Rhinoplasty recovery: What to expect?

Sophia Baker50 said:Even though I visited the clinic and I'm not 100% happy with how my nose looks right now, I’d still tell anyone considering surgery to go for it. The procedure itself and the recovery aren't nearly as scary as people make them out to be. If it makes you feel better about yourself and boosts your confidence, it's absolutely worth it.😉

I'm right there with you. Personally, I'm happy with my results, though I think they could have been even better. 😬 That's really on me, though—I didn't have a specific vision in mind; I just wanted a profile that looked natural. 😉
And honestly? I feel so much better now. Those old insecurities are finally gone. 🙂

Chloe Cox90 said:Yeah, but they say being awake makes it harder to handle.

You call that harder to handle? Compared to lying there wide awake watching your own blood splatter everywhere while they work on you? 😬 My surgery lasted about 4 hours (stitches), so I think I would have lost my mind if I’d been conscious! I was shaking like a leaf from pure panic right before they wheeled me into the OR. 🤣

Waking up from anesthesia was a bit rough for me too; everything was just foggy, and I didn't really snap to reality until I was back in my hospital room... and I remember it being the most intense cold I've ever felt in my life. I was nauseous too, which I guess is just what happens after intubation.
But honestly, none of that is the worst part, since you're mostly in some sort of semi-conscious haze anyway.
And just like >, I ended up sleeping through half the day and night, then just wandering around the hospital making phone calls. 😁

The actual pain didn't kick in until the second day, and man, it hurt like hell. (Though, I should probably mention I have a pretty low pain tolerance in general 😬 )
I managed to get my hands on some stronger painkillers (let's just say they weren't exactly prescribed 😛 ), but even those didn't help much. 😳
The agony lasted about two or three days (during which I spent most of my time basically losing my mind 😬 ), but after that, it became manageable.
Oh, and having the staples removed (or rather, ripped out, because they really stick to an open wound) was a blast—I practically flooded the room with tears. 🤣

If you're asking if it was a piece of cake—it wasn't. But you can survive two or three bad days. Besides, we're wired to forget this stuff pretty quickly. :-)

The only thing that actually scares me now is childbirth, which I hear is even more 😱painful🤣.

It’s not even that bad. You wear the cast for seven days, then you just have to lay off the heavy sunglasses for a bit.
I saw a doctor in Santa Monica, and honestly, the guy was brilliant—his whole staff was top-tier too. And btw, my nose looks perfect now.

Sandra Chase16 said:Maybe just try viewing it as your own little fashion accessory

Forget that crap, I’d actually notice you if you were packing what I am! 😬

silentscout13 said:There's a surgeon over in Santa Monica who's just as much of a hack, but you wouldn't know it unless you asked.

I actually had a rather eventful encounter with this one myself.
My sister went to see him, and right from those very first consultations, he mentioned—if I recall correctly—that he’d already had to redo his own work four times.
And I can't help but wonder, why on earth didn't it work the first time around...?
But no matter! My sister paid the cash, and things still went south.

So she went back for a revision...
And that failed too...
Now she’s left with this weird indentation, and honestly, she looked much better before the whole ordeal.
Well, that's the risk, I suppose!
I wouldn't recommend this guy to anyone.

To take it further (since I've clearly lived through enough of this),
I had my nose done out by the river, under some absolute maniac...
The rule of thumb is supposed to be that you shouldn't have any procedures until you're at least 16 because your bone structure is still developing and all that. It’s also recommended to schedule surgery outside of the summer months, because the heat causes complications. Plus, you aren't allowed near the sun or even go swimming...
I was 17 at the time, and my mom was there with me.
They woke me up after maybe three hours, and I sat in the room for a bit while I regained my senses, but they rushed me to the car and got me home pretty quickly.
And don't give me that nonsense about them slicing your skin and taping your nose to your forehead!
I don't have a single visible scar myself.
But the recovery? That’s a story that never ends.
Good grief—the bandages, the tampons, breathing through your mouth, vomiting blood every five minutes, trying to eat and breathe through the same opening, and that "sleeping" on ice packs (that first night was easily the worst night of my life; by the second night, I just passed out from pure exhaustion). Then there were the IV drips, which were so intense I could barely keep my eyes open...
Nowadays, breathing is a bit of a struggle, but it was something I wanted: a prettier nose. As far as how I feel about myself goes, it’s incomparably better.
I'm glad I did it, but for those of you sitting there contemplating it, please think VERY carefully about whether the payoff is worth going through all of that.
Forgive the graphic details, but I'm not really the type to sugarcoat things just to feel good about the end result.

Haha, I finally stumbled upon this thread and have a few questions. 😁
Has anyone here gone through rhinoplasty to narrow the tip of their nose? I'm curious about things like age requirements, typical costs, recovery times, or anything else you might know.
Thanks! 😍

I really want to emphasize that I wouldn't recommend anything other than private practices.
I had a procedure at a clinic back in the day about six years ago—not cosmetic, just functional surgery when I was 18—and they used local anesthesia. So yeah, I was wide awake and heard and saw absolutely everything.
They use these little tiny hammers and syringes and just start banging away. I had this young doctor who I think had just graduated, and the senior surgeon kept coaching her like, "Okay... good... a little more... easy now! NO! NO! Careful, you need to be gentler..."
Man, it was intense because I was totally paralyzed and strapped down. I was fully conscious but couldn't move an inch. If I could have moved, I swear I would have jammed one of those syringes into their heads and tossed the doctor right out the window!😈
Recovery took five days, and I had these bloody nasal tampons. When they were pulling them out, I honestly felt like my brain was leaking out of my head.

Patrick Davis9 said:I really feel like I should emphasize that I wouldn't recommend anything other than private practices.
I was at a clinic back in the day—about six years ago (not cosmetic, just functional surgery, I was only 18)—and they used local anesthesia. So yeah, I was wide awake and heard and saw everything...
They have these little tiny hammers and those metal tools... they just keep tapping away. It was this young doctor operating on me, probably fresh out of med school, and the senior doctor was basically coaching her right there. Like, "Okay... good... bravo... a little more... OP! Easier... NO! NO... careful, you need to go easier..."
Man, and there I am, completely paralyzed, strapped down. Fully conscious, but unable to move an inch. If I could have moved, I swear I would've jammed one of those metal tools right into their heads and tossed that doctor right out the window...😈
Recovery took about five days. I had these bloody nasal tampons, and when they were pulling them out... it felt like my brain was literally leaking out...

So, did your nose actually turn out okay in the end? 😕

Jack Baker7 Asks:
So, I finally stumbled upon this thread, and it has left me with quite a few questions. 😁
Has anyone here gone through with rhinoplasty to narrow the nasal tip? I find myself wondering about the practicalities of it all. Is there a specific age where one should consider this, or is it purely a matter of personal timing? What does the price tag typically look like in the US, and what can one truly expect regarding the recovery process? If you have any insights at all, would you be willing to share them?
Thanks. 😍

I actually started my own thread about rhinoplasty about two months ago. At the time, I was incredibly driven to make this happen—constantly researching, asking endless questions, and eventually sitting down for a formal consultation. Now, the date is set; my procedure is scheduled for three weeks from today. I’ve decided to go with the specialist in New York City, and the total cost is going to be around $14,000. Everything feels perfectly aligned, and honestly, I can hardly contain my anticipation for the transformation.

Melissa Rivera47 said:I actually started my own thread about getting a nose job maybe two months ago. I was so incredibly hyped up about it, asking all sorts of questions, went in for a consultation, and well... I've got my date set for three weeks from now. At this top specialist clinic, it's $14,000, everything seems perfect, and honestly, I just can't wait to finally get it done...

$14,000?? 😲 🙂

Mark Martin6 said:Fourteen thousand?? 😲 🙂

Oh, regarding that doctor's estimate, believe me, I was absolutely stunned myself... thirteen thousand two hundred just for the surgery,$50 including the consultation and $200 all the diagnostic tests... isn't it just terrifying?

man... honestly, I think it’s just plain stupid. Back in high school, I had this French girl and a buddy of mine who both went to some plastic surgeon in New York City to get their noses fixed for about three thousand bucks... and man, it turned out terrible. They were already pretty unattractive, but they ended up with these massive, ridiculous bumps. Anyway, I'm thinking about going there myself to get mine sorted out 🙄

Mark Martin6 said:So, did my nose actually turn out okay in the end? 😕

Honestly, I don't really see much difference. Besides, I wasn't even going in for the looks—it’s all about my health. My nose doesn't bother me aesthetically at all. But I want to go private to get this fixed because ever since the surgery, nothing actually drains through my nose anymore; it all just slides straight down my throat! It's the absolute worst when I'm sick. I can't sleep a wink at night because I'm constantly choking on that drainage. So, when I head there, I might tweak the appearance a tiny bit too, but just enough so I don't look like a total freak!

Patrick Davis9 said:To be honest, I don't really see much of a distinction here. My decision wasn't driven by vanity, but rather by my health; I don't actually have any issues with how my nose looks. However, I am planning to go private to get this fixed because ever since the surgery, my nose doesn't drain properly at all—instead, everything just flows straight down my throat. It is at its worst when I’m sick, making it impossible to sleep through the night because I’m constantly choking on that drainage. So, when I head in there, perhaps I can have them touch up the aesthetics slightly, though I intend to keep it minimal so I don't end up looking like some kind of freak.

If you are seeking treatment for medical reasons, you would typically consult an oral surgeon...
but if your goal is to refine the appearance of your nose, you really need to see a plastic surgeon, as rhinoplasty falls entirely outside the scope of oral surgery.

Honestly, I have no clue, but it feels pretty weird going to an oral surgeon for nose issues 😕
I mean, aren't ENT specialists the ones for ears, throat, and nose, while dentists handle the mouth area?
Correct me if I'm totally off base here, because this really has me scratching my head.
To be honest, the whole idea of plastic surgery kind of creeps me out—like, why can't things just stay the way they are? Please don't laugh at me, I'm being serious! For instance, I have this slightly thickened cartilage at the bridge of my nose, and I was wondering if there's any way to just "smooth it out" naturally without all the drama 😕
Also, the more I watch those medical reality shows, the less I like them... man, some of those procedures look as messy as my grandma stuffing a turkey for Thanksgiving! 🤣

Patrick Davis9 said:I honestly don't get it; it makes zero sense to me why I would see an oral surgeon for a nose issue.😕
Isn't it standard that ENT specialists handle the ears, throat, and nose, while dentists manage the oral cavity?
Please correct me if I'm wrong, because this truly puzzles me.
To be honest, the whole concept of plastic surgery puts me off a bit—as if it's just something you can opt into on a whim. Don't laugh at me, please, just hear me out; for instance, I have a slight thickening of the cartilage at the bridge of my nose, and isn't there a way to just... "smooth it out," if you know what I mean?😕
And the more I watch those medical reality shows, the less interested I become... good grief, some of their procedures look as messy as my grandmother stuffing a turkey for Thanksgiving...🤣

You seem to want to combine convenience with effectiveness, but man, it doesn't quite work that way. You’ll need to address the actual medical issue with an oral surgeon first, and then once your nose has healed, you can deal with the aesthetic side exclusively through a plastic surgeon... I know you, you aren't the type to mess around with this; you want everything fixed all at once, but I'm afraid that isn't how it goes. Besides, why not just book a consultation and see for yourself what they tell you? (It will most likely be exactly what I'm telling you right now...)

Man...
I wouldn't want to go with anyone fake either... then I wouldn't be allowed to get into scraps at the local dive bars, and that's basically my favorite hobby...🙂 Good luck, ladies! Just don't overdo it—a little bit of charm is cute, but nobody wants that Michael Jackson nose look.👎

So, I’m actually curious about your nose profile... maybe it isn't even that bad... what do you think?

I’d honestly love to help you out, but I really don't know any surgeons personally since I'm not exactly an expert on this stuff. I'm actually planning to get my own nose done, but I'm terrified of ending up looking like those people who walked away with a total disaster...

Here’s the deal: Dr. Smith isn't bad; everyone seems to rave about him... and most of his patients are pretty happy with the results. Since you're living in New York City, why not just go see him and get some professional advice? Honestly, if they're more famous and charge more, they might actually be better than those guys running clinics in the middle of nowhere... oh, wait, I just remembered Dr. Jones is working alongside Dr. Miller now... anyway, I really hope this helps you out even just a little bit...

copperfox23 said:So you're interested in how my nose looks... maybe it isn't even that bad... what do you think...

I would love to help you out from the bottom of my heart, but I honestly don't know any surgeons because I'm not really in the loop. Honestly, I'm planning to get my own nose done, but I'm terrified of ending up looking like those people with botched jobs...

Look, here's the deal: Dr. Kinčl is actually quite good; everyone raves about him. Most people seem happy with his work. Since you live in New York City, just go see him and let him give you some solid advice... if the famous ones are more expensive, they might actually be better than those doctors running clinics in the middle of nowhere... oh, I just remembered—Dr. Džepine is working alongside him now... I really hope my advice helps you at least a little bit...

It’s not always about how much you pay; sometimes you get great results for nothing. For instance, I went in to fix a deviated septum and saw this girl who got an aesthetic rhinoplasty at the same time for basically free—she was a total steal—and her nose turned out amazing. So, I'm heading there this fall too...
At the end of the day, you find incredible specialists in public hospitals, regardless of how many people try to trash them...

I gave my two cents to raccoon, so now it's on her to figure out what actually works for her. Peace.
We're just a small crowd here...