Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Alright, so I’ve pulled an image from the web and circled the specific areas I’m looking to have operated on. Basically, just look at the highlighted circle on the photo.

Hi everyone, I actually had my rhinoplasty today with Dr. Toncic—and while I’ve spent quite a bit of time scrolling through various threads on this forum while prepping for the surgery, I still find myself with a few lingering questions...😁
So, even looking at my nose right now with the surgical mold in place, I can't help but feel like it hasn't been shortened enough—though I am fully aware that the swelling needs to subside significantly before anything is final—but I was wondering, purely from a theoretical standpoint, does the nose only lose width during the healing process, or does it also lose length? In other words, does the nose actually appear shorter over time following the procedure??
I hope you all catch my drift, haha...

Betty Gonzalez41 said:Hey everyone, I had my nose surgery with Dr. Toncic today. I have a few questions, even though I've already spent quite a bit of time reading through this forum while getting ready for the procedure.😁
Even looking at it this way with the mold, I still feel like my nose isn't short enough. I know everything is supposed to settle down a lot more later on, but I was just wondering, purely theoretically—does the nose only flatten in width, or does the length change too? Like, does it actually end up looking shorter after the swelling goes down?
I hope you guys can figure out what I was getting at, haha.

So, I ended up going with Dr. Toncic for my surgery on December 29th—yeah, I actually pulled the trigger. He honestly thought I was losing it when I showed up for my consultation and asked if he could just operate the very next day. He did have an opening, though, which I guess is only because nobody else crazy enough wanted to get surgery right before New Year's. Anyway, I’m getting my bandages removed this Wednesday, so fingers crossed everything turns out okay. I brought him a photo of the nose I was aiming for just to be safe. 😁 He kept it real with me and told me straight up that it wouldn't look quite right because of my fuller figure. I actually really respect him for being honest about it. I realized he tailors every nose to fit the person's overall look, which is honestly impressive. It’s a huge difference compared to Glumicic, who just seems to churn out the exact same nose for everyone. 😁 😁 I'm praising him already, even though I haven't even seen the nose yet. I guess I just hope it turns out well.
How was your surgery? Do you actually remember anything? I think I woke up a couple of times, but honestly, I didn't feel any pain at all—not once. The only thing that was slightly uncomfortable was when they were applying the local anesthetic in my nose, but even that wasn't too bad. I didn't even end up with much bruising. Maybe it’s because my procedure wasn't particularly complicated; it only took about 45 minutes.

Hey guys, quick question. When I was a kid, I took a fall and now I can't tell if I actually broke my nose or what...
So, I'm posting two pics of my nose. Can you tell if it's broken or if it just looks like this naturally?
Honestly, my nose is a huge issue for me—not really from a health standpoint, more of a mental thing... 😢(
Everyone picks on me because of it and I'm totally over it. Whether I'm at school or just talking to people, I'm constantly turning my head just so they don't see my profile. A lot of people say it makes me look way older and just ruins my whole face... 😢(

Here's the first shot:http://img153.imageshack.us/i/fotografija4035.jpg/


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

And here's the second one:http://img251.imageshack.us/i/fotografija4181.jpg/


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Finally, an update! 🙂... I am honestly so thrilled with Dr. Toncic—and the entire staff, too. Everyone was incredibly kind and professional. As for the surgery itself, I didn't experience any pain whatsoever; the only thing was that the anesthesia left me feeling a little loopy, so I ended up babbling all sorts of nonsense 😂 , and I distinctly remember waking up a few times and letting out some total gems—for instance, telling them, "This is actually great, I've basically watched every anatomy lecture ever" 🤣
Right now, I’m still pain-free, and there isn't any bruising (at least from what I can see), but looking through the cast, the tip of my nose seems just a bit too long... :/
I'm really hoping it's just swelling and that it will subside soon, because I completely agree with you—I truly believe Dr. Toncic doesn't just operate based on a mold, but instead looks at the face as a whole and the individual person, which is exactly why I chose him in the first place

Sending you all my best luck for tomorrow 🙂....and I would be so grateful if you could write a review tomorrow once you get the cast removed 🙂

Richard Fisher11 said:Hey everyone, I have a question for you all—when I was little, I had a fall and now I can't tell if I actually broke my nose...
So, I'm posting two photos of my nose here; if you could just let me know if it looks broken or if it's just how it naturally grew...
I struggle with this quite a bit—not really from a health standpoint, but more of a mental/emotional thing... 😢(
People constantly tease me about my nose and honestly, I can't take it anymore. Whether I'm at school or just chatting with someone, I find myself constantly turning my head just so they won't see my profile... many people say it makes me look much older and that it ruins my face...😢(

Here is the first photo:http://img153.imageshack.us/i/fotografija4035.jpg/


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

And here is the second one:http://img251.imageshack.us/i/fotografija4181.jpg/


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Hey, I honestly can't tell you for sure whether your nose is broken or just your natural shape... however, speaking as someone who spent years stressing over this before finally deciding to go through with surgery, I can tell you that what *you* think of yourself matters way more than what anyone else thinks. In my case, people were telling me I didn't need surgery and that it wasn't even that bad, but to me, my nose just felt unacceptable...
On the other hand, just because people are saying your nose "ruins" your face shouldn't necessarily be the sole reason to get surgery 🙂, but since you mentioned you're dealing with the psychological toll of it all, then (and I'm not trying to push you into anything, haha!) I might consider looking into an operation if I were in your shoes...
If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?

I stumbled upon this awesome resource—it’s actually an external clinic's site—that covers all sorts of interesting and genuinely helpful questions about rhinoplasty. If anyone here is seriously considering the procedure, I really recommend giving it a read.

http://www.quatela.com/BecomeAPatien...plasty/#rhino1

Take a look—isn't everything being lumped under "deviated septum" here in the States?
And honestly, there are people out there who genuinely can't breathe through their nose at all—so in my opinion, it’s totally justified. But these people acting like it's some huge scandal... it's just exhausting.

Betty Gonzalez41 said:Finally an update 🙂... I’m really happy with Dr. Toncic and the staff in general; everyone was so kind and professional. As for the surgery itself, I didn't have any pain at all, though the anesthesia made me a little loopy, so I ended up babbling nonsense 😂. I remember waking up a few times and saying some pretty ridiculous things, haha—like telling them, "this is great, I've basically watched every anatomy lecture on YouTube" 🤣
. Right now, I'm still pain-free and there's no bruising (as far as I can tell), but looking through the cast, the tip of my nose looks way too long to me... :/
I'm hoping it's just swelling that will eventually go down. I agree with you, though—I believe Dr. Toncic doesn't just work off a template; he actually looks at the whole face and the individual, which is exactly why I chose him in the first place

Fingers crossed for you tomorrow 🙂....and I'd really appreciate it if you could post a review tomorrow once the cast comes off🙂.

Regarding the pain, I didn't really experience much myself, though I took some over-the-counter pain relief just to be safe. I was worried about the packing being removed, but it was honestly painless. Did they tell you to pick up those compresses at CVS? They really help with the swelling; try to keep them on as long as possible.
Don't stress about your nose yet. Everything is still super distorted right now and that tip shape will settle over time, so there's no reason to panic already 🙂 (though, truth be told, I find myself panicking and checking mine through that tiny little hole every single second 😁).
Once I get home after my cast comes off, I'll upload some photos.🙂

Betty Gonzalez41 said:Hey, I honestly can't tell if your nose is actually broken or just shaped that way. But, as someone who spent years stressing over it before finally pulling the trigger on surgery, I think the most important thing is how you feel about yourself, not what anyone else thinks. People kept telling me I didn't need it and that it wasn't even that bad, but I just couldn't live with my nose the way it was.
That said, just because people are telling you your nose ruins your face shouldn't be the sole reason to get surgery 🙂. However, since you mentioned this is taking a mental toll on you, I guess (not trying to push you here, just saying) that if I were in your shoes, I might consider looking into it...
If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?

I completely agree with ... 👍

mellowgull51 said:Regarding the pain—honestly, I didn't experience much myself, though I did take some Tylenol just to be safe. I was terrified that removing the tampons would be painful, but it actually wasn't at all... truly painless. Did they tell you to pick up those pads from CVS? Those really help with any leaking; they keep everything in place for as long as possible.
Don't stress about your nose too much—it’s still quite distorted right now, and that tip will naturally shift and settle over time, so there's really no reason to start panicking just yet 🙂 (though, if I'm being honest, I find myself frantically checking mine through that tiny little opening every single second 😁)
Once I get home after having the molds removed, I'll upload some photos 🙂

Yep, I have the pads, and I'm wearing them as much as I possibly can 🙂
I can't wait to see those pictures!

Nancy Perez74 said:So I’m just sitting here waiting... and waiting... but let me tell you, that nose is not getting that cute upturned look, period. I'm holding out hope for the results, but since the doctor basically promised the shape wouldn't change much... that means it's never going to get that snatched look I actually paid a fortune for. 😢
And honestly? It's not even straight. It doesn't even look like I went under the knife—which was literally my entire goal. It's been nearly two months now, and I’ve pretty much had to accept that nothing is changing.

Come on, shoot me a DM with some pics!

Betty Gonzalez41 said:Hey everyone, so today’s the big day—I’m heading in to get my nose done by Dr. Toncic. I actually have a few questions, even though I’ve been deep-diving through a massive chunk of this forum while prepping for the surgery.😁
So, looking at this even with the surgical template in place, I still feel like my nose isn't short enough. I know, I know—everything is still going to swell down significantly, but I’m curious about the theory behind it all. Does the nose just slim down in width, or does it actually lose length too? Like, does it technically become shorter over time once the post-op swelling finally settles?
I hope you guys can figure out what I was getting at, haha!

Look, the tip of your nose is going to stay swollen the longest... and while it’s all puffed up like that, it stays tilted upward, which makes the whole thing look shorter—kind of piggish, if you know what I mean. Once that swelling finally starts to drain away and the tip begins to drop, that's when it'll actually start looking longer. If you catch my drift. Honestly, I don't buy for a second that your nose tip is actually going to end up shorter. BUT... you haven't even taken the mold off yet! You can't even see the full picture right now. You're probably just spiraling, imagining all sorts of crazy things based on how you *think* it looks in your head, but who knows what it actually looks like in reality? You won't truly know until that mold comes off. And even then, you have to be patient, because once it's out, you're still going to be so swollen that you won't be able to get a clear read on the final result immediately. 😁
Look, at the end of the day... just hang in there and give it some time. Once you’ve actually had a chance to sit down and really think about it, you'll realize that's the only real answer to what you're asking.
I honestly don't get you people... all this obsessive analyzing of your nose and obsessing over every tiny little detail the second you walk through the door. Most of you have already been through enough hell to last a lifetime. If you were capable of waiting months for the actual surgery, you can definitely manage to wait a few more days to see how your new nose actually looks. Stop spiraling and feeding yourself this constant wave of panic and misery—it’s exhausting just watching. Seriously, just stay away from the mirror for at least ten days. 😁

stormyharbor2, how’s everything going with you???? You still kicking? 😛 😁

rustygardener172 said:The tip of your nose is going to stay swollen the longest... and while it's swollen like that, it tends to point upward—which makes the nose look shorter or even a bit bulbous. As the swelling gradually subsides, the tip will start to drop down... which, if you catch my drift, should eventually make it look longer. So, I really don't think your nose tip can actually be shortened by the swelling itself. BUT... you haven't even had the cast removed yet... so you aren't even seeing your nose in its entirety. You could be imagining all sorts of things right now... just picturing how you *think* it looks in your head, when who knows what it actually looks like in reality... you won't truly see once the cast comes off... and even then, there's still so much lingering swelling that you won't be able to fully judge the final result immediately. 😁
All in all... just be patient and you'll see... once you take a moment to think about it, that’s honestly the only real answer to your question.
I honestly don't get some people... this constant analyzing of every tiny detail the second you get home... most of you have lived your whole lives without obsessing over this. If you were able to wait months or years for the surgery, surely you can manage to wait a few more days to see what your new nose actually looks like. Don't keep feeding yourself this unnecessary panic, misery, and whatever else... Just stay away from the mirror for at least 10 days. 😁

Hehe, I know there's no point in constantly peering through that little hole in the cast, but I just can't help myself... 😁
I'm not sure if I explained myself clearly, but I'm asking purely from a dimensional standpoint. It seems like whenever I read reviews, everyone complains that their nose looks like a potato while it's swollen, which leads me to assume it's swelling outward in width, right? ...So, is it equally swollen in terms of length—meaning in all directions? Hmm, I'm not sure how else to put it—will the swelling subside evenly all around, or should I expect the most significant reduction to happen in width rather than length?

Okay, I just realized how confusing that sounds, haha, but if anyone out there has the patience and has already gone through the cast removal and everything, it would be wonderful if you could explain it to me in a bit more detail. 😵

Betty Gonzalez41 said:hehe, look, I know there's zero point in constantly squinting through that tiny little hole in the mold, but I just can't help myself 😁
I'm not even sure if I'm making sense here, but strictly from a dimensional standpoint—since every time I read reviews, everyone complains that their nose looks like a potato while it's still swollen, which makes me think it's swelling outward in width, right?... So, my question is, does it swell out just as much in length? Like, is it uniform all around? Hmm, I don't know how else to put this—will the swelling subside equally in all directions, or should I expect most of the shrinkage to happen in width?

Okay, now that I actually read what I wrote, I realize how confusing that sounds, haha. But if anyone has the patience to explain this in more detail—specifically people who have already survived the mold removal and everything else—it would be amazing if you could walk me through it 😵

Hahahahhahahh, alright then, I'll just shoot you a DM with a photo of my nose at the two-week mark versus the two-month mark... then you can compare for yourself! 😁

Hey, could you send those photos over to me too? I'm pretty curious to see the difference.

Elizabeth Walker said:I found this really helpful page from an outside clinic that answers some pretty useful questions about rhinoplasty. If anyone is thinking about getting surgery, I’d definitely recommend giving it a read.

http://www.quatela.com/BecomeAPatien...plasty/#rhino1

I just finished reading it, and honestly, the advice is great. At least now I know when it's safe to get back to working out. 😁

rustygardener172 said:stormyharbor2, how’s it going???? You still alive? 😛 😁

Yeah, I am. Recovering...🙂

rustygardener172 said:Hahahahhah, alright then—I’ll just send you a photo of my nose after two weeks and then again after two months via private message... you can compare them yourself if you really want to. 😁

rustygardener172, your nose is absolutely stunning 🙂 and thank you so much for sharing those photos!
However, looking back, I think I finally understand why we might have been talking past each other—it turns out we actually had completely opposite concerns. For instance, your nose looked great from the profile view even at the start (and honestly, it doesn't seem much different after the surgery either, does it?), whereas my main issue was that specific bump on my profile... I didn't actually seek any changes for how it looks from the front.
Anyway, I'm going to wait just a few more days, and if things don't settle down by then, I suppose I'll start getting a little impatient... 🙄