Posts by rustygardener172

Kate Taylor59 said:I'm thinking about heading down to the coast this summer... though I'm honestly not sure if I'll even be able to get in the water.

Oh, you'll swim, alright—just keep your nose in the shade. 🙂 Throw a visor on your head and just dive in! 😉

amberbadger81 said:...I can't find anything on Dr. Bastasic besides an address and a phone number. I'd really love to see some before-and-after photos of his work. Can anyone tell me what keywords I should be typing in to find his website? Or are there even any photos of his work online at all??

You aren't finding anything because the guy doesn't even have a website. Honestly, he’s pretty old school about it—he doesn't really believe in showing off photos because he thinks every single patient's case is unique and can't be compared to someone else's. So, if you're looking for visual proof of his work, you're basically at the mercy of whatever photos some helpful people on this Forum might decide to share from their own experiences...

Nancy Perez74 said:Yeah, I actually really like him. I’m never going to talk trash about him or badmouth his work because, honestly, the guy knows how to get things done.
But for me, the results just didn't turn out like they did for everyone else, so I’ll probably just go back and try it all over again.
I still have that little bump, and my nose isn't even as pointy as it was supposed to be. So yeah... that's where I'm at.

Good on you for being real about this and not just blaming the doctor for everything. Sometimes our bodies just don't cooperate the way we want them to, no matter how much of a pro is performing the surgery.
I'm seriously sorry it didn't work out the first time, and I'm rooting for you to get the perfect result on the second round! 😍

wiredmaker24 said:I’m dying to know how long it actually takes for my nose to "settle down" after surgery? I had my procedure 12 days ago, and I finally got the cast off 6 days ago. My nose still looks super swollen and wide. Honestly, the tip is the absolute worst part because it just feels totally numb. That’s where the swelling is most intense. Also, I have these stitches that seem to be falling out on their own, and whenever I try to smile, it feels like they're pulling tight. How long does it take for them to drop out?
Basically, I just want to know when the swelling goes away and when I might actually see some results. It’s only been 12 days, and frankly, I can’t even bring myself to look in the mirror yet because that tip looks way too big.
Please share your experiences, thanks!
🙂

Look, the swelling starts to chill out after a month or two. You might start seeing partial results around the 4 to 6-month mark, but you won't see the final version of yourself until a full year has passed. As for breathing—you won't really feel the true result for about two years, because that's how long it takes for the mucous membranes to fully recover (that is, assuming you haven't completely wrecked them with nasal sprays like I did, and that you stop using them now).
As for the stitches, they fall out whenever they feel like it. Believe it or not, mine took forever—I can't even remember exactly how many months it was, maybe 3 or 4? Some people get rid of them within the first month. If they start dropping out, don't panic; it's totally normal.

slyjackal14 said:Is it actually true that they give you an enema at the hospital before surgery? :/

Wait, what?

redranger82 said:Someone please help out here. Like, seriously, urgent 🙂

Seriously, just ask them everything! There’s no such thing as a stupid question when you're talking about your own health and how you're gonna look. Make sure you mention upfront that you want the cosmetic side of things too. Ask for a full breakdown of how the surgery actually works and exactly what their game plan is. I really hope you get some real answers. Honestly, during my first consultation at the hospital, all they told me was that I had a deviated septum and gave me a date for the surgery... which, yeah, was literally the extent of it. That hospital didn't give a damn about me one bit 😁

rustygardener172 said:Thanks so much, everyone!!!!!!!!!! 😍 😍 😍 😍

The only thing I'm missing now is my pre-op nose photo... I only sent that one to a handful of people...

All the photos are looking good, and my inbox is basically exploding... I just realized how many freaking pictures I’ve actually sent out, hahaha! 😂
Thanks again, guys! 👍 👍 👍 👍

rustygardener172 said:I have absolutely no clue how this happened... but all my private messages just vanished into thin air. 🤷 😕
Basically... I was using my PMs to save links to my photo albums, and now they're all gone. I’m reaching out to anyone I sent photos to—if you still happen to have those old messages sitting in your inbox, could you please send them back to me via PM? Thanks a million!

You guys are lifesavers!!!!!!!!!! 😍 😍 😍 😍

The only thing left is my pre-op nose photo... I only sent that one to a handful of people...

I have absolutely no clue how this happened... but all my private messages just vanished into thin air 🤷 😕
Anyway... I used my PMs to stash links to all my photos, and now they're just gone. I’m reaching out to anyone I might have sent pictures to—if you still happen to have those messages sitting in your inbox, could you please shoot them back to me via PM? Thanks a million!

stormyharbor2 said:By the way, for anyone else who had their procedure about two months ago—does your nose ever feel all tingly right up at the bridge between your eyes, like when you lift your brows? It’s such a bizarre sensation, honestly feels like I went under the knife for a full facelift or something. 🤣

Ugh, I totally know that feeling... I'm still dealing with some tingling myself. 😁 It’s definitely dialed back since the beginning, but it's still this super weird sensation... like there's this tightness whenever I try to lift my eyebrows.

Rachel Rivera19 said:It’s total BS to say you can’t get a perfect nose... you just have to put in the work. I don't know, my take is that we should all just look back at middle school or high school. You know how it goes—you study your heart out for an A, but end up with a B just because the teacher didn't like your vibe. Honestly, I really feel like people just aren't willing to try hard enough anymore. So what now? Do I just pack my bags and move to America, or do I let some surgeon do whatever they want? Or maybe it’s just impossible, so I’ll just spend the rest of my life banging my head against a wall wondering who's actually going to fix my nose once and for all.😢.

Look, you aren't going to go to a doctor you hate, and they aren't going to want to work with you either.
It isn't about whether the doctor is "trying" or not... sure, they can try their best, but what if your skin, your tissue, your cartilage... none of it heals the way you actually want it to? It's not just on the surgeon; it's about your own body. Like, I’d kill for long, straight legs... but I can't have them when my bones are just short and crooked. 😂 😂

Rachel Rivera19 said:(And honestly, I don't know if he can mess this up, but he could definitely screw it up perfectly)

Look, let’s be real—nobody has a perfect nose, not even after surgery.

In that first video, I actually dig the noses. For the most part, they kept their original shape when viewed from the front (except for the ones that were super wide and got narrowed down). That’s what makes them look natural. You know how it is—if a side was slightly off before, it stays slightly off... if one tip was thicker than the other, it still is. My only gripe is that everyone ends up with the exact same profile afterward, regardless of their actual face shape. 😁

Now, about that second video... the girl... 🙏 Honestly, getting that surgery was the smartest move she ever made. She has such stunning eyes and gorgeous lips, but they were totally overshadowed by that massive nose. Before, your eyes would just jump straight to her nose, but now that it looks normal and pretty, I don't even notice it anymore. I’m just looking at her eyes and her mouth. Absolutely breathtaking! 👍

Rachel Rivera19 said:Hey everyone, hey! Honestly, I’ve been scrolling through this forum forever, drowning in all these photos and videos. Look, I’m totally down for cosmetic nose surgery too. It’s not even about breathing issues or any of that functional stuff you guys keep bringing up. But man, the amount of advice floating around here is just insane. It’s constant—"go see this guy," "don't go to that one," "this surgeon did this for me," "that one messed up my face." It is wayyyyy too much info to process. I actually went in for a consultation recently, and honestly? It was such a low-quality conversation. I asked him to show me what the end result could look like, and he basically shut me down. He said he doesn't do that because you can "never know" how it'll turn out. Like, seriously? What don't you know after performing thousands of surgeries and spending a lifetime studying aesthetics? Then, I pulled up a photo of a nose I liked, and he told me there was zero chance of achieving that look because our skin types are different—he claimed my skin is too thick. Personally, I think he's full of it; I've done my homework and I'm pretty sure he's wrong. I really want to post a picture of what I'm aiming for, but I don't know 😂... plus some of these before-and-after clips I found online... 🙂

Just post the picture, why not? 😁 At least post the nose you're eyeing, and maybe just crop your own photo so it's just the nose without the rest of your face...
And seriously, go hit up a few of them for consultations before you commit to anything. That's something everyone should do, not just you.
Listen to what the different surgeons have to say... they might all give you the same line, or they might not. You've gotta have realistic expectations and find a doctor you actually trust before you go under the knife.

Kate Taylor59 said:🙄

Honestly, that’s what I actually love about Smith 😁—he’s just so confident and laid back. He doesn't give a damn about having some fancy marble office or keeping the latest issue of Cosm on the coffee table in the waiting room. The guy is straightforward and stays laser-focused on the work itself. He genuinely loves what he does and isn't afraid to get his hands dirty... he cranks out way more surgeries a day than most, which is why he can squeeze you in tomorrow, not because he’s sitting around with nothing to do. Plus, the man works Saturdays, Sundays, mornings, afternoons, and evenings. My surgery wrapped up around 11 PM, and he went right back in to operate on some other guy immediately after me... and he had already done another one earlier that same morning.
The girl was totally tearing him apart, but if you look at her as a person rather than a critic, she didn't even name a single specific thing he messed up on a nose... just a bunch of empty assumptions.
And if I remember correctly, he didn't fix the nurse's nose, it was the technician's. That woman works with him every single day, so I'm sure he gave her exactly the look she wanted... everyone has different tastes. Personally, I think that woman is awesome. She's super put-together and really takes care of herself. And she has killer shoes 😁 I don't know, whatever, I just had to say it, I am obsessed with shoes 😍

jadedriver0 said:Look, honey🙂, just play dumb and soak up the compliment🙂. You don't have to spill your guts every single time. You know how it is—like how Nanny Fin claims she's 29 every single year...🙂:klap:

Laughing Man, I know that trick all too well. Honestly, I’ve been using it myself... I’ve been "celebrating my 25th" for a few years now.😂 🤣 😂 🤣

silverlynx52 said:hey everyone.... I had surgery about 15 days ago and my nose is still super swollen... which is totally normal 😁.... I had a deviated septum and managed to get the surgery covered by my insurance through Blue Cross, and while I was at it, I worked things out with the doctor for some cosmetic tweaks. Basically, he smoothed out the hump and lifted the tip a bit, so from a profile view, it looks perfect, but from the front? Total disaster. Maybe it's just the swelling, but I'm really not feeling it right now... My nose used to tilt to the left because of the deviation, but it was subtle—like, only I noticed unless someone was staring intensely at my face—but now it's actually noticeable... Is it normal for it to look crooked while everything is swollen? I'm terrified it'll stay like this. How many months does the swelling usually last?? 😕 If it stays this way, I'll have to go back under the knife, so how much time do you need to wait after the first surgery before doing a revision? (If you want to know where I went or who my surgeon was, just shoot me a DM) I have a follow-up appointment soon, so I'll ask the doc if the tilting is normal 😢😢 thx

My nose used to have a slight tilt before my first surgery too... but after the procedure, things honestly just went downhill. Both my breathing and the way I looked were a mess. I used to joke that my nose tip was going to end up touching my ear 😁 My second surgery was with a private specialist, and now my nose is almost perfectly straight (it can't get any straighter than this because of my facial symmetry). Honestly, 15 days is way too early to know anything for sure... you're just gonna have to be patient. Fingers crossed everything turns out okay for you and it doesn't end up like mine 👍

Betty Kelly16 said:I’m gonna repost this because things got a little chaotic in the thread and my original message totally got buried under all the noise..

Guys, I really need some insight here

So, I’ve got a deviated septum. My breathing isn't great and I snore, though it’s nothing crazy.
The thing is, over the last few years, the whole shape of my nose has kind of "shifted," and I’m wondering if insurance would even touch the cosmetic side of things..?
Like, they'll definitely cover fixing the deviation, but I have no clue about the aesthetic part.
How do I even approach this? Does anyone have any advice or know how this works?

People have actually brought this up a few times lately... even just recently. Obviously, if you’re going in to fix a deviation at a hospital, there’s a chance you can get the cosmetic stuff handled at the same time. But you really have to hammer that out with whichever surgeon is performing the procedure. We can't speak for them, obviously. A lot of girls on here have actually had their noses fixed that exact way. You should look into which specific doctors handle both.

jadedriver0 said:Look, ladies, just hang in there for a few more months. You might be wasting your energy stressing out right now, so save those nerves for later—you're gonna need them when your kids start begging you for nose jobs!🙂 🙂 🤣

It's pretty funny how you just assume I'm some young girl without any kids... 😁

stormyharbor2 said:Look, you’re the one who brought it up because you were actually thrilled with how things turned out—if you hadn't, I wouldn't even be asking. There's a difference. And hey, don't sweat it, we'll see each other eventually. Just give me some time to snap some decent, high-quality photos first. Honestly? I don't even think about that damn nose anymore. I don't stare at it, I don't obsess over it, I don't analyze it. I'm just done with it. It's actually because of my attitude that people don't even realize I had surgery. 🤣

Well, if you say so... fine. But I didn't just send it to you out of the blue... I sent it because we were chatting and you wanted to know what the result looked like so you could judge for yourself—a picture really is worth a thousand words, right? 😁

But yeah... casualcanyon14 made a solid point... you really have to be patient and wait that full year for the nose to actually settle and take its final shape before making any final calls... It's better that way... honestly, just try not to give it a second thought until then. 😂

stormyharbor2 said:Fine. So, a rating of 3.8 out of 5?😬 Basically, I'm happy with it, even if it didn't turn out exactly how he promised. That’s why I’m still holding out hope for some kind of change. Maybe I’m just overthinking the whole thing. 🤷 Honestly, if people had seen what my nose looked like before this, they would have all been like, "You're crazy, it looks amazing!"—that's one of the reasons I don't feel like explaining myself to anyone. If you already had the goods, everything "afterward" just seems perfect.

And honestly, even I wouldn't give him a perfect score... I'd probably rate him a 4.7, maybe. My nose wasn't a total disaster before, it was just crooked. I'm fully aware that perfection doesn't exist and that nobody is ever 100% satisfied with anything. I wish certain things were just slightly different... though, truth be told, I care less about the look now... I'm more worried about that deviation coming back... I'm constantly paranoid that it'll start leaning again and I'll have trouble breathing...