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POSTED UNDER Rhinoplasty Reviews

It's Time to Stop Squinting! - Sydney, AU

UPDATED FROM Kinnie
5 months post

Slow and steady...

K
Kinnie
$10,000
It's now been about 4.5 months since my surgery and it's been a long, slow journey. I still have a lot of swelling and find it hard to breath out of one side of the nose. There are no sore or sensitive spots on the nose and I just want the skin to shrink! I think I can feel the wonderful work that Dr Shahidi has done, but it's covered by my yucky skin. I know everyone says that it will change and it takes a year, so I just keep reminding myself. I'm sure the tip will keep changing as it's my least favourite part thus far. In saying that, it is still better than it was! No one has noticed which is so funny when it was such a big thing for me. I now feel comfortable having my photo taken! I'm taping my nose every night and it ends up quite swollen by the end of the day. If anyone has tips on how to help my pores shrink, I'd love to hear them!

Kinnie's provider

Shahram Shahidi, BSc, MBBS, FRACS

Shahram Shahidi, BSc, MBBS, FRACS

Specialist in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery

Replies (5)

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M
April 7, 2014
I have thick skin too, and it makes me really nervous (mine is in two weeks). Do you think that is the primary reason for the lingering swelling?
K
April 7, 2014
I think the swelling would still be there, but the thick skin is slow to shrink down in order to show the work that has been done underneath it.
C
April 10, 2014
I live in Brisbane and have been contemplating flying down to Sydney to see Dr Shahidi after spending hour after hour reading reviews. By the sounds of things, you travelled to Sydney especially too. My main concern is being able to fly after just having had the surgery. Did the Dr give you a time frame of how long you would have to wait? Thanks! :)
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T
April 10, 2014
I don't think you would be able to fly straight after surgery? Changes in air pressure may make you bled More or something. I know you def can't fly after getting boobs done.
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T
April 10, 2014
It would be totally worth travelling for though, my confidence in myself has increased so much and I just can't believe it when I look at past photos. I wish I had done it sooner.
C
April 10, 2014
My thoughts exactly. I think staying a week would be necessary (for check-ups etc) but it all adds to the cost of things. Handy if you have relatives/close friends living there to stay with!
K
April 10, 2014
Hi there! I'm for north Queensland and looked into surgeons in Brisbane. I thought I found one I was happy with until I dug deeper and read more reviews. I would have had to either pay for at least one weeks accommodation or drive 13 hours back home after surgery. I came across Dr Shahidi by accident as I thought he was in Brisbane, so I read his reviews and my gut screamed "yes"! After finding out he was in Sydney, I couldn't change the safe and content feeling I had after finding him... it felt very right! My family are in Sydney too which made sense, but I didn't want them to know about my surgery. He sees a lot of interstate patients and can be very accommodating. My surgery was the 25th November, so I just stayed in NSW for the Christmas period. You will not be able to fly for 7-10 days. Dr Shahidi saw me about 10 days after the surgery to remove the cast and stitches and his office was in touch with me up until then. He then saw me about 3 weeks afterwards- that checkup would have been 4 weeks after surgery, but we pushed it forward because he closed over Christmas. I would highly recommend Dr Shahidi and his amazing team. Flights can be cheap enough from Brisbane, it would just be your accommodation (somewhere comfy with Foxtel and good Wi-fi). I saw Dr Shahidi twice before my surgery so that he could do the best possible job. Call or email them and ask a few questions :)
SD
April 20, 2014
Hey! Congrats on going through with it! I'm seeing Dr Shahidi in November - how is it going? Are you happy with the result? He has amazing pictures and a friend did it there. In my shopping around phase, a little nervous but very excited. Thanks!
K
April 21, 2014
Everything is going really well... patience is the key! Dr Shahidi was brilliant. I'm hoping my nose will end up a little more petite as time goes on. I'm definitely happy when I compare it to my old nose! Good luck!
O
January 6, 2015
.-)any new update pictures?
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S
February 6, 2015
Hello, I have my surgery booked with Dr Shahidi for March 2nd (in 23 days!). Why do you have to tape your nose every night? I'm surprised that you have to 5 months post-op!
UPDATED FROM Kinnie
2 months post

The 'ugly month' is over?

K
Kinnie
Ok... it's been an interesting 6 weeks and I cannot believe that NO ONE noticed my nose! It kind of had me asking myself "Was it all in my head"? It's funny too that when I told people, they all said that they don't know why I 'needed' surgery. I am happy with the results and have never regretted my choice, not for one minute! I still feel like my nose is a wee bit big, but am hoping that is just swelling. I feel somewhat pretty for the first time which is overwhelming (please don't think I'm vain)! I don't feel that sudden urgency to hide my nose when someone pulls up alongside me at traffic lights (sounds silly, I know). My nose is still sensitive and the tip feels quite swollen come the end of the day. I don't know if I'm massaging it properly. I'm taping it each night and am sleeping with the cast on. I feel like it's making my skin mega oily though!
For those who saw Dr Shahidi, how long did it take to feel like you had NOTHING left in your nose?
So, I'm just taking it day-by-day and enjoying what my nose looks like in the morning and not liking it as much by the late afternoon. I'll be seeing Dr Shahidi again in late February.

Replies (5)

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S
January 8, 2014
Haha I have had the same thoughts as you... the ones about people pulling up next to you in traffic and seeing your profile. I never liked that feeling! But now after surgery it is gone :-)
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T
January 9, 2014
For me around 2 - 3 weeks when everything was felt like it was out if my nose
R
January 11, 2014
I have exactly the same nose as you, but I am asian and I havee always felt it was not feminine at all for my face. i am booked in for the 16th of January to have my procedure done. Just like yourself i have two bones sticking out on the bridge of my nose and i have a very bulbous tip. I lone the bridge on yours now, but my only concern is the tip and lengh of yours havent changed much from your previous nose. I can understand there may be swelling on the tip, but what about the length of it. Have you asked your PS about this, will it get shorter with time?
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T
January 12, 2014
I honestly think it will take some time for the swelling to go down, Shahidi told me at the check up that the skin needs to shrink down and at the one month mark it's still at 50%. For myself I always think this is how my nose will stay but each week it surprises me with how much swelling there actually is and it's continuing to look more defined and smaller. Some people it takes 6 months to heal and for the swelling to go down
K
January 12, 2014
That's exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you :-) My skin hates being taped up. You still wearing your cast at night too? I was told to add a few drops of J&J no more tears shampoo to my sinus rinse to get rid of the stubborn junk still in my nose and it hasn't worked yet.... It's driving my crazy!
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T
January 14, 2014
Oh my skin is hating it too! I have blackheads all over my nose and it's gone so so oily! Like if a wipe my finger against my nose it's saturated in oil! Yuck!
K
January 15, 2014
Same here! Tried to squeeze the blackheads and it hurts my nurse too much... it's just mean! My oil situation is just like yours... at least I'm not alone :-)
A
January 15, 2014
Blackheads are so annoying!! Ask your ps if you can use Atralin - I use this on my nose and it just dissolves the blackheads without irritating my skin. Then, if necessary use a mud mask or blotting paper to gently soak up excess oil.
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T
January 16, 2014
Thank you that sounds great!
S
January 12, 2014
Your nose looks great!! It is still really swollen though, trust me it will go down more than half of what it is now. I remember expecting results sooner and thinking that my final result would be bigger than I had hoped. BUT I just passed my 4 month mark and it has gone down a lot and is still super swollen. At about 2.5 months the swelling on the top half will go completely and you'll be able to feel bone and pinch the skin off the bone which makes it easier to see how much swelling is still in the tip. Shahidi told me I'm healing really quickly and am still 50% swollen so that's just an idea of how long it takes. Mines also slightly numb still, rock hard and hurts so bad when bumped so when they say it takes 12 months... it actually does! 4 months was when I fell in love with my nose so don't expect the "ugly month" to only last a month!
S
January 12, 2014
Also, I douched with the J&J baby shampoo like 15 times a day haha and it worked so well!
UPDATED FROM Kinnie
12 days post

Oink!

K
Kinnie
Okay... my cast came off on Tuesday and I'm trying to get used to my face at the moment. I LOVE that the bumps are gone and that the bridge is narrower! I know that this month is my "ugly month" and that my nose is still swollen. The only thing I'm not sure about is the actual length on my nose... it still looks like it sticks out so far from my face... I HOPE that doesn't stay like that. I still haven't regretted my decision for one split second! The scars are invisible which is excellent. Dr Shahidi uses a jelly-like packing that will come out when it's ready and there is still heaps up there... feels like my nose is full of solid snot! The sinus rinse feels odd, but I'm being very vigilant with it! I have sneezed with no complications (I was petrified)! My nose feels numb, sore, hard and sensitive in different areas. I'm having to sleep with my cast on too which isn't overly fun. I now have a black circle under my eye which makes me look OLD :( I think that's all I have to report so far.... two weeks post op tomorrow!

Replies (5)

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D
December 8, 2013
Yay! looks great :)
C
December 9, 2013
Hi Kinnie, it looks great but you just to be patient with it until it settles down as it's swollen now and this is not the final result. Remember it's the ugly month for you and you already look great. Let us know how you go. Thx.
K
December 9, 2013
Thanks :) I needed to hear that from someone other than my mum!
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M
December 9, 2013
Even though there is still huge amount of swelling you look great. It will get smaller every day. Congrats!
K
December 9, 2013
Thank you :-)
S
December 10, 2013
I remember being so excited for cast removal because I thought it would bring me relief, but no! Nose was still blocked, cast on at night, and I preferred the way my face looked with the cast on! I'm not sure if you remember my photos right after cast removal, but let that be a silent comforter to you, i looked much worse than you do! I found by 2 weeks post op i was able to leave my house but still felt people were staring at my huge pig nose, 1 month it was considerably better, 2 months the bridge swelling had gone and now at 3 months the tip swelling has not changed - in fact it seems to be getting worse! Be patient (I can't talk), but it does get better (slowwwwly).
K
December 10, 2013
Thanks for your message... it helps when feeling like this! Patience is the key, I just need to stop thinking about it. I just need to accept that my nose is going to change continually over the next 12 months! Is your nose sore or numb still?
S
December 10, 2013
It is still sore when it gets bumped and a tiny bit numb on the tip and underneath. It's also starting to make a clicking noise which is terrifying me but im seeing him next Tuesday. I'm praying for a steroid shot to help with swelling! Yes exactly patience is the word for the next year it seems.
K
December 10, 2013
A clicking noise... Please keep me updated on what that is.
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T
December 12, 2013
Your nose looks great nice shape, the tip looks quite swollen so I think that it will reduce down a bit, maybe ask about it? You look great though!