Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Hey there.

I'm new to this group and could really use some advice... I'm looking into getting some cosmetic work done, but I'm totally torn—is it better to go with a private surgeon or just do it at a hospital? My nose is, frankly, a disaster. It looks kind of like this link (the left picture), except the tip is even rounder, which makes the whole thing look way worse. What I really want is to just shave down that raised part so I don't have those weird bulbous shapes at the end. I think the procedure is called a rhinoplasty, right? I just have no clue what the damage is going to be financially... Is it actually cheaper if you do it through a hospital setting? Look, I'm not asking for a perfect, Hollywood nose or anything... I just want it to look a little bit better. 😢

ruggedcrane15 said:Hi everyone.

I'm new here and could really use some advice. I'm looking into cosmetic surgery, but I can't decide if I should go through a private surgeon or a hospital. To be honest, my nose is pretty bad... it looks something like this link (left picture), though the tip is rounder, which makes it look even worse. My goal is to shave down that raised part so it doesn't have that bulbous shape at the end. I assume this is called a rhinoplasty? I'm just not sure what the ballpark cost would be. Is it actually cheaper to do it at a hospital? I'm not looking for perfection, just something a bit more balanced...😢

If you have underlying health issues or breathing problems, a hospital might cover it under insurance. But honestly, a private practice is usually better quality. Prices start from $3667 and go up from there...

slymoose95 said:I actually asked my doctor about those little bumps. He told me they can happen, but he isn't even going to touch them because it's basically just fluid or something similar. He said it's pretty rare, though! Don't worry, your nose is going to look amazing...

Hey, how are you holding up? Are you feeling nervous? I've only got two days left before my appointment—I'm heading in tomorrow to get everything taken care of. Seriously, don't be scared at all. Everything is going to turn out fine.

hey guys....I really need some help here! I'm totally new to this group and honestly still trying to figure out how everything works... so, I'm planning on getting breast surgery this year and was wondering if anyone could recommend a great surgeon? Thanks so much!

slymoose95 said:I think if you have actual medical issues, like breathing problems or whatever, the hospital covers it for free... but honestly, private clinics are way better. Prices start at $3667 and go up from there!

It took me forever to scrape together enough cash for $2333, and I really just want to get this over with already. My thought was maybe pay less now to shrink my nose a bit, then deal with the "fix" later... ugh. As for health stuff, I’ve got a deviated septum on one side and allergic rhinitis. I went to an ENT specialist, but they didn't say a single thing about surgery. Maybe I should head down to Washington, D.C. for a second opinion? Can you even get surgery at a public hospital just for aesthetics if you aren't technically "sick" enough? Like, can I just pay them to fix how I look?

ruggedcrane15 said:It took me quite a while to gather everything... $2333 I'm looking to get my rhinoplasty done as soon as possible. My thought was to pay less now for a slightly shorter nose, then deal with any refinements down the road... Regarding health issues, I have a deviated septum on one side and suffer from allergic rhinitis. I’ve already seen an ENT specialist, but they didn't offer any guidance regarding surgery. Maybe I should head to Washington, D.C. for a consultation... Is it possible to undergo surgery at a hospital where I only pay for the aesthetic portion without addressing the underlying medical issues?

If you’re dealing with a deviation, you might want to look into hospital options. If you decide to go private, don't expect anything less than $11,000... $0.00 No matter what they try to do to you...

Jamie Mitchell13 said:Hey, how are you holding up? Are you nervous? You've only got two days left, and I'm heading in tomorrow to get it all taken care of. Don't worry at all, everything will turn out fine...

The hardest part is having to be in Washington, D.C. for seven days 😢 but I suppose I'll manage... let me know tomorrow how you feel about the results...

slymoose95 said:The absolute worst part is having to be stuck in Washington, D.C. for seven whole days 😢 but I guess I'll manage... let me know tomorrow how everything went and if you're happy with it.

I will, I'll definitely let you know. Honestly? I thought these next few days were going to drag on forever, but they've already flown by. Those first few days of my period are always the absolute worst. But don't worry, your days will pass quickly too...

Amanda Ramirez42 said:I actually saw him and I'm totally happy with how he handles things—he’s such a polished professional, too. It's a nice change of pace compared to the other guy, who was unkempt and swearing constantly—that kind of politeness really gives you confidence that you'll be satisfied with the results. He isn't pushy at all; he truly listens before making suggestions. His office is great and the staff is wonderful, too. I felt really comfortable during my consultation—my appointment is June 7th.

Whisper, what's the deal with your nose—have you done anything for the revision yet?

Nooooooo, definitely not him! I went to him for mole removal and it was awful.
Sure, he’s polite and his clinic looks world-class, but the man can't even remove a mole properly!

I had this half-centimeter mole on my stomach... and once the stitches came out, I noticed bruising—right where the mole used to be. He tried to reassure me that it would fade and that it was just part of the process! Well, it's been a year and three months now, and I'm still stuck with this dark red bruise that I paid $500 😠😠

Jamie Mitchell13 said:I will, I'll let you know. Honestly, I thought these days were going to drag on forever, but they actually flew by. These days with tampons are easily the worst part of the month. But don't worry, yours will pass quickly too...

Hey, I'm back! My nose is finally straight. Everything is still swollen and I've still got some bruising, but it's there. I can't wait for more time to pass, but it's STRAIGHT. That was exactly what I wanted! Now I just have to be incredibly careful not to bump it. The doctor said the swelling should go down another 30%, then I'll be totally happy with it. How are you doing? Are you counting down the hours until tomorrow?

Jamie Mitchell13 said:Hey, I'm back. My nose is finally straight, though it’s still swollen and I've got bruising everywhere. I can't wait for the swelling to go down... but it's STRAIGHT, which was my main goal. Now I just have to be incredibly careful not to bump it. The doctor mentioned it should settle down another 30% once the swelling subsides, then I'll be completely happy with it. How about you? Are you counting down the hours until tomorrow?

So you're actually happy with it...🙂 whereas I'm still spiraling a bit. Maybe that's just how it goes... Since you only had an aesthetic procedure, maybe it feels easier for you, but we'll see... honestly, I don't know if I'm more nervous about the anesthesia or what the final result will look like... hehehe😂

slymoose95 said:So, you’re actually happy with it? Really? 🙂 I honestly don't know either. I’m still spiraling a little bit—is this just how it goes? Is this feeling normal? You only had aesthetic work done, so I imagine your situation is way more straightforward than mine, but we'll see how it plays out. I can't quite decide what's hitting me harder: the sheer dread of going under anesthesia, or the absolute mystery of what my nose is actually going to look like when I wake up. Hehe.😂

I just hope nothing unexpected pops up, because everything seems fine so far. Honestly, I had a massive panic attack about it too—it was terrifying. But you know how it is once you actually get there? It becomes a non-issue. You just lie down, take care of business, and that's that. I actually woke up vomiting blood! It sounds intense, I know. But listen, once those first few days of using tampons are over, you’re going to feel so much better. It’s hard when you wake up and see the mess you've made... my sister actually fainted when she saw me! Everyone completely forgot about me for a second because they were all rushing to catch her. But hey, you bounce back after a few hours. It’ll be okay. Just check in with me tomorrow and let me know how it went, alright?

Jamie Mitchell13 said:I just hope nothing unexpected pops up, because everything seems great so far... I honestly had a massive panic attack too, but once you actually get there, it doesn't matter much. You just lie down, take care of business, and that's that. I actually woke up vomiting blood... but once those first few days with tampons pass, things get easier. It’s just hard when you wake up and see what you're looking at. My sister actually collapsed when she saw me; everyone forgot about me and rushed to her instead. But you bounce back after a few hours. It’ll be fine. Let me know tomorrow how it went...

😂 ...I won't have any internet access while I'm in Washington, D.C. My doctor told me I need to stay put for seven days, so I won't be able to check in until next Friday... I'm really glad to hear you're happy with the results and that everything went smoothly 🙂

Hi everyone 🙂))

I'm 19 years old and I've decided it's finally time to look into rhinoplasty. I have a small bump on my nose, and frankly, I can't stand how it looks in profile. It’s been weighing on my mind for a very long time, so I've officially made the decision to get it corrected this fall. My first step is to consult with a plastic surgeon, so I'm looking for recommendations—who do you all trust? Also, what kind of price range should I be expecting? I'm fairly certain my procedure won't be overly complicated, but if I'm being honest, the idea of undergoing anesthesia absolutely terrifies me! 😕

So, here I am, 20 days post-op from my surgeon. Look, he’s definitely got a bit of an ego and can be a total loose cannon sometimes, but honestly? I think he nailed it with my case. If anyone actually wants to see the photos, just shoot me an email—I can't really post them here. My profile looks super sweet, maybe a little too cute, and from the front, I don't look all that different. He did operate on my sister too, but she wasn't looking for a massive transformation, so he stuck strictly to her requests. I didn't have much pain, and the bruising cleared up in about ten days, but then something really weird happened.
The skin on my nose basically fused to the bone in one spot, and from the front, it looks like a total mistake. I’ve been massaging it like a maniac, but it just won't budge. The doctor told me not to freak out and that it just needs time to separate. Honestly, if I hadn't worn the tape after the molding, this probably wouldn't have happened, but hey, just my luck. Does anyone know any tricks to get it to separate faster? The skin needs to be mobile, you know? Any advice is appreciated. I'm heading back for a follow-up tomorrow, so he'll give it a much deeper massage.
I guess nothing worth having comes easy, huh...
Best to everyone

wiredcrane12 said:Here I am, twenty days out from my surgery. The surgeon can be a bit eccentric and definitely on an ego trip, but I think he did a solid job with me.

Does anyone know if there's a way to get this separated faster? The skin on the nose needs to stay mobile. Any advice is welcome. I have a follow-up appointment tomorrow, so he’ll probably give it a deeper massage then.
There's no easy way out, I guess...
Best to everyone,

I also saw him and was beyond satisfied... I don't think you need to worry, just keep massaging it exactly how he instructed. I know I used to massage mine pretty hard—even to the point of pain—about ten times a day when I first started.

Ashley Carter95 said:I also went to see my specialist and I’m honestly so happy with the results. I really don't think you need to worry; just stick to the massage routine he gave you. I know I was a bit intense at first—I was massaging way too hard, even to the point of pain, about ten times a day during those early stages.

Hey everyone, I could really use some advice. My doctor didn't mention anything about needing to do massages or any specific care. I am incredibly swollen right now and, honestly, I'm terrified to even touch my nose. Is massage actually necessary? What should I be doing?

rustystag82 said:Alright, here’s a quick breakdown for anyone wondering about getting nose surgery covered through insurance.

It’s been two months since my rhinoplasty.
I am beyond happy with this—seriously, thrilled!🙂
I went to St. Jude’s—highly recommend Dr. Miller. The nursing staff there is top-notch, too. He did a little bit of debridement and some minor aesthetic work. The consultations were pretty brief—which makes sense since Medicare covers him and the guy simply doesn't have time to sit around chatting—but I said my prayers, did my part, and just trusted that things would turn out okay. And honestly? They did.🙂
Staying in the hospital for about five days is actually a huge win—it means you’re getting constant care. Plus, they can give you those anti-swelling injections. Honestly, how would anyone even manage without them?🙄Got the painkiller injection and the antibiotics. It’s been two weeks since the procedure—the bruising has finally cleared up, but my nose still feels pretty numb. I've just been cleaning it occasionally with a spray or some saline solution. The swelling is going down a little more every day, though they told me it'll take about 3 to 6 months to see how the final shape actually looks. For now, there's still that lingering numbness.

Here’s the thing—I hope this actually helps someone out. I really wanted to hear about people's actual experiences in the hospital, too. Just a quick heads-up though—don't go in expecting perfection. You’ll probably run into some bumps in the road before you find it.😉

Hey, here’s another one—this message really made her day.

So, I've got an appointment lined up with Dr. Miller over at Mount Sinai. Here’s the catch—the guy told me I’m looking at two separate surgeries. One to fix the actual function and another for the aesthetics, because my deviation is pretty gnarly. How did it go for you? Since you mentioned that one girl you knew had to go under the knife twice—did she end up with much scarring? Or a ton of pain? Any insight would be huge. Thanks!

Jamie Mitchell13 said:Hey girls, I need some help. My doctor didn't mention anything about needing to massage it or anything like that, but I'm feeling really swollen and I'm terrified to even touch my nose. Is massaging actually necessary??

Some doctors swear by massage, while others say skip it entirely... postoperative advice seems to vary wildly depending on who you ask. It’s probably best to just stick to whatever your specific surgeon instructed you to do.🤷

Oh man, ladies, I need some help here. A little lump just popped up right at the bridge of my nose. It’s only been three days since my surgery... has anyone else dealt with this? Will it actually go away? Honestly, I'm freaking out a bit. Should I give my surgeon a call just to check if it's just standard swelling, or is this something more? My whole nose is still incredibly swollen, but I can definitely feel this specific bump when I touch it.😢