Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

So, Maria Hall92—are you saying Tony was actually adjusting his nose shape just to keep it from looking crooked?! For me, it’s really just the lower part, specifically around the cartilage area. I can't help but wonder, is that kind of procedure actually complicated? I mean, when people go in for standard cosmetic surgery, do they strictly focus on the nose itself, or does it involve the muscles, the mouth, and who knows what else?! 😕

driftingmoose47 said:About a month ago—and look, I’m not saying it’s a total disaster right now because honestly, the whole team was wonderful to me. They were so supportive, the surgery itself went smoothly, and if I had to do it all over again, I’d still choose him. Looking back, I feel like maybe I should have been more assertive about certain things. When I first took the mold off, everything seemed fine—maybe just a bit larger than I wanted, but okay. But then I looked at my photos and...😲 from the front, you can tell the tip is tilting the wrong way! It looks quite deflated, and even though I know it needs time to settle, I just know it won't fix itself... So, yeah, I had a few days of being dramatic and crying my eyes out, and eventually, I decided I need a revision. But the thought of it is daunting because I don't exactly want to go through that seven-day recovery period all over again. I will go, obviously, but my big fear is that he’ll just tell me it looks perfectly fine and that a second surgery isn't necessary. I have my follow-up in a month, so I’ll see what he says then. I didn't want to make a scene too early for his sake or mine, especially since I can't rush into it anyway, and I'm not even sure how long I need to wait before a second procedure is actually an option.🤷

It’s still so fresh, only a month out... try to hang in there just a little longer. I'm fairly certain it's not looking as bad as you think it is, so please, don't beat yourself up or cry over it unnecessarily. Just be patient. Usually, the nose stays swollen for at least two months before you can really see the actual result..
After my accident, my nose was all crooked on the left side of the septum. It wasn't the tip itself, but I had this little bump on the bridge caused by cartilage. The tip was also slightly slanted to one side, though it’s hard to notice. My surgeon basically straightened it out by shaving down that side so it would be level, and he had to trim that cartilage on the tip, which required a tiny incision—though you can barely see it now. While we were at it, I asked him to slightly reduce the profile. I didn't change the tip itself, which I think was for the best; who knows how it would have turned out? Honestly, I am truly happy with the results. My nose used to be uneven in so many places, and now it's symmetrical. It still looks a bit large, but that's just the swelling talking. It's way too early to make any final judgments. It’s not "perfectly" straight, because nothing ever is 100%, but it is straight. Do you have a photo? I'm really curious to see if it looks as bad as you're describing.

driftingmoose47 said:So, Maria Hall92, are you saying that Tony was actually working on correcting the alignment of someone's nose? That’s interesting. Personally, I only ever think about the lower portion—you know, right where the cartilage sits. It makes me wonder how complicated those procedures actually get. When people go in for standard cosmetic surgery, does the surgeon just focus strictly on the nose itself, or are they also messing with the surrounding muscles, the mouth, or who knows what else? It seems like there could be a whole domino effect happening there. 😕

I honestly think that when people talk about Botox affecting the nose, they’re specifically referring to those instances where moving your mouth—whether you're laughing, talking, or just making faces—causes the tip of your nose to twitch or shift. In my own experience, the treatment didn't actually change the shape of my nasal tip at all, even though that was exactly what I was hoping for. I really wanted to level out that slightly raised area, but it just wouldn't budge, and frankly, I was too afraid to push it any further and risk making things look even worse. My situation is a bit of an outlier, though. My nose has already been through the ringer because of a previous accident that required surgery at a major hospital—think like a big metropolitan trauma center. During that procedure, they ended up messing with the tip of my nose quite a bit; they accidentally snapped one of the cartilages on one side a little too hard. That's why things ended up the way they did. At this point, the irregularity isn't even noticeable to anyone else, so it doesn't really bother me. I've made my peace with it.
Honestly, you might find it’s best to just sit down and have a real heart-to-heart with him. But I really have to stress this: it’s still way too early to call it. Just hang tight for a little bit longer—wait until the dust settles and everything actually lands where it's supposed to. Once you can see the full picture of how things truly look, then you'll know for sure.

I’m actually a fan of how Tony handled the 🙂. He leveled it perfectly—not too high, not too low, just right.

I actually ended up deleting my photos because I just get so self-conscious whenever I look at them! 🤣 It’s looking better than before, sure, but it's still not perfectly straight—and that’s what’s really eating at me right now. I mean, others might not notice immediately, right? Most people look at your face as a whole rather than scrutinizing your nose under a microscope, but once you focus solely on the nose, you can clearly see it veers off to one side. I know it's still quite early in the recovery process, and I realize it will eventually straighten out—it just won't happen overnight! If it were perfectly straight already, I wouldn't even care if it ended up being a little smaller, but this lack of symmetry is driving me absolutely crazy...🙂

Kate Taylor59 said:I'm heading in for surgery this Tuesday or Wednesday 🙂

Come on, it's great that you finally made a decision. Best of luck!!!

Linda Wilson82 said:Carol Diaz31, that’s awesome! Honestly, my nose was pretty similar to yours before I went under the knife. It’s been about five weeks and five days since my surgery, and if I’m being totally honest, the only thing that's still getting under my skin is the width of the bone on the sides. Everything else turned out great... really, everything. I guess I'm just hyper-focused on it. How long has it been since your procedure? And when did that width finally start to slim down for you?

It’s been about four months for me now. That width issue... honestly, after maybe two or two and a half months, it finally stopped being something I could actually notice. It was just constant, and I have to say, it felt absolutely terrible. I was counting down the days, just desperately waiting for it to finally go away.

Megan Moore76 said:I have to say, I’m actually a fan of Carol Diaz31's nose. 🙂He really leveled it out perfectly. It’s just right—not too high, not sitting too low either. I guess he actually nailed the alignment this time.

Thanks. 🙂 That’s exactly what I was getting at—I specifically said I wanted a flat top, not something lifted. After having such a low profile before, a raised look would have just looked ridiculous on me. So, it’s fine where it is now, and honestly, I just want it to stay exactly like this. 😁

Kate Taylor59 said:I guess I'm heading in for surgery this coming Tuesday or Wednesday. 🙂

Come on, good luck!!

driftingmoose47 said:Look, about a month ago—and I’m not saying it's a total disaster right now because honestly, the whole team was amazing to me, they were super professional, the surgery itself went fine, and everything seemed okay. If it came down to it, I’d still go back to him for a second procedure because, looking back, I feel like I partly bear the blame for not being more insistent on certain details. When I first took the cast off, everything felt alright; maybe it could have been a bit smaller, but hey, whatever. But then I take a photo and...😲 from the front, you can clearly see the nose is crooked! It’s just so obvious. It looks pretty deflated, and even though I know swelling takes time, I just know it won't magically straighten itself out perfectly. So yeah, I had a bit of a meltdown and cried for a few days. Eventually, I decided I’ll go back for a revision, but UGH, I really don't want to deal with another recovery period after those first seven days. I'll do it, obviously, but I'm terrified he'll just tell me it looks fine and that I don't actually need another surgery. I have my follow-up in a month, so we'll see what he says. I didn't want to cause a scene with him or stress myself out any sooner than necessary since I can't jump back under the knife immediately anyway, plus I have no clue how much healing time you actually need before a second round. 🤷

It seems like having a crooked nose is what really messes with the final result. Sadly, you can never fully fix a crooked nose because it's all about facial symmetry...
When I was sitting there during my consultation, Tony told me straight up that he couldn't promise a perfectly straight nose. Glushac told me he could fix it without an issue, but warned me it would never be 100% straight because of my specific facial structure. And honestly? He was right. It still leans slightly to one side, just way less than it did before. I'd love for it to be dead straight, but if it's physically impossible, it's impossible. So my advice is... don't just throw money away on a second surgery (if that's the only reason you're going back), instead, just try to make peace with it. 😁

@ Ashley Gomez - If I’m following correctly and you’re heading in for surgery soon, is that right? If so, sending all the good vibes your way!

@ Kate Taylor59 - Wishing you the best of luck too🙂.

Please, everyone, let us know how everything turns out😉.

Maria Hall92 said:haha, it was the exact same experience for me. One side felt totally closed off while the other seemed more open... plus, my nose looked like a pig's snout 😁 hahaha, don't worry, it’ll look better every single day 🙂

I am counting down the days until my nostrils finally look symmetrical. I find myself constantly staring in the mirror, waiting for some kind of miracle. Even though I try not to obsess, I can already see the tip looking more lifted.🙂

Thanks everyone, I'll be in touch :**

Personally, I’m thinking it’s definitely doable—though it’s going to be a massive amount of work! I’ll have to see what the doctors at the clinic say during my follow-up, and then I’ll give you all an update. Honestly, I just can't wrap my head around why modern medicine focuses so much on everything else while leaving things like fixing a nose out of reach 🤔 I mean, if we're talking about cosmetic surgery, shouldn't it actually look aesthetic? 🤣

rustygardener172, I honestly wish mine would go down a bit more—I’m not even expecting perfection, but wouldn't it be wonderful if I were the one calling the shots instead of everyone else? And ugh, you can't even tell from the photos! It feels so silly—I spent all that money just to get a slightly smaller nose, yet it still looks crooked. Who did you end up seeing for your procedure, and how did that correction process actually turn out for you? I am dying to know, because if it’s even remotely possible, I want them to fix this for me... goodness, at this rate, I’m going to end up looking like a pop star gone wrong! 🤣 I have become completely obsessed 😂

Jeremy Barrett7 said:I’m just sitting here waiting for my nostrils to finally become symmetrical. It’s like I can’t help but stare into the mirror, half-expecting some kind of miracle to happen. Even though I know I can’t stop checking, I swear I can see a new, lifted tip every time I look. 🙂

Haha.. honestly, the thing is, they were probably never perfectly identical to begin with, which is why it feels so glaringly obvious whenever they swell up. I know from experience.. when they were swollen, one looked completely different from the other—one was larger, one felt more closed off. For a second there, I actually thought they had totally messed up my structure! 😁 Haha.. but now that I take a look at my nose, they seem pretty even, though if I really zoom in and scrutinize the nostrils, you can still tell they aren't quite twins. 🙂

Elizabeth Collins5 said:@ Ashley Gomez - if I'm following correctly and you're heading in for surgery soon, is that right? If so, best of luck!

@ Kate Taylor59 - wishing you the best of luck too 🙂.

Please keep us posted on how everything turns out 😉.

Thanks 😍. I'm heading in tomorrow...

driftingmoose47 said:Honestly, rustygardener172 and I are both wishing we could just scale things back a bit. I’m not expecting perfection, obviously, but man, I’d be over the moon if it were just me getting the work done without all the extra baggage. And even if it doesn't scream "surgery" in photos, I still feel weird about it. It feels so stupid—I dropped all this cash just to get a slightly smaller nose, and yet it still looks crooked from certain angles. Who did you end up seeing for your procedure? Seriously, tell me everything about how that straightening went. If there's actually a way to fix the tilt, I am 100% in... otherwise, I'm terrified I'll end up looking like some tacky pop star. 🤣I've become totally obsessed with this idea.😂

I actually went to see Glushac, and honestly, I'm pretty stoked with how everything turned out. He delivered exactly what he promised during the consultation.

Ashley Gomez and Kate Taylor59, sending you guys nothing but the best luck!!!!!

Best of luck to Kate Taylor59 and Ashley Gomez!!!! 👍

Linda Wilson82 said:Sending all my best to Kate Taylor59 and Ashley Gomez!!!! 👍

Wishing you guys the best of luck as well!! 🙂👍

Thanks again, best of luck Ashley Gomez 🙂

Maria Hall92 said:hehe... it's because they were never identical to begin with, so you really notice it once they swell up. I know from experience... when they were swollen, they were a mess; one was larger and more closed off, I actually thought they had been butchered. 😁 haha... but now that I look at my nose, they look the same, though if I stare too closely at the nostrils, you can still tell they aren't perfectly symmetrical. 🙂

I had my surgery when I was 16; this is what they look like now. 🙂 How long has it been since you noticed any actual change? Any reduction in swelling? Have they finally "leveled out"? Why is it so incredibly difficult to be patient! 😁

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/855/nosnice1.jpg/