Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

So, you can't get nose surgery if you've got permanent braces on? And obviously, there's no way to just pop them out... right?? 😢 😲

^^ No worries at all! 🙂 Honestly, those glasses were my biggest headache. I didn't just dive right in; I started wearing them super gradually after about three months, just doing maybe 20 minutes to an hour a day. I usually stuck to wearing them right before bed because they’d give me this swelling, but luckily it would chill out by morning. In the meantime, contact lenses were a total lifesaver for me. As for sunglasses, I didn't even touch those until about six months post-op, and even then, it was just an hour or two a day.

Plus, from the doctor's perspective, they really recommend you avoid wearing glasses during that first year, unfortunately...

Well, everyone experiences pain differently. For me, the most painful part was having the mold removed because it felt like it was literally being ripped off my nose. My nose was still quite swollen, and when they touched the cartilage, the sensation was intense. They apply gasoline to numb it, and then they pull the bandages off. You really have to keep your eyes tightly shut, but even then, it stung so much that my sister had to give me a water-soaked compress just to wipe it away from my eyes. The doctor who performed my surgery (I finally found out who he was) is very charming and truly did an excellent job. Unfortunately, however, when you go through the public healthcare system, everyone—mostly the nurses, though occasionally some doctors too—treats you like cattle. No one tells you anything unless you specifically ask.

Elizabeth Baker50 said:^^ No worries at all. 🙂 Ugh, honestly, the glasses were my biggest headache. I didn't even start wearing them regularly until about three months out, and even then, I’d only brave them for maybe 20 minutes to an hour a day. Usually, I’d pop them on right before bed because of the swelling they caused, which would hopefully settle down by morning. In the meantime, contact lenses were my absolute lifesaver. I didn't even touch sunglasses until about six months after the procedure (maybe an hour or two a day tops).

Plus, my doctor actually recommended avoiding glasses during that first year, which is just such a bummer....

Mine told me I could go back to glasses once the muscle healed up... but he emphasized they couldn't be heavy frames.

rustygardener172 said:He told me I could go back after the procedure... just that they shouldn't be too heavy.

I forgot to mention that my nose looks swollen like a balloon when I first wake up, then it subsides during the day... has anyone else dealt with this?

^ Same here, especially if I'm snacking on something salty or sweet, or if I've had a glass of wine. 🙂

wearyotter112 said:I totally forgot to mention that my nose feels super swollen, almost like a lighthouse, right when I wake up in the morning, but then it just settles down and deflates throughout the day..... has anyone else dealt with this??

Oh, me! Me too! 😁 Honestly, I’ve just gotten used to it at this point... One morning I’ll wake up looking perfectly fine, and the next, I'm all puffy... It swells up whenever it feels like it, haha. And since my surgery about five years ago—yeah, it's been a while—it's actually been pretty fine, really fine.😁 It seems pretty normal to me, how it just subsides as the day goes on.🙂

wearyotter112 said:I totally forgot to mention that my nose is always swollen like a balloon when I first wake up, but then it just settles down throughout the day..... has anyone else dealt with this??

Hahahah, oh man... tell me about it. Same exact thing happens to me. One morning it’s leaning to the left, the next it's tilting right, one day it looks flat, the next the tip is all puffy, another day it's just super swollen, and then suddenly it looks totally normal.... you honestly never know what kind of mess you're gonna face when you open your eyes in the morning. 😂

Does anyone happen to know if it's possible to pay in installments at Glumicic's office? If so, how does that work, what's the maximum number of installments allowed, and which credit cards do they accept? Also, if anyone knows the cost for a consultation, I'd appreciate the info.

rustygardener172 said:Hahahah, tell me about it... I'm in the exact same boat. One morning it’s leaning one way, the next it's tilting the other. Some days it feels perfectly flat, then suddenly one side is swollen, then both sides are inflamed, then everything goes back to being normal... you truly never know what to expect when you open your eyes. 😂

Five years after the surgery? Are you kidding me? Five years... wow. Hahahahahahahahahahaha... Honestly, what else am I supposed to do but laugh? It’s better than breaking down in tears, I guess.

rustygardener172 said:Hahahah, tell me about it... I’m right there with you. One morning it’s leaning to one side, the next it’s completely different. Some days it looks flat, other days one side is swollen, then the other, or just totally inflamed, or perfectly fine... You truly never know what you're going to face when you open your eyes. 😂

Wait, hold on—what exactly is their explanation for that? Mine doesn't have a clue, so I figured I'd check if any of yours do...😂

wearyotter112 said:Five years after surgery? Seriously? Five... years? Oh my god... Hahahahahahahahahahaha... honestly, what else am I supposed to do but laugh? It’s better than just sitting here breaking down in tears, right?

Honestly, what you're feeling is totally normal. Think about it this way: you know how when you first wake up in the morning, your whole face feels kind of puffy and swollen, like you've been inflated overnight? And then, after a few hours, everything just settles down and deflates? Well, your nose does the exact same thing. Whether it's been five months since your procedure or five years—it doesn't matter—that fluctuation is just part of the process. Das ist normal, trust me!😉

wearyotter112 said:Wait, hold on a second... what exactly is the explanation for all this? My guy doesn't have a clue, so I figured I'd check in here to see if any of you folks actually know what's going on...😂

My guy keeps telling me that this is totally normal right after sleeping, insisting it’ll just fade away as the day goes on—and honestly, that’s been his go-to line every single day. Well, here we are, five years later, and it hasn't changed one bit! Hahahahahahah
I’m telling you, it’s exactly like that feeling when you first wake up and catch a glimpse of your own face in the mirror—you know, that raw, unvarned version of yourself before the world gets its hands on you? I mean, you probably get what I'm getting at, right?😁

For me, it’s even worse in the morning when I first wake up; it feels even larger than usual 😂

Honestly, I’ve sat here and read pretty much everything you all have posted, and I’ve gone over this in my head a hundred times... but I suppose I'm going through with it... whatever happens, happens 😁

wearyotter112 said:Five years after surgery? Seriously? Five years?? Oh man... Hahahahahahahahahahaha... honestly, what else am I supposed to do but laugh? I don't even have a choice. It’s better to crack up than to sit here and sob my eyes out...

As for me, it's only been 4 months...

Carol Diaz31 said:For me, it’s actually even more noticeable first thing in the morning when I wake up, like it's even bigger than usual😂

So, I’ve basically read through everything you all have posted, and honestly, I’ve gone over it in my head a hundred times... but here goes nothing, I guess—whatever happens, happens...😁

So, which doctor did you end up choosing?

Regarding Dr. Tony Stark... I’d say there's a 99% chance... I think I'm heading in for an interview next week, so I should finally be able to make a call on this.

I’m actually thinking about getting a nose job myself. Mine is pretty narrow and straight, which is fine, but the tip is kind of uneven and bulky—I literally have to make faces just to look okay. I hate how it turns out in photos and I really want that perfect look. I'm based in Miami and I'm totally lost on who to go to. Should I look into Dr. Glück or maybe hit up the Salus clinic? I’ve had some work done at Salus before with Dr. Mikus and he was great, but does anyone know if he's any good specifically with noses?

Amy Rodriguez4 said:Hey there!
I have a few questions 🙂

I’m thinking about getting a nose job.. Hmm, but I have no clue who to go to... I'm torn between Dr. Glumicic and Dr. Glück... Who’s actually better?? XD

1. What was your experience like? How long after did they take the packing out, and how long until the swelling in my nose and face went down? Since I'm from Miami, how long would I need to stay in Washington, D.C. if anyone knows? 😁
2. How much does the surgery cost with him?
3. How long is the waitlist for the procedure?
4. In your opinion, what's the minimum age for a rhinoplasty? 😁
5. And most importantly! XD Are you happy with the results? 😁

wearyotter112 said:So, it's been two and a half months since I had a private septoplasty in Miami. It was mainly functional, but we agreed the doctor would shave down some cartilage because I had this little bump on my nose. Now, my nose looks terrible—it's droopy and shaped like an upside-down triangle (the tip points straight down), and it's honestly really ugly to look at... The doctor thinks he missed something and said he'd redo it for free, but there's no way in hell I'm going back to him. Does anyone know how his experience is with revision surgeries or secondary rhinoplasties? Is my nose really stuck like this (droopy) without another procedure, or will it change? My doctor won't give me a straight answer... and the bones on both sides haven't even settled yet.... help!!!

Are you kidding me????? Which doctor, are we talking about someone at Salus?

Melissa Williams11 said:Are you kidding me? What doctor are we even talking about? Is he at Salus or something?

Mikus doesn't perform nose surgery at Salus; he goes to Lisec (who is an expert on functional issues, though perhaps less so on the aesthetic side), so we'll see. I sent you the full details via private message.