20 Years Old, Large Forehead, Reduced in Ldn UK

I had(!!!) a very large forehead, and growing up with such a feature was hard. Not only was it the occasional subject of attention for my peers but it was the subject of my own disdain, I saw myself as really very ugly, using a constantly maintained fringe to mask what had become a bit of a monster in my eyes. Obviously as I began to reach adulthood the teasing stopped but for me it was still awful, taking a hat out with me everywhere I went, sometimes straighteners too in case I needed an urgent touch up, grew into an obsession. Windy, rainy, misty, snowy days were unavoidable though I would have my rather hidden inside. Honestly, I can name three times in my life where just the sight of myself brought on panic attacks, I had given myself some form of body dismorphia disorder, or perhaps it was another manifestation of my mental health causing me to behave in such a way. Either way, I knew this wasn't going to change, there wasn't going to be a day where I looked in the mirror and felt proportionate, or woke up next to someone and not immediately rushed out of the room to style my hair before creeping back in before they woke. So I saved enough over the course of four or five months to get a surgery I had known existed for about five years. I chose Mr Inglefield on his merits described by former patients primarily and thus far I haven't been too disappointed.
Sorry this is long, but if you're anything like me you want real detail so you know what you're getting yourself in to.
The consultation was easy, a nice chat where he told me what was possible and discussed the risks in SOME detail, not as much as I would have liked but I knew no better at the time, further intense investigation revealed further potholes I may encounter along the way which was only glided over by Mr Inglefield.
Payment was made tricky by having to pay Weymouth hospital and LBPS separately, but once I worked it out everything seemed to run smoothly, though I haven't received an invoice from the hospital yet.
Having paid everything up front, I was ready, no going back now. I had paid 25% just after christmas, and the rest two or three weeks before the surgery. Next was the pre op massage (manual lymphatic drainage) and discussion. Along with some signing. The MLD was incredibly pleasant and performed by a friendly lady from Essex who talked me through it kindly, and chatted with me which just about stopped me from falling asleep I was so relaxed! By the way, this massage will make you very thirsty and need a wee urgently, but this means it working - grab some water and nip the loo before you go in and do the same after is my tip :)
Then I had a discussion about the following day (the op day) with Mr Inglefield's assistant/ nurse/ general nice gal Phyllis. She sat me down and we worked through some paper work, we talked about medicines and self medication, (bio oil doesnt work, folks), about what will happen on the day etc etc. It's important to note that I don't smoke, however my boyfriend does. He stopped five weeks ago after I told him I can't be around smokers before or after my surgery for an extended period of time. I was still scared about it though, time will tell if I stopped being around smoke in time or not but it is something to be aware of. They tell you two weeks before no smoking, but I'd definitely recommend being on the safe side and stopping as soon as you start considering the op, and getting those close to you to stop as well, as smoking environments do equally as much damage concerning this operation.
I said goodbye to the staff there and got an Uber back to my friend's with whom I was staying with. (Fully recommend doing that, stay with a friend or at a hotel, don't travel down on the day!! One day to get there, even if it's only a two hour train journey, trust me on this one, a second day to have the pre op, and the third day to have the actual operation, I went home on the third day and I don't regret it as it was nice to crash down onto my own bed!)
Anyway, I ate some Japanese noodles, drank some tea, then later had a steamed bao bun from Tesco and a whole packet of raspberries before hitting the hay as I knew I wouldn't be able to eat past midnight, until after the op. By the way, this turned out to be 16 hours later before I got to eat anything so bare that in mind and fill up, though its not nearly as hard as it sounds to go that long without food.
I got an uber to Weymouth hospital and listened to music to relax the following day. You have to ring a bell and someone will open it if you ring it a few times, perhaps I was meant to open the door but it was heavy so I just waited until the receptionist came and got me. Anyway, after signing some more stuff about money (READ IT IN FULL because it is covering last minute increases in your price!!) I was taken to my hospital room. I got changed and somehow got a nap in before my anesthetist popped in to ask a few questions prior to the op. Then i had another nap, lord knows how i managed it but I'm glad I did. I was asked what food i would like to order for after the op, and a nurse came to take my blood pressure and prick my finger to check my heamoglobin levels and my weight. Then the big cheese and co. came in (Dr Inglefield, Phyllis, and the surgeon's assistant Rory) to say hello, mark me up, chat to me, film some stuff for Snapchat, and otherwise give me another brief run down on what was going to happen. Not five minutes later i was having another wee and was being taken down to the surgery room. I was terrified in all honesty, nervously sweating and covering my fear with silly jokes and false confidence. Phyllis spotted this and rubbed my shoulder and this reassuring act is one of the reasons that I would never go to another company again, so comforting and understanding whilst so much was going on that i didn't understand.
A 'small scratch' later and I was feeling woozy and giggly and as if I was about to wet myself. Then I woke up. I was dying for a drink and I was feeling very very sick, I was choking on nothing, and I couldn't remember who Rory was, but all the chaos soon stopped as the anesthesia wore off, my immediate memory came back and later I apologised for my odd behaviour. When i woke up I couldnt feel my left foot for a few minutes, but that soon came back, I'm.not sure why but nothing has happened since so it's all good. Also there was an incredibly uncomfortable mask on my face which I wanted off, but I got a slap on the wrist when I tried to take it off so I went back to being a mumbling, grumbling mess until they took me back upstairs in the bed I woke up in. I sort of fell to sleep, I was very very tired, and in a remarkable amount of pain, I tried to sleep it off to no avail. After a good few hours I began to wake up properly, the nurse said my eyes looked brighter and I was able to speak without slurring my words. At that point i asked for more painkillers. My nurse, Elvin, requested i eat something as it was edging on 4pm before I take a painkiller, my order of soup and sandwich arrived shortly after. I ate the salad, wolfed the soup down, and had a little wiggle dance of victory as i snacked on the crisps. I had a few sips of coffee which was delicious but I began to feel sick so I stopped drinking it and went back to water. The sandwiches made my jaw and the back of my head hurt because of the chewing but otherwise had real promise to be very nice indeed. Chewing still hurts, so I suggest soups, noodles, soft fruits, and small mouthfuls of soft foods, and if you're at Weymouth order two bowls of the leek and potato soup because one bowl simply wasn't enough and it really was good.
Then I was allowed a painkiller, one pill of codeine but it wasn't enough, the pain was getting worse so Elvin brought in paracetamol and plugged it in via my IV. He also increased my fluids because of my earlier nausea. I went to the loo at some point during the day but i don't recall when, the door was left unlocked for my own safety and it took me a while because I felt light headed but all in all I was alright. Seeing my face bandaged up in the bathroom mirror was a jarring sight to say the least.
Mr I and co. came in to check on me, they told me well done, but after a passive feel of my mask they got quite angry with the nurse because it was warm. I was then told it should be filled with ice water which I can confirm it had not been all day, so that was almost a complete waste but it felt amazing when it was turned on, so for future notice, if your mask feels body temperature, or anything other than noticeably cold, tell someone!
After a while and another nap, with my mum who had come to collect me now sitting in the corner, it was time to be unwrapped. I didnt realise the bandage had come off until I was told because when I lightly touched my head it felt hard to my finger (because of the glue on my hair) and I couldnt feel it on my head (due to severely damaged nerves, more on nerve damage in a bit). Then the drain was pulled out. That's awful, I wont go into it but have someone there to rush over and hold your hand because the sensation is nothing short of disturbing.
I went to the loo again, this time with my mum in attendance, and i cried a little when I saw myself. Im not a crier, but truly the feeling that rushes over you is indescribable. Its a quiet feeling, very personal and intimate, but a feeling i wish i could bottle. Then i was taken to my room again, where my mum helped me get changed, so many people had seen my bum that day because of the hospital gown i had no shame any more (it's fine I have a nice bum), so she helped me with my sweater and my trousers too. I've got to admit even though I was energised' by the feeling i had in the bathroom, i needed help getting changed as the bending down and stretching up was causing me to feel very dizzy. I suggest wearing something button up rather than pull over so you don't risk hurting your head and just have someone do the buttons up for you if you need.
Then I was rebandaged up for the journey home, this is optional but as I was travelling by train because it is much faster than driving, I thought it would be best.
I was given medicine. Two types of painkillers, two others to help with healing, and then another post surgery remedy, Elvin talked me through each, carefully and clearly, and write the times I had to take them on each packet so I wouldn't forget as it is a lot to take in after a long day.
I was then discharged! A taxi was called for me and my mum and we were taken to Euston (only ten minutes away) at about 7pm, I grabbed a decaff black coffee and an almond croissant to keep me going, tho I abandoned the croissant as I was too tired to even lift it and, again, chewing was hard. So I sleepily drank the coffee and fell asleep on my mum's shoulder. When I got home I had a shower but just my body not my hair, and went to bed, I don't have a wedge pillow so my mum had put a pile of pillows beneath the head of my mattress to create a roughly 40 degree angle to keep my head elevated. I had my first set of 11pm pills and went to sleep. I was woken at 5am by the pain, the painkillers has worn off and my head was intolerable. I took the stronger of the two painkillers and went to the loo and then on to my phone to distract myself whilst they took a decade to kick in. Finally they did and I slept in late, missing my next set of pills. I waited until the next time to take them rather than make up for it. My pills are taken at 7am, 3pm, and 11pm. I set alarms for each now. My mum (the saint that she is) washed my hair. She used a jug and baby shampoo, and dabbed at my forehead/hairline area with cotton wool rather than her fingers, I recommend this wholeheartedly as I could imagine this process being very painful without a delicate touch.
I have bruises and very slight swelling, the incision is an unforgiving vision with black stitches and hair poking out of it. I have a blood blister just below the incision and a scab right above it. Tomorrow I will make use of the saline solution Elvin gave me and use a cotton bud to see if I can clear the latter up as I want my hair to have the best change of growing and it won't be able to if it has to combat a layer of what seems to be dried blood. This isn't to say the incision isn't clean or dry, it is, neat and even, a triumph of cosmetic surgery, but there is still a long way to go before I can sleep happily knowing I'm fully healed and lookin' good!
As for the feeling in my head, it's not great. The painkillers take the edge off but not much else and I'm scared to take more than stated on the box. The top of my head is numb completely, which is really strange considering I still get itches there that I can't scratch. Very annoying. The headaches are constant, tolerable when in take the painkillers but make me withdrawn and irritable otherwise. eating isn't at the top of my priority list but that is because of the pain so it's important to try to eat what you can. I've also gotta laxatives because one of the pills will make me constipated and I read on here somewhere that the same pills caused someone to not go for a poo for seven whole days, so in an attempt to sort that out before it gets to that stage, I'll be starting to take laxatives tomorrow. I will also start taking my hairburst from tomorrow to help reduce the almost inevitable hair loss i will face due to shockloss. Shockloss is when the hair root is damaged and falls out. Some people get it very badly and of course I would like to minimise that where I can.
Thats it so far, the first 24 hours following surgery done. Still a long way to go. I'll start light walking tomorrow with my dog to help blood flow, but otherwise try to relax and help my body heal. No coffee, milk, or mint (unsure exactly why but it's on two Packets of my pills).
I'll update soon!!

It's fine days since the surgery and im due back for another MLD this coming Monday which I am really looking forward too!
Swelling seems to only be noticeable for me, though on close inspection other people can see it too. Bruising is, of course, still there, but I don't mind it. I went out today, just for a walk around town with my mum. It sounds strange, but even with the stitches, I've never been this confident! I look at myself in the mirror and I can't help smiling - truly a life changing change!
No hairloss yet, but I'm taking my hair burst and checking daily. I think it's an early doors for hairloss for now, I suspect if any does happen, it'll be in the next few weeks. No scabbing or anything like that, and I've managed to very very carefully get the glue out of my hair over two days of spending a bit of time.in front of the mirror with a wide toothed comb. I ordered some headbands today which will help to keep the incision clean when I go out and about, along with my already extensive collection of beanies.
I'll post some pictures tomorrow! Xx

Here are some photos, the photos are of the scar three days after the surgery and of the amount of hair I have lost over the course of two days which I took out of my comb each time I combed it (three times) and kept so I could share other people what to expect. You can't see any hairloss on my head yet, but I hope this gives you an idea if you have the surgery done of how much hair you.might lose.