Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

It doesn't matter, just ask away. I'm honestly glad I can help someone out, since this whole topic helped me a ton during my own situation. Zachary Nguyen29 and I both saw the same surgeon, and it’s the same deal when they cut into that muscle. Your lips and your smile feel totally foreign for a while, but I guess it all passes. My whole face feels a bit distorted right now, but I take a photo every single day just to track how the recovery is actually moving along. And if you're wondering if I'd do it all over again? Absolutely! 🙂

stormyharbor2 said:@Princess, did they cut that same muscle on you?

I don't think so... at least not the way Dr. Ostojić does it... underneath the lip... I don't have any incision there at all. 🤷
Honestly, it doesn't even sound that bad to me. Since you're basically having your facial bones reshaped... a tiny little scalpel cut under the lip is practically nothing. 🙂 ☕
At the end of the day, I just care about being happy with the results. How he actually gets there while I'm out cold... I really don't give a damn 🙂 that's his job and he knows what he's doing... he could have tattooed a smiley face on my cartilage for all I care, as long as my nose turns out right, who cares? It wouldn't even be visible anyway. 😂
...hey, a little humor never hurt anybody. 😉

Nancy Perez74 said:@Zachary Nguyen29 - yeah, I feel the same way. Thinking about construction tools smashing bones is way worse than cutting muscle. I don't get why everyone's freaking out over it...🙂
eh...and your signature is pretty cool 😍

tnx 😍
...also, we didn't mention to the ladies that Dr. Ostojić doesn't just cut muscle whenever he feels like it. He asks first. He wants permission. I said yes because my nose felt crooked whenever I talked, and that little bit of cutting naturally lifts it up. 😁

He didn't even bother asking my permission because I was the one who brought up the idea of getting a lift in the first place. So, whatever needs to happen to make it a reality—I'm all in. I guess the end justifies the means.🙂It’s been four days since my surgery, and honestly, breathing through my nose isn't an issue at all. It's not a struggle or anything, I just look pretty rough right now. It’s kind of hard to wrap your head around going in for a purely cosmetic procedure only to end up looking like you got run over by a freight train.😉😉

Nancy Perez74 said:He didn't ask my permission because I walked in from day one wanting this nose lifted. Whatever it takes to make it happen—I'm down. The end justifies the means.🙂 I’m four days out from surgery now and I can breathe through my nose just fine, no biggie, but man, I look hideous. It's hard to wrap your head around getting a purely cosmetic procedure and ending up looking like you got run over by a freight train.😉😉

...ugh, if you only knew how bad I used to look, total disaster 😲, but hey, everything should settle down in about two weeks.😍

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZRXYF6FvXM

Wow...😲 Seriously though. Her nose looks almost like mine—except mine is actually worse since my tip is drooping while hers at least looks decent after the pyramid stage.

Found this on some doctor's website...

http://www.aycockmd.com/proc_photos/...plasty-05b.jpg
http://www.aycockmd.com/proc_photos/...plasty-04b.jpg
http://www.aycockmd.com/proc_photos/...plasty-01b.jpg

😕 Every single one of these post-op results looks bad. Like, wtf.

Good grief, stormyharbor2, where on earth did you find these before and after shots? They look terrible! I guess that surgeon really did a subpar job...😢
My nose feels congested again, though I can still pick up this weird smell coming from the cast.🤣

Nancy Perez74 said:Good grief, stormyharbor2—where on earth did you find these before and after shots? They’re a total disaster... That surgeon really botched it...😢

Those were some of the very first photos I stumbled upon while googling rhinoplasty. I ended up scrolling through the whole page... The surgeon is based out of San Francisco, but honestly, our local doctors back home are way better than him. I just can't wrap my head around how those women could actually be happy with the results... 😕

I wish I could just track down the plastic surgeon who did that girl's nose in the video. Not that I’m looking for that exact same look—obviously, my face shape is totally different—but still...

John Newman2, still no pain or discomfort yet?😁 Did they actually pull those tampons—or whatever they call them—out of your nose yet?...

You don't necessarily have to fly to the States to get that tiny YouTube nose; I've seen enough photos from local surgeons here to know they can pull it off just fine.
Everything is going well on my end. I haven't had any real pain, and it’s already day five—they took the packing out on the second day. The swelling is finally starting to go down, so now I'm just counting down the days until I can actually see the final result. It was kind of funny when I was coming out of anesthesia; they told me, "It's done, you have a beautiful little new nose!" It actually reminded me of how people react during childbirth, where everyone keeps saying, "It's over! You've got a beautiful baby boy!" 😂🤣

Nancy Perez74 said:You don't need to fly to the States just to get that tiny YouTube nose—our surgeons here can pull that off easily, based on the photos I've seen locally.

I've never seen anyone from Helga get a nose like that. 🤷

Good grief, I’m seriously starting to think men are blind to everything except boobs and butts...🤦 I showed a friend the girl from the video and he said she looks adorable now, but used to look like a rhino—but then I showed him those photos below and he's like, "what's wrong with those noses?" WTF? What do you mean *what's wrong*? Is it normal to pay a doctor to turn one bump into three? I don't get it... how men only notice flaws if they're glaringly obvious, or if a woman wearing 4 pounds of makeup is somehow "naturally beautiful and bare-faced." 🤣

It's over—you've got a gorgeous new little nose! It reminds me of giving birth; they always tell you: it's done! You've got a beautiful little baby boy!

🤣

Men aren't usually that nitpicky—they just don't get it (unless they're Fashion Cat, LOL). Everyone I know seemed shocked that I even wanted Rhinoplasty; my male colleagues kept saying, "Don't do it, your nose is fine." But honestly, I never had a sister-Helga nose to begin with. As for the surgeons, I once saw a guy who went to Glumičić with a totally grotesque nose, and he turned out looking perfect—the guy’s basically a model now!

Nancy Perez74 said:Men aren't really that nitpicky—they just don't get that stuff... unless they're being a total Fashion Cat, LOL.

I don't think you even have to be nitpicky to see that those noses above were just poorly done...

Everyone seemed shocked that I even wanted to get rhinoplasty—my male colleagues were all over me about it, saying stuff like, "You're going to ruin your face, you have a perfectly fine nose"... honestly, it was ridiculous...

Everyone who actually knows me—even my own friends—has been telling me I need a rhinoplasty just to finally be considered pretty... 🤣 Either they’ll tell me straight up why I shouldn't get the rhinoplasty—no jokes this time—or whatever... It’s not like my nose is quite at Helga's level, but it's definitely somewhere in that ballpark...

That nose is just grotesque...

🤣

I’m trying to wrap my head around this closed technique Dr. Glusca uses... is it actually any good for just fixing minor stuff—you know, like lifting the tip or smoothing things out a bit? This whole "closed" thing is honestly pretty confusing to me.😢Does the doctor even get the same level of visibility as he would with an open rhinoplasty?

Megan Moore76 said:I'm really curious about the closed technique Branko Glušac uses... is that actually effective for just fixing minor stuff, like lifting and slightly tweaking the tip? This whole "closed technique" thing has me feeling pretty confused... 😢Does the doctor still get the same level of visibility and control compared to an open rhinoplasty?

Look, of course it’s good. Honestly, it’s arguably better because you don't end up with those visible scars you get with the open approach. If the surgeon knows what they're doing—and we know he does—they'll have more than enough visibility even with the closed method. Branko Glušac works exclusively using the closed technique.

Megan Moore76 said:I want to know more about the closed technique Branko Glušac uses. Is that approach actually effective for fixing minor issues, like lifting or slightly refining the tip? This whole "closed technique" thing is throwing me off.😢 Does the surgeon get the same level of access during an endonasal procedure as they do with open rhinoplasty?

Most of them are just using closed techniques anyway. ☕

With the closed technique, all the surgical cuts stay hidden inside the nostrils and the upper lip area. You won't see any external scarring.
If you've got severe tip deformities or a nose that’s been through the ringer with multiple surgeries or trauma, "closed" methods won't cut it. You need the open technique. It leaves a tiny V-shaped scar right where the columella meets the upper lip, but that's the trade-off for getting actual results. Just a heads up: expect more swelling at the tip than you would with a closed approach. How long that lasts really just depends on your skin type.

How did this thread suddenly jump to 160 pages? I thought it was only around 80 last time I checked.😕

Who actually decided that closed techniques are superior to open ones? In the US, the open approach is the standard for rhinoplasty, and most surgeons lean toward it for good reason. The results can be incredible. It gives the surgeon a much clearer view of the entire structure, which means way more precision during the procedure. Plus, you don't end up with a visible scar under the nose because the healing is just seamless. Personally, I went with the open technique and my results are fantastic. I dealt with some swelling for about ten days, and by the two-week mark, I looked totally normal even without any makeup. On the flip side, I have a friend who opted for the closed method; she was way more swollen than I ever was, and honestly, she isn't even happy with how it turned out—she’s already looking into getting a revision. So, if someone is trying to tell you that a closed technique is the absolute best way to go, they might not be as informed or experienced as they claim. Seriously, just do a little digging online and see for yourself.

Hannah Long82 said:Who decided closed technique beats open? Open is the standard American approach most surgeons actually use. Results are killer. The surgeon gets a clear view and way more precision. You won't see a scar under the nose because it heals perfectly. I went with the open method myself and the result is fantastic. I was swollen for maybe 10 days. Two weeks later, I looked totally normal without any makeup. A friend of mine did the closed technique and she was way more swollen than I ever was. Now she’s miserable and already looking into a revision. Anyone telling you closed is the only way to go clearly doesn't know what they're talking about. Do your own research online and see for yourself.

...everyone picks their own lane. You choose the technique you want if the doctor works with it. Nobody's claiming one is objectively better; both have pros and cons. I personally went with the closed technique and I'm stoked. It healed fast and there's zero visible scarring since that's how the technique works. ☕

Ashley Young34 said:...most people just go with the closed technique ☕

Exactly.

"The 'open' technique is indicated for particularly severe tip deformities or noses that have undergone multiple previous surgeries or trauma."

In that case, I guess I should be getting the open approach done... 😳

stormyharbor2 said:So I should be getting an open procedure then. 😳

...your doctor will decide what's best. They know which technique fits, but honestly, 95% of these surgeries are done closed-style. 🙂