I always hated my nose since childhood. I was scarred emotionally with name calling and staring, even into adulthood. Once I finally had the financial stability to get this done in my 30's, I was honestly going to do whatever it took to finally be happier with my appearance. Besides, I already have braces as an adult as well so who cares. It's going to be a great transformation. I decided to avoid CareCredit or the like and got a personal loan from the bank, the same way you would apply for an auto loan for much less interest and penalties. I have avoided selfies and close ups for so long, and have even asked people not to post photos of me online. My old nose did not have any injuries or breathing problems, it was just an extremely bulbous tip, extremely round, almost like a completely different ethnicity. There was no way makeup would even help contour that thing to be less noticeable. Nobody on either side of my family has anything like it, they all have the pointy Western European noses, so I guess it was just a fluke.
After extensive online research, I narrowed my search down to 2 rhinoplasty facial plastic surgeon specialists in the Denver area. I confidently cancelled the other doctor's consult and went ahead and booked with Dr. Weber. I am the type to shop around and weigh all my options so having made that decision says a lot. He and his staff are very well informed and will take all the time you need to move to the next steps. They have the most cutting edge medical techniques, equipment, complimentary skincare items, and online technology. Dr. Weber explains medical terminology really well to people like myself who are not in the medical field. He answered all of my questions and scenarios, and took photos to simulate his anticipated results on the TV at my consultation. Of course the simulation is not going to look exactly like your final result but in my case it is pretty darn close. I did search online for noses I liked for some time. I narrowed the photos down to mimic the noses of Mila Kunis or Jena Malone. Dr. Weber will gladly look over the photos and give you his feedback. He even takes them with to surgery as a reference point.
Before surgery you are given pills and creams to help alleviate the bruising, in addition to ointments, ice packs, everything you will need. After surgery they mailed me a care package with fresh fruit and snacks which was really thoughtful, especially when your spouse is at work and you are not up for cooking. The surgery center he uses is top of the line. They have really cool gowns that can attach to a heater fan to keep you warm. I also liked how the surgery was on a Friday so you can start recovery on the weekend and lose less days from work. I was not nervous about the process until right before surgery. He was very comforting and has an awesome bedside manner. I was resting the entire day of, and second day. The third day I was up and moving around, was able to run an errand, and also taking lots of breaks and naps. Until your post op appointment, it will feel like you have the worst cold ever. You will have to "mouth breathe" until the post op at day 5. By day 5 I was definitely myself again and ready to get the splint removed. You have to keep your splint dry in the shower or else you are guaranteed to have it fall off. If that happens you will want to use your medical tape to keep it on, or go back in to get another one. At the post op appointment, I will advise you to take Ibuprofen even if you are not feeling pain anymore. Removal of the stitches and sinus things in your nose is painful. There is a laser machine that can help expedite your black eye bruising to clear up more quickly - this one is not fun either but worth it.
The noticeable black eyes and bruising were fully gone right around the 2 week mark. As suggested by Dr. Weber's assistant Camille, I went to Sephora and used NARS concealer and Kat Von D powder to cover the bruises. At work and nobody could tell I had black eyes. I do not think my coworkers noticed I had the procedure done. I think a couple of them could tell something was different but didn't know what. That's how natural it looks.
At 1 month post op, everything is looking great! Granted, I thought it looked fantastic when the splint was taken off. I have taken photos every day to watch the changes as the swelling goes down. It can look different day to day, but patience and trusting the process is key. It will get smaller by the 3 and 4 month mark. My breathing is still great as it was before. And for the record, I am not being stared at anymore, either by coworkers or randoms out in public. It looks natural, fits my face, and I still "look like me." Out the door I paid around $8,600 including facility fees, and this includes all the follow up appointments. read more
