Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

stormyharbor2 said:🤣 I was actually just thinking someone might get spooked by our conversations. My bad. 😳

It’s really nothing. If you’ve ever had surgery or stitches done abroad, you’ll know the specific numbness I’m talking about... It’s like hitting your funny bone, only much milder. It happens occasionally when I make a certain face or when the weather shifts, like when it gets cold outside.

Define "sports." I used to work out. 🤷

And how long has it been since your surgery? If you’re going to insist on exercising, I wouldn't even start for at least three months. Not before that. And even then, keep it light... no heavy lifting. 🙂

So, here’s the situation. I’m not really looking to get surgery—honestly, I hope I never have to—but I’ve ended up in a bit of a mess. My nose used to be perfectly straight until this little accident happened. I was leaning over, trying to squeeze some blackheads off the tip, and I just... pressed way too hard on the right side without thinking. Suddenly, I heard this popping sound in my cartilage and felt this sharp, unbearable pain shoot through my teeth and my nose. There wasn't any bleeding or swelling, just redness, but my profile looks completely different now 😢. It feels like the apex—the cartilaginous part—has been pushed outward and upward. It makes my nose look shorter, and it’s super noticeable; it looks like it was shoved up, even though the actual shape of the cartilage seems the same. I’m at a loss because I really want to avoid surgery. Is there any way to manually move things back into their original position? Like, can I somehow push that apex back down to where it belongs? Right now, I feel like I have this tiny, upturned nose and everyone is staring at it :'(

I have absolutely no clue how this happened... but all my private messages just vanished into thin air 🤷 😕
Anyway... I used my PMs to stash links to all my photos, and now they're just gone. I’m reaching out to anyone I might have sent pictures to—if you still happen to have those messages sitting in your inbox, could you please shoot them back to me via PM? Thanks a million!

jadedriver0 said:How long has it actually been since your surgery? If you’re going to be this stubborn about hitting the gym, I wouldn’t even think about starting for at least three months—not before that... and even then, you really shouldn't be doing anything too intense...🙂

About 3 months... I've been working out since month 2...

rustygardener172 said:I have absolutely no clue how this happened... but all my private messages just vanished into thin air. 🤷 😕
Basically... I was using my PMs to save links to my photo albums, and now they're all gone. I’m reaching out to anyone I sent photos to—if you still happen to have those old messages sitting in your inbox, could you please send them back to me via PM? Thanks a million!

You guys are lifesavers!!!!!!!!!! 😍 😍 😍 😍

The only thing left is my pre-op nose photo... I only sent that one to a handful of people...

casualgardener21 said:Alright everyone, what on earth is going on here? Just when I thought the most important thing was simply getting through the actual surgery itself, you all start talking about these bizarre side effects... What I really need to know is, does this stuff just go away, or is it forever?? If there are any people here who had their noses done maybe 5 or 10 years ago, it would be incredibly helpful if you could chime in and say when those strange symptoms finally vanished. I suppose my dream is that one day I’ll just forget it was ever operated on—that it feels like a natural part of my body, rather than something I can't even touch without thinking about it for the rest of my life.

Honestly, that’s just how it feels when everything is still "fresh"... don't worry too much. 😁

rustygardener172 said:Thank you all so much!!!!!!!!!! 😍 😍 😍 😍

Now I just need to find that photo of my nose from before the surgery... I only sent it to a handful of people...

Check your PM. 😉

Kate Bishop47 said:Look, I’m not even thinking about getting surgery yet—and honestly, I hope I won't have to—but I used to have a perfectly normal, straight nose until this little accident happened. I was trying to squeeze blackheads off the tip of my nose, leaning forward, and without realizing how much pressure I was applying, I squeezed the right side of my nasal tip way too hard. I actually heard my cartilage pop, and then I felt this sharp, unbearable pain shooting through my teeth and my cartilage... there wasn't any bleeding or swelling, just redness, but my profile is totally messed up 😢. Now the apex—the cartilaginous part—is sticking out more, almost upwards. My nose looks shorter now, and it's really noticeable, like it's been pushed up even though the actual shape of the cartilage seems the same. I don't know what to do because I really want to avoid surgery... is it possible to just move it back into its original position since that's how I displaced it? Like, can I somehow push the apex back down to a normal shape? Right now I have this tiny, upturned nose like a pixie and everyone notices it :'(

😲 Hold on a second. You were squeezing blackheads and managed to warp your nose? Is that even possible?😱 I don't think you're going to be able to fix that yourself. Okay, lesson learned—I am NEVER touching my nose again. *puts on a Hannibal Lecter mask*

stormyharbor2 said:😲 Hold on. You squeezed out blackheads and actually warped your nose? Is that even possible?😱 I honestly don't think you can just pop it back into place yourself. Okay, fine—I am officially banning myself from ever touching my nose again. *puts on a Hannibal Lecter mask*

Yeah, but the weirdest part is that my nose wasn't even surgically altered before this. It’s just that the bottom part—the cartilage—feels like it rotated upward. Now my nose looks shorter and way too upturned 😢. If I could mess it up this badly just by using my hands, surely there has to be a way to fix it? Cartilage is mostly water, right? I really want to know how to straighten this out without causing more damage. Aesthetic surgery is my absolute last resort because my nose used to be quite flat. I think it's still flat, but now I look like a pig—the tip, or the apex, just slid upward and stayed stuck there 😢 😢 :'( I'm terrified. There has to be some way to manipulate the cartilage back if it was that easy to break in the first place

rustygardener172 said:Thanks so much, everyone!!!!!!!!!! 😍 😍 😍 😍

The only thing I'm missing now is my pre-op nose photo... I only sent that one to a handful of people...

All the photos are looking good, and my inbox is basically exploding... I just realized how many freaking pictures I’ve actually sent out, hahaha! 😂
Thanks again, guys! 👍 👍 👍 👍

Kate Bishop47 said:Yeah, but what’s even weirder about my nose is that I haven’t even had surgery on it yet. It’s just that the bottom part—the cartilage—looks like it rotated upward. Now my nose looks shorter and more upturned 😢. I'm wondering if I could have actually messed it up just by touching it? I mean, isn't cartilage basically 70% water? I want to know how to fix this without making things worse. Plastic surgery is my absolute last resort because my nose was flat before—well, I think it's still flat, but now I look like a pig, or a dwarf... the tip, the apex, it just slipped upward, protruded, and stayed that way 😢 😢 :'( I'm worried there has to be some way to manipulate the cartilage if I could mess it up that easily
.

Honestly, I wouldn't advise you to go poking at it yourself again. You should really just head to your doctor and get a professional opinion. Besides, if there's any way to actually "reset" it, you definitely want a doctor doing that instead of trying it at home.

Hi there, everyone! I’m new here—just finished scrolling through this entire forum from A to Z. Honestly, thanks to all of you for the wealth of information; there is quite a bit to digest!

So, about a year ago, I had my tonsils and septum worked on by Dr. Bastaić, and then just three weeks ago, I finally went under the knife for my nose. Purely aesthetic surgery. It’s hard to say why I didn't just knock them all out at once... I suppose I convinced myself it wasn't necessary, only to change my mind later. It just goes to show how little we actually know ourselves, doesn't it? Regardless, I am beyond thrilled with the results from both procedures.

Now, this might disappoint some of you, but the truth is—so far—neither my neighbors nor my acquaintances have noticed any difference at all. Most of them live in a different city anyway, so I haven't seen them much lately; that part of the "reveal" is still pending. Oh, and naturally, nobody knows about the surgery except for my husband—I learned my lesson after seeing how my friends reacted when I mentioned the septum work a year ago. Everyone assumed I was hiding some ulterior motive. It’s been fascinating, in a cynical sort of way, to observe how people perceive and judge one another. For me, the transformation is night and day—since the procedure involved removing the hump, narrowing the nostrils, and some lifting and shortening... yet, somehow, everything looks completely natural and balanced.

That’s all for now. Best regards!

Hey there.

Quick question—does anyone actually know if you can go through with surgery while still wearing braces? 😁

I’ve been falling down a Google rabbit hole... some people say it doesn't even matter, others say their surgeon insisted they get them off first, so I guess it just depends on whatever doctor you end up with.

On another note, I’ve got an appointment this Thursday with an ENT specialist, and I’m low-key wondering what the best way to approach that conversation is... like, what should I actually be asking? 😁

The plan is to get a septoplasty and maybe a little bit of aesthetic surgery covered by my insurance, so if anyone has any actual wisdom to share, please don't hold back. 🙂

Thanks! 😉

rustygardener172 and the rest of you legends, let's hear it. 😁

redranger82 said:Does anyone actually know if you can go under the knife while wearing fixed braces? Or is that a total no-go... 😁

Sure. I'm the one carrying him...

loneridge3 said:Honestly, I wouldn't recommend messing around with it yourself again. You're better off just heading to your own doctor for advice. Besides, if there's even a tiny chance it can be adjusted like that, you definitely want a professional doing it rather than trying to fix it at home.

Thanks for the reply. You're totally right—I really should see my doctor. The problem is I'm away at college in a different city right now, so I can't exactly run to an appointment immediately. But once I can, I will. My main goal is just to avoid surgery if possible, since money is a bit tight lately.
😢

I honestly have no clue how your nose could change shape just from squeezing your thumb that hard, especially since there isn't even any bruising or anything 🤷Does it hurt, though? You should definitely go see a doctor for a checkup ASAP...

Has anyone here actually gone to see Dr. Milenović? He’s a maxillofacial surgeon who works over at Denver and also at the Mayo Clinic

rustygardener172 said:What I actually found quite appealing about Glušac 😁 was his self-assurance and laid-back demeanor... he doesn't seem to care much for having a fancy marble office or the latest issue of Cosm waiting in the lobby. He’s just a straightforward man who focuses entirely on his craft. He truly loves what he does and isn't afraid of the grind... he performs more surgeries daily than most, which is why he can fit you in tomorrow, rather than because he lacks a schedule. Plus, he works through Saturdays and Sundays, mornings, afternoons, and evenings. My own procedure wrapped up around 11:00 PM, and he went straight into another surgery right after me... and he had already completed one earlier that morning.
The girl was certainly throwing shade at him, but speaking purely as an individual rather than a clinician—since she didn't provide a single concrete example of a poorly reconstructed nose... just empty assumptions.
And if I recall correctly, it wasn't the nurse whose nose he fixed, but the surgical tech. That woman works alongside him every day, so I imagine he gave her exactly the look she wanted... tastes vary, after all. I personally think she’s wonderful. Very polished, takes great care of herself. And she has fantastic shoes 😁 not that it matters, but I just had to mention it, I’m a sucker for footwear 😍

I find myself agreeing with you. Dr. Glušac is a great guy, and I find this unqualified critique from someone who merely went in for a consultation somewhat interesting; it seems she was frustrated by professional feedback after apparently being botched twice by other specialists before this. It’s understandable how someone might react poorly when told the price is higher than average, though there is always that significant risk in these things—where a third surgery could go sideways and you end up waking up looking like a cartoon character with a nose in your pocket.

I suppose one might wonder if there is any logic in suggesting 🙂 that since it’s his surgical tech (who, by the way, is fair-skinned as milk), if she were dissatisfied, she could simply lie down on the operating table!?
People tend to assume Esteticars are wizards who can reshape any snout into a tiny button nose, even though that was successfully achieved in my case (I’m just waiting for this swelling to subside a bit more)

So, based on my experience, you can see he is top-tier both as a specialist and as a human being. I certainly won't be posting updates again; I can only speculate on the final result now that I am already satisfied, though I have to wait five or six months for everything to fully settle.🙂

It really is quite transformative; people barely notice my former nose (which was quite substantial) until I show them photos, and then they are just stunned.🙂🙂🙂 Even those with perfectly fine noses tell me they’d consider going under the knife.🙂

Kate Bishop47 said:Thanks for the reply. You're right, I really should see my doctor. But I'm at college in another state right now, far from home, so I can't just head over there immediately. I'll get it sorted eventually. My main priority is avoiding surgery... money is tight right now.
😢

If you want to fix this, you need to visit an ENT specialist at a hospital as soon as possible...😉

I’m hoping for the best, too. I actually ended up in the ER last night, and they confirmed that my nasal cartilage has shifted—it basically twisted forward. They told me I need to head back home to see an ENT specialist to figure out the next steps. They mentioned there's a chance I can fix it using some kind of specialized taping or molding, provided everything settles correctly in the end.