Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Hey Ashley Gomez and Kate Taylor59, you guys have such incredible style! Seriously, major props to you both! XD

rustygardener172 said:Maria Hall92...you and I were actually chatting via DM earlier. But I’m just now realizing how much of a mess your nose was from the front view! Honestly, though, the doctor did such a fantastic job fixing it. It looks just like your old nose, only straighter, which was exactly what you were going for. As for the scarring... I’ll tell you what WW always says: wear it with pride! Let people see it—it’s just part of your unique look! 👍

Thanks, haha! 😁 Yeah, he really did smooth out my profile perfectly 😁 lol. And honestly? I've already made peace with the scars. For me, the shape of the nose was the bigger issue. 🙂 But hey, it turned out great... besides, our noses aren't the only thing on our faces! Seriously guys, if you'd all just stop obsessively studying every little detail of yourselves, you'd probably be a lot happier. 🙂)))

Help!! It’s been about two and a half months since my surgery. My lower nose looks like it’s "two or three sizes" larger than the upper part. Has anyone else dealt with this—did things eventually settle down and even out over time? I noticed a few of you mentioned having a rounded tip, but was it JUST the tip, or did the entire lower section (the supratip) look like that too?
I had my procedure about three years ago, but my results weren't nearly as dramatic as yours, so I can't really give you a fair comparison. :/

Does anyone here go for lymphatic drainage sessions? My nurses and doctor actually recommended I try it, so I’ve decided to give it a shot. I'll be sure to check back in and let you all know how it works for me in about nine days.

I’m planning on heading out, though I’m honestly not sure how long I should wait—it’s only been 19 days since my surgery. I have no idea what facial swelling or drainage actually looks like 🤷 since I only had work done on my legs.

steelangler88, would you say your nose looks wider now than it did before, or what? What exactly was the scope of your second procedure?
As for me, just the tip feels a bit puffy, but even that seems to be starting to subside over the last couple of days.

It’s not actually wider. From the front, it looks great. But these half-profiles? They are HORRENDOUS. The bottom half of my nose looks massive compared to the top—on both sides. As for the profile view, it's just okay, but those half-profiles are huge😕. Plus, the tip has dropped quite a bit, which is driving me crazy. Overall, it feels much larger than before my surgery; even though this was my second procedure—I had grafts used and it was an open rhinoplasty—it still feels like too much swelling, and I'm honestly worried it isn't just the inflammation😢

So....
here's one headshot
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...rofilnovi.jpg/
and a second headshot (an even bigger disaster)
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...rofilnovi.jpg/

and then the full profile shot
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...rofilnovi.jpg/

The sizing is driving me absolutely insane—especially that second headshot.😢
Anyway, I'm curious—has anyone else dealt with this? And if so, how did you end up fixing it?

steelangler88 said:the profile is okay, I guess, but those semi-pro profiles are massive😕 and my tip has dropped so much—it's driving me nuts.

I'm dealing with the exact same thing (it’s like the software knows exactly what I'm thinking). I wouldn't say it looks terrible, but my nose still looks huge, and the way the tip has sagged is just annoying... I catch myself constantly trying to push it back up with my finger, acting like that's actually going to fix anything.🤣

Honestly, I think it’s just going to stay this way—actually, it'll probably sag even more. At least that's happened to me...

stormyharbor2, how long has it been since your last OP? After my first one, I didn't see much of a drop, but the second was pretty much spot on... honestly, I have no clue what's actually going on right now.

steelangler88 said:stormyharbor2, how long has it been since your first procedure? After my first one, things didn't drop quite as much, and then it settled perfectly... I honestly have no clue what's happening now.

It’s been over six months... Wait, what happened during the first round? I haven't really been following this thread. Actually, looking at us, it seems like we have similar nose shapes—mine is just a bit larger with wider nostrils.

Alright folks, this thread was actually kicked off back in 2006—so, like, five years ago—and I see a ton of you are loving your new implants, but from what I’ve been hearing, prices have gone through the roof lately.
I'm curious, if you don't mind sharing... what did yours end up costing?

stormyharbor2 said:It's been over six months... But what was the first surgery? I haven't really followed this thread. It actually seems like our noses have a similar shape, though mine is larger, with wider nostrils.

It isn't bigger—don't worry, it couldn't possibly be bigger than this one.😂
In the photos, it looks even smaller than it actually is; honestly, it’s huge.😢
The first time was a septoplasty (my septum was deviated, though not severely) and I had a very wide nasal bridge (wider than the base) along with a small bump on top. Back then, they just shaved down the bump and narrowed the bridge slightly—and that was it. But the job was done either halfway or just sloppily, because my nose was extremely asymmetrical and I ended up with this indentation at the bridge that wasn't there before... plus, my septum stayed crooked... I had two completely different profiles; one side looked straight and long, while the other had a dip at the top and a bump at the bottom. Honestly, what can I even say? On my second surgery, they fixed that bridge issue, so now both sides are more even (for example), though that upper indentation remains—but that will be fixed, so I'm not worried about it. My only concern is that it feels like my nose has started to drop😢 and the lower part looks way too large compared to the upper portion... they used grafts because I was born without cartilage in one section, but the whole thing still feels strange to me.😢 They did fix the septum so I can finally breathe properly—thank God. But I am genuinely terrified of how this will all turn out, because while the bridge looks great since it's being reduced, the supratip looks like a balloon.
And yeah, one of my nostrils is larger too, but that's on the other side of my profile, so you only see the "good" side, haha.

Did any of your doctors actually bother mentioning that drainage thing to you? Because they didn't say a single word to me...
And while we're on the subject, what's the deal with these lumps after surgery? I've got one right on the bridge of my nose, and let me tell you, it is definitely noticeable...

No one else seems to have mentioned drainage... how does that even work, anyway? And who’s actually responsible for handling it?

steelangler88 said:Nobody ever mentioned anything about drainage to me either... how does that even work, anyway? And who actually handles that part of the process?

steelangler88, quit whining—your nose is perfectly fine just the way it is.

Honestly, I haven't heard a single word about drainage from anyone else either...

As far as those little bumps go, I have this area right between my eyes following my surgery. I had it before, but it wasn't really visible—you could only feel it if you ran your finger over it, you know? It was subtle. But now... well, it's there. It’s a bit firm and honestly kind of tender, though I’m hoping it eventually just smooths out on its own. If it doesn't, I swear, I'm going back to the surgeon and telling them to level it out, or else I might just lose my cool and 😠...

steelangler88, I have to say, looking at those photos, your nose doesn't look any less prominent than mine, and I’m actually quite happy with my own results.

They didn't mention anything about drainage to me either; I only saw someone mentioning it on a forum, so I suppose I'll just ask during my follow-up appointment this Tuesday.

I'm dealing with some lumps and swelling myself, though I'm not really losing sleep over it—honestly, if it stays that way, it's fine by me. As far as I understand, it's perfectly normal for some thickening to occur at the fracture site, and eventually, it should settle down.

Alright, ladies. Thanks. Honestly, I’m a bit lost—it looks even more uneven than it does in the photos. I’m just holding out hope that the lower section will tighten up eventually. It's really throwing me off because my recovery from the first surgery was completely different. Given that I’ve dealt with disastrous results before—like those lumps that pop up after two months and just refuse to go away—I can't help but be anxious. As for the drains, the nose taping, and all that post-op stuff, I assume if our doctors thought we needed them, they would have mentioned it... things will settle when they settle, I guess, but the waiting is absolutely killing me mentally.☕

steelangler88 Honestly, everything looks totally fine to me, especially the tip... you can clearly see it’s been lifted and sits a bit higher than before, which is how I'd want it too. If it were lower, I think it would look pretty bad on me 🤷

Man, those noses look great on you guys 🙂 Quick question—do I need to stop taking stuff like hormones (Diane and such) before the surgery?

Megan Moore76 said:Ladies, you all have such amazing noses. 🙂 I was wondering, do you need to stop taking certain medications, like hormone treatments (Diane and such), before having the surgery?

Actually, no—I specifically went ahead and took them during the month leading up to my procedure just so I could delay things for a few days.