Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Only my closest inner circle knew about my surgery—my best friends, my husband, my primary care physician, and my nurse, plus my aesthetician. My mom didn't know either; she eventually caught on, though mostly just because she saw the bruising and swelling. Beyond that, nobody else was in the loop. It’s funny, though—those who were aware tell me the difference is night and day, while everyone else hasn't said a word, so I suppose they haven't even noticed.

I didn't bring it up much at first. Whenever I did mention it, I usually ended up just sitting there listening to people comment on how "perfect" my old nose was and how I didn't need to change anything... so I eventually just stopped talking about it, which turned out to be for the best. Was my old nose pretty? Not really 🙄. It wasn't exactly terrifying, but it certainly wasn't attractive, and for as long as I can remember, I've wanted to fix it.

It's been about a month and a half since the procedure, and honestly, my nose seems to look smaller and more refined with every passing day. There is still a bit of a bump at the tip, but apparently, it takes about six months for that kind of swelling to fully subside.

darkhawk10 said:I don't know about you, but I'm just not buying it. You should get to a doctor immediately—it feels like something you absolutely cannot afford to ignore. Best!

Well, thanks 🙂 I didn't actually go to the doctor—honestly, I’m incredibly irresponsible when it comes to health stuff like that. I lost a significant amount of weight following my surgery, so that's likely what caused it. Mayo Clinic is definitely a solid choice, though; let me know how it goes. Cheers

crimsonhawk55 said:I honestly feel like a whole new person after that surgery.
The psychological impact—that’s where the real magic happens. They didn't go overboard with the cosmetic stuff, but my mental state? Night and day. I don't find myself hiding behind my nose anymore; if anything, I actually feel proud of it now. ☕

I know exactly how you feel, 🙂—honestly, I am so much happier now, and if I could turn back the clock, I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. 🙂 When did you have yours done?

Ashley Gomez said:I’m also leaning toward the idea that it shouldn't be related to the surgery itself. 🤷 Though, truth be told, I used to get these bouts where I felt like I was about to pass out—but since I had absolutely zero appetite and was barely eating anything, I just chalked it up to that.

Thanks, 🙂 that's probably the culprit right there. I found myself eating much less after my last procedure, too. It makes me wonder—would I even be allowed to go on a specific "diet" at this stage?

restlessjackal112 said:I haven't heard from anyone yet who claims they experienced that specifically because of surgery—I mean, sure, feeling weak is one thing, but the shaking? That sounds a bit more serious than just being run down. Honestly, you should definitely head to the doctor; it’s always better to be safe and get everything checked out properly.

And I really do want to thank everyone for all the advice... honestly. 😉

I’m really curious to hear more about how people actually react after the surgery... I've heard some stories where even close friends didn't even notice anything had changed—they just thought you looked like yourself, only slightly different—but since my nose is currently off by about two millimeters, I’m genuinely wondering if anyone is going to pick up on the adjustment. The main reason I’m obsessing over this is that I am absolutely *not* the type of person who enjoys "explaining" myself. You know the drill—once you change something, people start prying with those annoying, unsolicited questions like, "Oh, why did you do that? You didn't need to!" or "Was it really necessary?" Honestly, I don't have the patience or the emotional bandwidth for that kind of interrogation. If anyone asks, my response is going to be a very short, very blunt, "Because I wanted to." That's it. End of discussion. 😁
I’m mainly asking about the people you deal with at the university—those professors and the grad students you have to be civil toward simply because you're colleagues in the same department—and that's it... I just need to know exactly how much patience and mental fortitude I should prepare myself for. 😂

Look, if you ask me, your best bet is to keep your surgery strictly under wraps—don't say a word to anyone. I honestly found it baffling when some of the girls here were claiming that nobody notices anything; it made me think they were probably just getting tiny, superficial tweaks rather than real work. I’ll admit, I was terrified too—scared of the malicious comments, scared of people drilling me with intrusive questions—but believe me, once you finally get that cast off and see your new nose, you won't give a single damn about what the neighbors or strangers think. My old nose was an absolute disaster—it was so long I could practically pick my nose with my tongue, haha—and it was wide and hawk-like. But even then, absolutely no one realized I’d had work done. Not even the people I see every single day. Even my boyfriend told me he couldn't see any difference—it wasn't until I actually sat him down and showed him the old photos that he finally realized there was a MASSIVE difference. As far as my own procedure goes, the only people who knew were a couple of my closest relatives and my boyfriend. That's it.

Ashley Gomez said:Only my inner circle knew about my surgery—my godparents, my husband, my primary care physician, and my nurse, plus my esthetician. My mother didn't actually know either; she just suspected because she saw the bruising and the swelling. No one else... Honestly, those who were actually paying attention told me the difference was night and day, while everyone else stayed silent—which, I suppose, means they didn't even notice.

I didn't bring it up much at first because whenever I did, I’d just end up sitting there listening to people tell me how "perfect" my nose already was and that I didn't need this... so eventually, I just stopped mentioning it altogether. It worked out better that way. And if anyone thinks my old nose was pretty—well, they're wrong. 🙄 It wasn't exactly terrifying, but it certainly wasn't beautiful, and for as long as I can remember, I've wanted to fix it.

I'm currently a month and a half post-op, and honestly, the nose looks smaller and more refined every single day. There is still a little bump on the tip, but apparently, you have to wait about six months for that kind of swelling to fully subside.

It was the exact same story for me. My relatives and friends kept trying to convince me that I didn't need surgery at all—that my nose was perfectly fine—and it drove me absolutely insane because, let's be real, it was quite ugly. I didn't tell a soul about the procedure except for my parents. Only after the surgery was over did my parents finally admit that my nose had been too big. Meanwhile, the rest of them are *still* insisting I didn't need it and telling me how lovely and small my nose is now, haha. Well, I guess I'll take their word for it now! 😍 😍😍

I am also of the opinion that there is absolutely no need to discuss surgical procedures with everyone...
People can be incredibly malicious and will invariably focus on finding flaws or mistakes rather than acknowledging the positive outcomes.
The only thing that truly matters is whether we are satisfied with the results.

Look, I know there are all sorts of people out there who will go out of their way to be unhelpful or negative, but honestly, who cares? I know that once this is over, a massive weight is going to lift off my shoulders and I’ll finally feel like myself again. I actually really appreciated my surgeon's approach during the initial consultation. Instead of suggesting some drastic overhaul or trying to give me a generic, "perfect" nose that wouldn't suit my face, he suggested making only minimal adjustments—just enough to straighten things out without losing my actual identity. To quote him directly: ''staying true to myself.'' Hehe, I loved that approach.
So, thank you all for the advice; it’s made things feel much more manageable and has definitely calmed my nerves. Best of luck to those of you just starting your journey and to everyone who is already well on the road to recovery. 😉

Olivia Nelson37 said:I also feel like there isn't much point in broadcasting your surgical procedures to everyone...
people can be incredibly malicious—they’ll always jump straight to finding flaws or mistakes rather than focusing on the good parts
the bottom line is that we're happy with the results...

Exactly!! 🙂

Hey everyone! So, I had my rhinoplasty about a month ago with one of the top surgeons in Beverly Hills, and honestly, I couldn't be happier with the results. I’d highly recommend 🙂
. I found this recent discussion about how people around you don't even realize anything has changed so interesting, because I can totally vouch for that! It’s like they sense something is different, but they can't quite put their finger on what it is. At first, I was genuinely confused about how they wouldn't notice, since the nose was the only thing I was focusing on changing. And I suppose it's a bit of a "professional hazard," isn't it? After years of obsessively studying my own nose from every single possible angle, I think I just became hyper-fixated on it. Even though I wasn't actually depressed about my looks—and most of the time I’d completely forgotten about that little bump—I feel so much more confident now. I actually don't dread seeing myself in profile shots anymore! 😁

mellowraven93 said:hey guys, I had my nose done a few months ago by a surgeon in NYC and I am beyond happy with the results. I highly recommend 🙂
I’m actually really interested in this whole debate about people not noticing the change—it's totally true for me. They can tell something is different, they just can't put their finger on what it is. Honestly, I never understood how people wouldn't notice, since my nose was the only thing I could focus on! Plus, when I look at other people, I immediately check out their noses first—call it a "professional hazard" from spending years staring at mine from every single angle. It's not like I was depressed about my looks or anything, and I mostly forgot about my crooked nose anyway, but now I feel so much better and I don't even fear profile shots anymore 😁

Which doctor in NYC operated on you?

It’s been exactly one month since my surgery, and this little bump on my nose still hasn't budged :'( I haven't seen any significant reduction in the overall size of my nose either :'(

Sophia Young73 said:It’s been exactly a month since my surgery and this bump on my nose still hasn't gone away :'( My nose doesn't even look any smaller yet :'(

A bump?😳

Sophia Young73 said:It’s been exactly one month since my surgery and this bump on my nose still hasn't gone away :'( My nose doesn't even look significantly smaller yet :'(

Don't spiral just yet—mine didn't show any real change until the 5 or 6-month mark. I’m at 8 months now and the tip still feels a bit thick, plus that little lump near the bridge hasn't fully vanished either, though it does seem to be shrinking slightly.

@Megan Moore76/">@@Megan Moore76 - I actually had my surgery performed by my older doctor

Hello, would anyone be willing to share some detailed information regarding rhinoplasty? I am also looking for recommendations on where the best place to have this procedure done would be in the US.

stormyharbor2 said:Wait, are we really talking about Grbica now? Honestly, I don't even know where to start with that—it’s such a loaded topic—but if we’re going to dive into this, let’s actually do it properly. It feels like everyone just skims the surface without considering the sheer weight of the implications involved here. It's almost exhausting to watch.😳

Yeah, exactly. 🙂 It’s funny how life works—one minute I’ve got this elegant, aquiline profile that everyone seems to admire, and now? Now I’m sitting here looking at a hooked nose! Hahaha! Seriously though, the transformation is quite something.

Taylor Chase3 said:Don't lose hope—it took a solid five or six months before I saw any real change in my nose shape. It’s been eight months for me now, and while the tip still feels a bit thick and there's this little bump near the base of my nose that hasn't quite vanished, it does seem to be shrinking slightly.

Oh, thank you! Honestly, I didn't even have this specific bump before the surgery—it's right on the nasal bone and feels quite hard. From what I've read, typical swelling is supposed to feel soft to the touch, which is what concerns me. I can only pray to God that it levels out eventually. I suppose I just need to be patient. 🙂

brightangler18 said:Hey everyone—I haven't had much time to dig through this whole thread, but I have one question.

I've got a septoplasty scheduled with Dr. Smith at Mayo Clinic this November. I'm wondering if they'll fix the aesthetic side of things automatically, or if I need to specifically ask for that—and if there's an extra fee involved. Sorry if this was already covered in the thread, but I've seen so many different versions of this online that I'm just confused.

thanks in advance 😁

hey guys

I had nose surgery with him about 6 months ago—same thing, deviated septum. Make sure you emphasize that you want the cosmetic part fixed too; he at least smoothed out my bump 😁...but honestly, I still can't breathe right through my right nostril (never could, really) and my nose looks crooked, leaning to the left... I'm just wondering if that's normal, btw. I read some posts saying it is, but I'm not so sure myself... feels like my stitches came out too early or maybe the inside of my right nostril hasn't healed properly??? Like, maybe the surgery worked but the recovery didn't.........😢...anyway, I have a follow-up tomorrow so we'll see what the issue is... just hoping they don't tell me it's "normal" 😕......it doesn't feel normal for my nose to look this crooked.........😢

What kind of pre-op testing did you all go through? Beyond the standard stuff like blood work, urine samples—especially checking blood type—EKGs, and chest X-rays... I was browsing some health forums and saw mentions of having a nasal endoscopy performed to check the internal passages. Apparently, that's common if there are breathing issues involved. My family is starting to get a bit anxious that we might have missed something the doctor didn't explicitly mention. Since I’m heading under general anesthesia, I don't want to take any chances; it's not something you mess around with. If anyone who's been through this can offer some insight, I'd really appreciate it.😁