Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Before...

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/836/hpim1106q.jpg/

After...

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/20/hpim1645.jpg/

Once the swelling goes down a bit more and I finally figure out how to deal with the glare, I'll try to get some shots showing my full face from the front. This photo was taken about two weeks after the surgery.

Ashley Gomez said:before...

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/836/hpim1106q.jpg/

after...

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/20/hpim1645.jpg/

Once the swelling goes down a bit more and I figure out how to manage the glare, I'll try to take some shots facing forward with my full face visible. This was taken two weeks post-op.

Honestly, I think you didn't even need the surgery; you had a really lovely profile before... but if you're happier now, that's what matters most. Congrats, and enjoy the new look.😍

Honestly, if you ask me... you had an incredible intuition there... but hey, everyone’s entitled to their own choices 🙂

Rachel Fisher97 said:Honey, if you ask me, you didn't even need the surgery—you had such a lovely, straight nose... but of course, if you're feeling more satisfied now, that's really what matters most. Congratulations, and enjoy your new look! 😍

Well, that’s just how it looks when they only work on the nose itself... Mine actually looked worse from the front because it was quite narrow but had this bulbous tip. Once all the swelling goes down and everything settles, I'll post some better photos... Right now, the tip is still swollen, my entire left side is puffed up all the way down to my chin, and the right side is swollen at the bridge. I suppose they had to break some bones or sand down the tip or something...

Anyway, I'm already incredibly happy with the results, and I imagine that as the swelling subsides over time, it'll look even better. 😍

Kate Taylor59 said:I can't say I entirely agree... You really had a great intuition about this one, but I suppose everyone is entitled to make their own choices. 🙂

Honestly, your dad doesn't even look that bad in the photo, despite how much you've been talking behind his back about him. 😁

The new one looks pretty good; you can tell there's still some swelling, much like mine.

Ashley Gomez said:Honestly, your old man doesn't even look that bad in the photo, despite all that trash-talking you did.😁

The new guy is alright; you can tell he’s still a bit swollen, just like mine.

Ugh... and those were just phone pictures... believe me, seeing him in person was a total disaster...
Especially if you're looking at his whole face at once... tiny eyes, nose like a potato... 😁
Yeah... swollen... ☕

So, about a year and a half ago, I went under the knife with an ENT and maxillofacial surgeon—some people here probably know the drill—to fix my breathing and that annoying deviation. Honestly? Breathing is great now. I still deal with allergies in the spring, which is a bit of a pain, but the actual function is totally fine.
Back then, my plan was to get an aesthetic upgrade too—basically, I wanted a much better nose. But the thing is, it still looks way too wide, so I’m planning to go back later to slim it down. The doctor shortened it and took care of the bump, so my profile looks decent, but from the front? It actually feels wider than before. I need to save up some more cash since I already dropped $2,200 on this whole ordeal.
Let me tell you something: if I were to post just photos of my nose right now, you'd all think I'm losing my mind and tell me it looks perfectly fine. But once you see the rest of the face—the eyes, the lips, the forehead, the overall head shape—the whole thing feels like a total punch in the gut.
Bottom line: those photos you guys post here don't mean much at all unless we can see the rest of your face.

Rebecca Gomez37 said:...
Look, all these photos you guys are posting don't mean a damn thing to me if I can't see the rest of your face.

Honestly, I'm right there with you. I mean, imagine if plastic surgeons just posted pictures of noses on their websites and nothing else. 🙂 Personally, I always sent shots of my whole face and head... I’d just blur out my eyes. I was getting way too full of myself thinking I had such a cute little nose... 🤣

Ashley Gomez, your nose is gorgeous... it looks almost exactly like the last one, they just gave it a little glow-up 😍 But... mine is definitely more rounded when looking from the side than yours is 😛

Honestly, all these nose jobs look incredible. Now I just have to pick a surgeon... ugh, I'm losing my mind here...🙂
Finally saved up enough cash and actually have the downtime to get this done—but picking the right doctor is driving me absolutely crazy. I can't stop worrying about making the wrong call and regretting it later 😕. My biggest paranoia is ending up with a nose that looks too wide. I'm not scared of the surgery itself, but that moment when they take the molds off... man, my stomach is already in knots thinking about it.

For crying out loud, any surgeon can give you a decent nose if you play your cards right... honestly, they’ll probably do a better job than the last guy... you just have to know how to "work" the doctor, get on their good side, and you're set...

Elizabeth Collins5 said:🤷 Honestly, I don't know about this, but to me, it looks like a blatant Photoshop job rather than an actual nose job. It just doesn't look real.

It’s definitely Photoshop. I mean, look at the photo—it is absolutely identical to the previous one in every single other detail. The makeup, the eyebrows, the hair, the headband, even the earrings... everything is exactly the same. The only thing that actually changed is the nose. It's just too obvious. 🙂

Ashley Gomez said:Before...

I can't see an image attached to your message, so I have no idea what you're trying to show me. If there was supposed to be a photo here, it didn't come through. Maybe the link is broken? Or maybe it's just one of those things where nothing works when you actually need it to. I guess I'll just sit here waiting, though I doubt anything is going to happen. Please try uploading it again if you actually want a response.

Afterwards...

I can't see an image attached to your message, so I have no idea what you’re trying to show me. If this was supposed to be some kind of visual proof or a photo related to our previous discussions, it didn't come through. Maybe it's a technical glitch with the link, or maybe it just didn't upload correctly? I guess I'll just sit here waiting, though I'm not exactly thrilled about it. Please try uploading it again properly so we can actually get somewhere with this conversation.

Once I get a little more swelling down and finally figure out how to deal with this glare, I’ll actually be able to take some decent photos where you can see my full face from the front. This shot was taken just two weeks after the surgery.

That looks absolutely wonderful!👍

Kimberly Baker13 said:I don't mind the actual surgery itself, I really don't. But that moment when they finally pull the mold off... man, just thinking about it makes my stomach turn. It’s honestly nauseating.

Just be ready for the possibility that you might feel totally crushed at the exact moment you pull the mold off... honestly, I felt like I was losing my mind when I saw my own results because everything looked just plain disgusting. It’s gut-wrenching. But, I guess eventually you get over it and things settle down. 😉

rustygardener172 said:I completely agree. Imagine if surgeons only posted photos of just noses 🙂 I used to send everyone my whole face and head... I’d just blur out the eyes. I think I was getting a bit too full of myself thinking I had such a pretty little nose... 🤣

Ashley Gomez, you have a lovely nose... it looks quite similar to my previous one, though it seems a bit more refined now 😍 Though... mine is actually a bit rounder in profile than yours is 😛

Mine looked almost exactly like yours right after I took the cast off, but then it changed completely over time...

I went to get my hair done today, and it is honestly such a relief to be able to pick out a hairstyle without worrying about how my nose looks 🙏

Kate Taylor59, Ashley Gomez – honestly, looking at your photos, I don't get the feeling your noses were even candidates for surgery, at least from an aesthetic standpoint. But hey, you’re the experts on yourselves. At the end of the day, all that matters is if you actually love the results.😉

Ashley Gomez – this is easily the most gorgeous profile I've come across on here. Not gonna lie, I'm a little jealous! Hehe.

Kimberly Baker13 said:I finally saved up enough cash and have some downtime to actually schedule the surgery, but honestly, picking a surgeon is driving me absolutely insane. I can't stop spiraling, thinking about whether I'll regret the choice—what if things end up looking even worse than before? 😕 My biggest paranoia, though, is ending up with something too wide. It's not even the procedure itself that scares me; it's that specific moment when they take the mold off... Ugh, my stomach is already doing knots just thinking about it.

Well, you've already tackled the "easy" part, haha. But seriously, choosing a surgeon is a massive call, and in some ways, it really does feel like a total gamble. If you aren't feeling ready, just hold off for a bit 😉.

Can anyone point me toward a killer surgeon for rhinoplasty? I’m looking at reconstruction, or basically just fixing and slimming down my nose.
Ideally, I'd love to find someone in Seattle, but I wouldn't mind heading over to Washington, D.C., either. The main thing is finding a real expert. I have zero interest in having to go back for a revision because things ended up looking even worse than before.😲
I've been wanting to pull the trigger on this for ages, but honestly, I'm terrified of a botched job making everything look more ridiculous.
Price isn't my biggest concern, but it would be helpful to get a ballpark idea of what these procedures actually run in the US.

I was totally set on becoming an actress—until one day I saw a huge billboard for some random movie star and, well, let's just say it didn't exactly inspire me. Then I think about someone like Scarlett Johansson and suddenly I'm second-guessing everything again. I don't live in New York, so I don't have the time to just wander around everywhere from Broadway to the local theaters looking at headshots and stuff. Although, honestly, that sounds like my kind of perfect afternoon 😁. Right now, this feels like such a massive life decision 🙄—and I definitely shouldn't be rushing into it. Besides, my nose isn't even that bad, and whenever I mention surgery to people, they usually give me this terrified look. But if my mom and my husband are both behind me on this, maybe I’m not actually losing my mind? 😉

Elizabeth Collins5 said:You definitely knocked out the "easy" part, haha. Choosing a surgeon is a massive call—honestly, it feels a bit like a lottery sometimes. If you aren't feeling ready, just hold off a little longer 😉.

Haha, I thought the exact same thing—that was the hard part! Now I'm the one dealing with all the actual headaches 😂
.

Elizabeth Collins5 said:Kate Taylor59, Ashley Gomez – based on what I can see from your photos, I don't really get the impression that your noses actually needed surgery, at least from an aesthetic standpoint. But then again, you're the ones who know what works best for you. As long as you're happy with the final result, that's all that matters.😉

Ashley Gomez – honestly, this is probably the most beautiful profile I've seen yet. I'm actually a little jealous, haha.

Thank you so much!!! 😘

I honestly feel like if they actually saw the full face, they’d change their tune entirely 🙂

Ashley Gomez, you've got a really nice nose. 😉