Posts by vividfox

Here is another question for the group:

Has anyone here been on Nokon injections for about five months (or whatever duration, the exact timing isn't really the point)?
I’ve been doing okay so far, though I still feel a bit swollen internally and at the tip. My doctor suggested I swing back by in a month so they can give me a few rounds of cortisone shots to help with the swelling...🤷
Any insight??

Thanks 🙂

Nicole Nguyen34 said:Has anyone actually been to see Zambelli? I honestly don't get why his rates are so much higher than everyone else's. Most specialists are priced pretty similarly, but Zambelli is charging at least 50% more. Even Glumicic isn't that pricey, and he's got half the reputation!

I went to Zambelli and ended up paying $2,400. From what I can tell, that's just his standard rate.🤷 I’d already made up my mind about him beforehand, so I didn't bother shopping around for other doctors or comparing prices...

Alex Moore62 said:Oh, really? Just toss it out there and hope someone else does the work for you? *applause*
I certainly won't be the one stepping up. When I actually cared and needed information, I did my own reading. You can do the same if you actually give a damn. 😉

I'm with you on this! Let's skip the hostility and the bad vibes. Remember, we're all posting here to help others and provide detailed answers to whatever people are curious about... but now having someone tell me they "can't be bothered" to read, yet still expects a custom write-up... it's just not a great look.🤷

Anyone who actually cares will go through every single page.
Best, 🙂

Donna Wells90 said:It’s been two weeks since my surgery and one of the stitches came loose today😁. Is that actually okay?

Let them fall out😉—that's actually a good sign!!😁

slymarlin382 said:hey there

... it’s wild because I’m almost 22 now, and I had actually fully embraced my old nose. I really thought I’d lose some part of my charm along with it. But looking back at photos now? Honestly, nothing left to say. 🙂 I didn't lose anything (except maybe a tiny bit of bone, cartilage, and skin :P), but I gained so much more comfort and... I don't know... just a sense of ease. You know? Regardless of having a large nose, I felt fine going out and about. It was just that whenever I looked at old pictures, finding a profile shot was impossible. If one of those ever popped up on Facebook, I’d be deleting the tag immediately. ☕
That mental wall has finally crumbled, and I'm actually loving it.

Hey! That is exactly my story. Everything was fine, but now I feel lighter and just so much more satisfied with myself. It wasn't even about deep complexes or anything like that; it was just that there were zero profile shots. 😁 Now, I finally feel like the "real" me.😁

George Ramos11 said:Personally, I'm fascinated by how people react after cosmetic procedures. It honestly worries me how much energy people waste criticizing someone else's look just because they achieved it through "unnatural" means.

If that actually keeps you up at night... 🤷 I don't know what to tell you. Personally, I couldn't care less. But, strictly speaking—and I say this without any false modesty—I love my nose, and I'm not interested in the commentary. At least, not the negative kind. Now, the blunt, honest types will tell you exactly what they think to your face, though they're rare. Your friends will support you and be happy for you, while everyone else just talks trash behind your back. It’s basically the same as any other social situation. 😉
No one has ever said anything nasty to me. Very few people even realized I had it "fixed." Those who did just mentioned it looks very natural; they felt it wasn't necessary, but thought it looked great. Everyone else doesn't even notice. 😛

slymarlin382 said:I used the drops this morning, but absolutely nothing happened 😁. No blowing my nose, no drainage... then again, it's only been a day and a half since surgery, so I guess it's not surprising there's zero flow yet :P

vividfox, let me ask you—how many days did it take before you could actually breathe through your nose?
That's what gets to me most. I can't sleep properly when I have to mouth-breathe all night... I'm hoping I'll get used to it eventually. How was it for you?

Ugh, thinking about it is a total disaster! I was snoring like crazy!! 😱🙈 My poor sweet man had to suffer right next to me!! I didn't even take the splints out for 8 days... plus my nose stayed stuffed up for days after that. Then, slowly but surely, the air started getting through. Honestly, I can't give you a specific timeline, but definitely forget about nasal breathing for a few days! 👎 I barely slept a wink because my mouth felt soooooo dry 👎 but even that passes! See, I can't even fully remember it anymore 😉

slymarlin382 said:Hi everyone.
I just officially registered on the forum. I’ve been lurking for a while, mostly just reading without posting. I started following this specific thread the moment the idea of getting nose surgery popped into my head.
Your experiences have been incredibly helpful, so I figured I should leave my own here too. To be honest, the day before my surgery, I stumbled upon a post by Laura Booth6 and it freaked me out a little—even though mine was done under general anesthesia. Even so, lying there on the table, I found myself wondering which side they were supposed to numb after the anesthesiologist told me I was already feeling a bit "floaty."😁
Anyway, all those fears are perfectly normal, even if they feel irrational, especially if you're opting for general anesthesia. Since my case was actually quite complicated—I needed both functional repair and aesthetic work—my surgeon handled it brilliantly using the closed technique, finishing everything in about an hour and a half.
The surgery was last night. I pulled into my place in Orlando (driving in from a smaller town near Oakwood) around 1 AM... I couldn't sleep at all. In fact, I was in great spirits, which I assume was thanks to the anesthesia. When I woke up, the staff was right there "comforting" me. They were wonderful; their vibe was playful yet calming, which honestly meant the world to me during that post-op haze.😉 Today at 1 PM, I had the packing removed. Despite being exhausted from the drive, the doctor made it so easy that I didn't feel a thing.
I'm still adjusting to breathing through my mouth. It feels like whenever I drift off, I wake up immediately—probably because my body hasn't learned the reflex yet, or maybe just some subconscious fear that I'm not breathing. I'm hoping tonight goes smoothly... if not, I guess I'll just sleep for thirty minutes, wake up, sleep for another thirty, and repeat the cycle all night long.😁
It’s really nothing to worry about, though. I can handle four days of discomfort if it means breathing and looking great for the rest of my life.😉 Of course, everything is still swollen, so you can't see the final result yet. In a few days, once I start some light nasal massages, it should look alright.
I need to use drops and some paraffin oil to soften the scabbing inside so I can breathe more easily. I wanted to ask if anyone else has used these drops—should I gently blow my nose afterward, or will it just drain down my throat? :S I forgot to ask the doctor today... logically, blowing it seems better, but I thought I'd check if anyone else has dealt with this.

I'm not sure. I was instructed to clean my nose with cotton swabs dipped in olive oil and strictly forbidden from blowing my nose AT ALL. Honestly, it might be better to just call the clinic... as far as I know, blowing is a bad idea, though I did end up blowing a little bit after a week or two passed.🤷
In any case, be careful with that! 😉

Sophia Doyle53 said:Hey

It’s been two days since they removed the sutures 😁 and honestly, zero bruising, no swelling, and absolutely no discoloration or anything like that. 😁 My nose looks fantastic—really, truly lovely. 🙂 People don't even realize I had surgery; only those who already knew are asking about it, and they're just as thrilled with the results as I am.
I won't lie, seeing blood coming out of my nose was pretty terrifying at the time, and I definitely questioned why I even went through with all this. But now? I'm happy and completely satisfied with how everything turned out.
I’ve already been out with friends and back on campus; I'm moving around normally, and everything feels great.
I'll post a photo soon. Once I actually find my USB drive... -.-''''

😍😍😍

Good for you!! 😁😍👍

Susan Watson31 said:Unfortunately, this wasn't my first time under the knife, but it was easily the best experience yet... I can't recommend Dr. Tončić enough. He and his entire team are just exceptional—from their technical skill and professionalism to their genuine warmth and how well they work together. I could go on, but I don't want to sound too sentimental... Let's just say I finally took the mold off and was so incredibly happy that I actually found myself crying tears of joy on the drive home. My nose already looks wonderful and fits my face perfectly; you wouldn't even know I had surgery...
We all have the freedom to decide when, with whom, and to what extent we want to fix our noses, and I'm just glad I made this choice. I feel like a new chapter of my life started today... I'm finally putting an end to this insecurity and stopping the habit of hiding my face behind my hand. Yeah, I actually feel free and happy again...

Good for you!! Enjoy this new chapter without having to hide behind your hand anymore!! 😍

rapiddriver14 said:YES!! I'm losing my mind! They even warned me it would hurt!
Oh God, WHY ME??!!
They’re doing it under local anesthesia... I am dreading this...
And I was crying just because that's who I am—I burst into tears over everything. It's not even about the pain, it's just... I don't know, it just happens.

Are you sure it isn't level and that you really have to go through with this again? If I recall correctly, you mentioned you were the only one noticing any irregularities....

rapiddriver14 said:It’s been nine months since my surgery, and I had a follow-up with Zambelli yesterday. To be honest, I went because my nose isn't quite where it should be. There was this narrowing issue—basically a gap on one side—that he had to fill with cartilage. Well, he overcompensated a bit, so now I have to go back and have it "trimmed." On top of that, it’s not exactly perfectly straight. Even though everyone tells me it looks fine, and even Zambelli suggested coming back in month twelve
(meaning you really need a full year for everything to settle and see the final result)
to fix it.
I’m just praying I don't have to pay extra for this, considering I already dropped 2,200 dollars upfront.

He mentioned doing it under local anesthesia, which absolutely terrifies me!!!
Look, Zambelli is the type of guy who won't sugarcoat it; if it's going to hurt, he'll tell you straight up. It might just be a little stinging, but for me, even minor pain feels like pure agony...

Otherwise, my nose is okay. I'm not 100% thrilled, but I’ll get it sorted in month twelve. Honestly, nobody else even notices the flaw, but of course, I can see it.

To reiterate: removing the packing hurts. In my experience, it was intense enough to make me pass out. The pain is momentary, but it's brutal—like someone is trying to pull your brain out through your nostrils. Not trying to scare you, though; everyone's experience is different.
As for the general anesthesia, I handled that just fine. No nausea, no dizziness, and I actually managed to nap for a bit while watching TV.

The nurses at Zambelli's clinic are wonderful. One of them actually held my hand while I was crying right after I woke up from surgery... I panicked when I came to because my mom wasn't there. 🙂😍

Just one quick note: I was torn between choosing Kinčl or Zambelli. When I went for a consultation with Kinčl, I mentioned that the nasal bridge felt a bit too long, and he basically told me that shortening it wasn't an option.
But when I asked Zambelli the same thing, he said it could be done, and most importantly, he actually did it, and it looks great.

😛

Hey, I was there too. The nurses are phenomenal! Why were you crying? 🤣 Waking up is the best part! I slept like a baby. I also had my bridge shortened and I love it. The packing was definitely "awful," but nowhere near making me pass out... those tiny little threads around my nose drove me crazy while he was pulling them out. 👎
So, it’s not perfectly straight? How are you planning to fix that in month twelve? Are they opening it up again? 😲

Dana Lopez8 said:Could you give me a little more insight regarding Zambelli? I’m actually planning on booking him myself, but after reading some of the chatter on this forum, I’m starting to feel a bit uneasy... If he’s truly a skilled surgeon and if he delivered the nose you were actually looking for, then maybe you can convince me to change my mind and go with him too.

I had my procedure with Zambelli about four months ago, and honestly, I couldn't be happier with the results.😁

Laura Booth6 said:Here’s the photo—I couldn't get a better shot than this:



Thanks everyone!!!! :smile:

@vividfox—I had a few myself! 😬

I think the picture is clear enough to show how great and flat it looks. 😁
Bravo!! 🙂 It was worth it!! 😍

Laura Booth6 said:I couldn't even get my laptop to behave, and then the forum decided to quit on me too...

I finally downloaded the template—it looks absolutely gorgeous now!! Bryan Reed4, I'll email it to you, then I'll post it here later; honestly, I just can't be bothered with editing photos right now. 😁 😍

I’m still feeling a little buzzed, and I've got these purple-green bruises everywhere, but hey, luck is clearly on my side because my pup is coming to visit today. Can't complain! 🙂

🙂

Bravo!! Enjoy yourself 😍 I know exactly how you feel 😉
p.s. Sorry for the typos in my DM. 🤷

Laura Booth6 said:Let’s not exhaust ourselves over this anymore. What happened, happened... it’s over now.. 🙂

I honestly think I have myself to blame for being way too impatient. 😬

Thanks everyone for the kind wishes!! 😘

I can’t wait to finally get these tampons out of my nose. My head feels pressurized, there's this constant ringing, and it just hurts.. I feel like whenever I eat or drink anything, it all drains straight up into my nasal cavity right where the packing is sitting. 🙄 They were supposed to be out by now!

I was reading on their website that they usually remove the mold about 7 or 8 days after surgery.. so that might be sometime this week.. I’m not sure whether to be happy or not.. 😂

And there's this internal stinging sensation, like when you have a bad cold and your nose gets irritated from blowing it too much. It feels like my nose is going to explode because it wants to swell up but it's trapped by the packing.. 😛

Here is a photo from today: (just ignore the eyebrows and everything else 🙂)


Basically, the swelling is worst in the corner of my eye where it's dark purple, and now it’s spreading outwards.. I don't know if it's going to get worse. My eyelid looks the same, and under my eye, it’s currently a yellowish-green color 😁

And it's much more intense than it looks in the picture; it’s hard to take a good photo, and the area under my left eye is hurting a lot more than the right one..

Ruggedbadger9—you actually look pretty swollen yourself! All that bruising and swelling.. which hospital are you at? How much longer are you staying there? How have you already seen your nose? And do you also get that feeling where eating makes everything drain into your nose?

Honestly, you had it easy compared to me... things really started going downhill after two days... I swear, no heavyweight boxer ever looked quite like I did... even my own family was laughing at me 😁

Laura Booth6 said:So, look—first off, you all know I’m a total neurotic, but today was actually a weird mix of being calm and completely losing it. I was too busy obsessing over my new nose to panic at first; I woke up feeling strangely pumped and rolled into the clinic with a smile on my face! 🙂 I went through a private surgeon.

And then... the waiting game ended and the madness began. They started administering the anesthesia directly into the cartilage—kind of like a sharp jab in each nostril. It hurt. Like, really hurt. My hands were restrained, and I had one nurse holding my shoulders while another held my head steady because I was "sedated." Then, I felt them cutting into the nostril from the inside along the edge, though that part didn't actually hurt much. Then came the hammering—an incredibly uncomfortable, indescribable sensation 🙂—followed by the spreading. Honestly, the spreading was the best part of the whole ordeal 😁. It was just this repetitive cycle: hammer, spread, hammer, spread. And then, I have no idea what he was doing or with what (I'll have to ask him next time I see him—if I ever do; I asked the resident afterward, but he said he wasn't in the OR). But God, it hurt. They had to hold me down again—shoulders, head, wrists tied—while he used some sort of thinner, blunt drill. He was driving it right into the top of the bone and just... grinding away. I don't even know how to explain it, but it was horrific. All I could think about was when it would be over. I couldn't stop it; my cap was soaked, and my face was drenched with tears from crying. Then they trimmed the tip—that didn't hurt—and then there was the repositioning. That wasn't pleasant, and it definitely hurts, but compared to the drilling and the anesthesia? It was a walk in the park. Finally, the packing and the splinting. They shoved them into the left nostril, then the right. Pretty gross! 🙂

That was it. That’s what I told the resident when he finally checked on me—that I remembered everything, that it hurt intensely, and that the nurses had to physically hold me down. He just stood there, silent, before saying, "Well, yeah—the anesthesia part stings a little." A little?! 😕

Once I was finished and they were putting the packing in, they were all commenting on how great my nose looked (yeah, we'll see about that! 🙂). A nurse told me, "All done," helped me up, and walked me back to my bed in a small room with a curtain and two beds. They covered me up, bundled me in, and placed the dressing over my head. I didn't sleep a wink. Maybe a tiny bit while they were switching out tools or whatever, but I have no clue how long the surgery actually lasted because we spent the rest of the time sitting in the waiting room like idiots, waiting for everyone else to finish!

They put me in a room with that privacy curtain, and there were three or four nurses running around fixing paperwork. Each one was in her own corner of the room, shouting to the others across the space the entire time! They have a private recovery room, so I don't know why they didn't put me there. My nose was throbbing so hard I couldn't possibly sleep with all that noise. Eventually, blood started leaking through the nostrils, and I could barely manage to call a nurse over. She came and fixed it. After that, I texted my dad to come pick me up immediately, and he was there. As for the doctor? He vanished. Gone. Not a peep. The only person who showed up was the junior Rajko, who wasn't in the OR anyway; he didn't have much to say other than I’d probably have bruising tomorrow or the day after.

So, that's my experience. My takeaway? Don't bother paying for an anesthesiologist.
Honestly, I wouldn’t go under for anything more serious than this without general anesthesia. I don't care if I'm bleeding for three days straight afterward, can't sleep, or just feel like absolute garbage... the one thing I actually feared turned out to be true—I basically traumatized myself.

But the worst part is over. I asked about getting the packing removed, which was supposed to be this Saturday, but after thinking about it for a minute, the doctor told me to just come back on Monday instead...
The guy ahead of me was scheduled to have his implants removed, and he was in the operating room right next to mine. With the doors open, he mentioned that I was practically screaming. I don't remember any of that... honestly, I was making noise whenever it hurt and talking through the pain, but I genuinely thought I was just doing all that in my head. Maybe I wasn't. Either way, the nurses kept hovering, telling me, "Just a little longer," and "Hang in there, you're almost done."

I don't look too bad right now, and I don't have massive bruising. Today was actually okay; just a tiny bit near the corner of my nose, which didn't really look like it was from the splint. But now, towards the evening, it feels like it's starting to spread toward the other side!

So, yeah, that's the situation. These packs are annoying, and it hurts when I laugh because the tape keeps pushing them up into my nose. Plus, I'm constantly tearing up because of the blood tickling inside, breathing through my mouth like a zombie... just the usual stuff.

If anyone were to ask if I’d do it this exact same way again, my answer would be a hard NO. Only under general anesthesia next time!!

My boyfriend emailed me some photos since they're on his computer, though he won't open one of them, so for now, you'll just have to settle for this:



If you guys have any questions, just ask!

I AM SPEECHLESS! A TOTAL NIGHTMARE!!! 😲😢
Everything feels different for me. I walked into the OR, they didn't give me a prior injection, they just put something in my IV... and then nothing. I woke up when it was already over, two and a half hours later. I felt "well-rested" with a splint that didn't even look like it belonged to me. It was just sitting on the surface of my nose held by small white bandages. I assumed everyone else's surgery was like mine... now I'm just shocked and terrified. I'm so sorry... my surgery felt like nothing, just a tiny cough... I don't know who this Dr. Rajko is, but I am horrified!
She’s doing a great job pulling through this. Hang in there, get some rest, and we'll be waiting for updates! 😍

Laura Booth6 said:Well, things are okay now. Thank God the worst part is over... It hurts a little, but it's manageable. I might post a photo tomorrow if you guys want—since everyone seems interested in the whole look and everything. Actually, since curiosity is clearly at an all-time high, I’ll take a photo every day and add them to the album... so you can watch the progress. I felt fine today; I actually looked somewhat normal (no bruising or anything yet, though I'm sure that shows up tomorrow or the day after... so consider today my one chance to look decent. 🙂

Aaaaah, you poor thing. 😲 Why on earth didn't they knock you out completely? 😕 That sounds absolutely brutal... but the main thing is that it's done and you're doing alright! We're waiting for the updates. For me, the bruising didn't even show up until a few days later, so take those photos while you still can. 😉

Laura Booth6 said:I honestly can't believe it. She was actually conscious! Now I’m so anxious I feel like I might pass out myself... The one thing that truly terrifies me—well, it did—is the thought of being awake enough to witness what they're doing and actually feel it. Not even the pain, because that would be way too much to handle, but just that unsettling sensation of them "fixing" you. 😱😱🙂

In that case, just stay unconscious like I do... it’s the best sleep you'll ever have. 😉😁

Laura Booth6 said:God, I hope you're right about that! 😁

Anyway, I have a few rather silly questions... 🤣

For those of you who’ve already been through it, or are getting ready for surgery: what did you wear to the hospital and what were you wearing during the procedure? What do you think is actually worth bringing along?

Should I bring anything specific? Or will they provide everything? My nurse hasn't mentioned a thing regarding this. 🤷

Just wear whatever makes you comfortable. My advice? Go for soft, roomy, loose-fitting clothes. Personally, I wore cotton sweatpants, some slip-on flats (super comfy), and a basic T-shirt. You basically head into the OR in just your underwear and that little gown they give you. I actually forgot my slippers, so I ended up walking around in my flats. 😁
And bring some pajamas. 😉