I finally have the nose I always wanted!

BACKGROUND: Since the age of 14, I was so insecure about my nose. It had a noticeable bump and looked quite large from my ¾ side profile. Even though friends and family would always tell me otherwise, I could never grow to like it. I was so insecure about pictures being taken of me if it wasn’t on my “good side”. I would wear sunglasses whilst driving to hide my nose. I would notice everyone else’s noses and compare them to mine. When meeting new people I found myself holding my head in a certain way that wouldn’t show my nose from the angle I was so insecure about. As crazy as it sounds, even when someone would say the word ‘nose’, I felt triggered- as if it would bring attention to my own nose and everyone would be able to see what I could see. Even though I would consider myself to be a pretty confident person, I knew that my nose affected my confidence and weighed me down. Over the past 20 years I tried to psychologize myself to learn to “accept my flaws” and embrace my nose as it is. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t. The thought of living the rest of my life feeling this away about it really played a massive part in my decision. I finally realized that I no longer cared what other people thought- I had to do this for ME. After watching almost every rhinoplasty vlog on YouTube, I decided to stop thinking about it, take the first step, and book an appointment! PRE-OP: I found Mark Baldwin on RealSelf and the reviews and before and afters speak for themselves. I booked an appointment and did not feel the need to consult with anyone else. Mark’s personality is refreshing and honest. He listened to my concerns and explained that a rhinoplasty will not fix me or change my life. He also mentioned that being the age that I am (34), I have been staring at my face for a long time. I needed to make sure that I was mentally prepared for the change before I went ahead with the surgery. I really appreciated the time he took in discussing this with me. A rhinoplasty isn’t an operation you do without careful consideration. There are many mental and emotional factors that go along with it. We then discussed the physical aspect of the rhinoplasty and Mark explained what he would be able to achieve. It was everything that I had been imagining. The second consult was really quick. We went over the procedure in a bit more detail and recapped his plan of what he could achieve for my nose. I wasn’t aware that Mark doesn’t do 3D imaging (and I totally understand why) but being a visual person, I felt like I needed something visual to go off. Having thought about this for so long, I wanted to be reassured about what it could possibly look like. I scheduled a third appointment with him a few weeks before the surgery just to get a bit more clarity. (Yes, I’m the anxious type!) Mark’s personality is exactly what I needed- matter of fact but reassuring. I showed him some photo-shopped images of my nose and how I hoped it would look after surgery. He said that they were realistic and achievable and this solidified the fact that we were on the same page and that I had chosen the right surgeon. He told me to print off the photos that I edited and bring them into surgery with me- not for him to refer to, but for my own peace of mind. By the time the third consult was over, I felt 100% confident going into the surgery and put my complete trust in him. I am so glad I did. RECOVERY: After watching hundreds of videos on YouTube, the recovery was the part that I was most nervous about. I thought it would be incredibly challenging and I mentally prepared myself for the worst, but in actual fact, it was totally manageable! I had only slight yellow bruising under my eyes for a couple of days and minimal facial swelling which moved down my face over the course of the week. I stayed on top of my pain meds for the first four to five days so I experienced no pain, only minor discomfort. It just felt like a bad head cold. Once the packing was removed after a week, I felt a lot less stuffy. The most annoying part of the whole recovery process was having tape on my face for 2 weeks. It started getting a bit itchy and uncomfortable after the first week but I knew I just needed to stay patient. Mind over matter! The only part of the recovery process that I hadn’t heard of before and found mentally challenging was how stiff my upper lip was. It was incredibly stiff for a few weeks to about a month post-op and I looked SO weird when I smiled. As Mark said in my first post-op appointment, it kind of looked like a serial killer/Joker smile. The sides of my mouth would curl up and my top lip would not move. It was very strange as I couldn’t recognize myself for a while. If you experience this- do not worry, just be patient. It will go back to normal! Over the past 6 weeks, each day of recovery has gotten better and better. As the majority of the swelling of my nose has subsided and I have my smile back, I am SO happy with the result! You really do have to ride it out! POST-OP I have received so many compliments from people who know I’ve had the surgery and they’ve all said how natural my nose looks. The front view of my nose is still very similar to what it looked like before and the side profile is such an improvement. I still look like myself, just an improved version! For reference, Mark performed a septo-rhinoplasty on my nose as I also had an extremely deviated septum. He removed the dorsal hump, de-projected and refined the tip, and brought the bones on the side of my nose closer together to slim it out. Not only does my nose look so refined and natural, but I can finally breathe properly too! If you are considering booking an appointment, do not hesitate! I look at my nose now and I wish I had’ve done it sooner. If you do go ahead with the surgery, you are in the best hands. I am sure your experience will be just as fantastic as mine was! Good luck! :)