tip. At first I thought it was a pimple under the skin, now i'm starting to realize it is cartilage or something. I need to make an appointment for my doctor to feel it and give me an idea of what it could be. Part of the reason my nostrils are uneven is because of the asymmetry of my columella. I will post a picture of this. Is it swelling or is it shaped uneven, only time will tell!
I don't want to sound like one of those people that is SUPER picky or negative, but realistically we all choose our surgeons based on their experience/results/pricing and with the idea that we are gonna get the nose we want! So taking into account the price I paid, I think I expect better results. It may be too early to judge my nose completely, and best scenario my nose changes into the profile I asked for and the uneven nostrils/columella improve, but writing my feelings/review at this point in time, I am not satisfied with the results I have so far. Also excuse the pictures they are not the best LOL
