New Nose; Happy Patient

I had an open rhinoplasty done by Doctor Hardesty in January 2023 at the age of 30. I did not like the hump on my bridge and I wanted a generally smaller & more feminine nose. Doctor Hardesty was very kind from the beginning—he explained to me that he did not perform the typical “nose job” nose—meaning the stereotypical ski-slope nose job nose (nothing wrong with that look). Dr. Hardesty told me he was going to remove my hump, make the tip less “boxy” and other general refinements.

The surgery and recovery went very well—there were no complications for either. I was instructed to tape my nose for several weeks (I cannot remember the exact recommended time) and continued to tape it for about three months. I was also recommended to use NewGel+ on my scar—I purchased both the original and sunscreen version to wear during the daytime. My scar has healed VERY well—I attribute that to Doctor Hardesty’s skills in combination with NewGel+. I am currently (August 2023) about seven months post-op and I am much happier with my new nose than I was with my natural nose.

My only qualm with my procedure has been that I have a small hump on the bridge of my nose that replaced the old, much larger hump that was removed. I was initially upset over this and unsure if it was swelling or a boney callous. Seven months out, I believe that it is a boney callous that formed after the trauma done to my bridge—I do not believe this was due to inexperience of my surgeon or any errors during my surgery—I believe this is just how my body reacted to the trauma in an attempt to heal the area. I have read several articles discussing this occurrence—best case scenario, the callous may be reabsorbed by my bones and smooth out; worst case scenario, it remains as is. I brought this to Doctor Hardesty’s attention—he explained the possible causes and offered to further rasp (scrape) it down once I’ve healed enough. However, I have come to be okay with that minor irregularity—I think it makes my nose look natural and gives a little character. I will not be getting a revision.

Overall, I would 100% go through Doctor Hardesty all over again for my rhinoplasty and would recommend him to others.