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Considering Rhinoplasty

266 replies

sah168 · 17/02/2021 11:59

So I had a consultation yesterday for Rhinoplasty - I've wanted a nose job since I was 15 and at the age of 31 I am now in a position where I am able to afford one. I previously had filler in my nose which fixed my side profile, but it obviously did not really do much to narrow my wide nose which is my main area of concern.

I keep going back and forth with my decision on whether to go ahead - the surgeon I saw was great, very realistic in terms of a results and he also uses the Ultrasonic technique as opposed to the 'hammer and chisel' technique, which apparently means less bruising and a quicker recovery.

I've watched so many nose job vlogs so I feel like I sort of know what to expect in the recovery process, but a few have mentioned other side effects that worry me such as hair loss after the surgery (although temporary), spider veins becoming visible on the nose & trouble breathing.

I am also very aware that there is a 10% chance with this surgery that a revision might be needed, regardless of how skilled the surgeon is.

I would love to hear from anyone that's had it done - both good and bad experiences - particularly if you've had the Ultrasonic rhinoplasty! Aware everyone's experience is different, but I find comfort in speaking to other people who have gone through with it!

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Prettypennies · 04/06/2021 17:59

Ahh so jealous, I’m hoping to have mine done before my 30th next year

sah168 · 05/06/2021 09:26

I’m in quite a bit of discomfort today - my eyes are very swollen and bruised (despite the ultrasonic technique) - they are the main source of discomfort so I’ve taken some oxycodine (was trying to survive on paracetamol up until now!)

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namechange202086 · 05/06/2021 12:45

That's amazing yours is done @sah168

Hope recovery isn't too rough for you. Did you manage much sleep?

Less than a month to go for me!

sah168 · 05/06/2021 13:28

@namechange202086 I got about 3 hours last night, but am going to take the oxycodine tonight which should hopefully help as it suppose to make you drowsy.

My main discomfort come from two things -

  1. The gauze they put under your nose to catch blood/fluids, I have to change it every few hours otherwise it just feels damp and gross.
  1. The tape from my cast goes onto and across my cheeks and as I’m swollen I’m finding it very uncomfortable where it’s pulling my skin!

@BasinHaircut & @ABitOfAShitShow how much tape did they use for your casts?

I feel like my doctor has use quite a bit both across my cheeks and up past the middle of my forehead. I’ve seen most people in videos I’ve watched on YouTube etc seem to have a lot less!

Both of these things bother me more than the mouth breathing weirdly Grin

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ABitOfAShitShow · 05/06/2021 15:15

Hey @sah168 I don’t feel like I had weird amounts of tape but I’ll let you be the judge. This is immediately after so it hadn’t swelled up yet. You can see some tape was very close to my eye - I had to trim that when it started lifting as it was annoying.

ABitOfAShitShow · 05/06/2021 15:17

@sah168 It’s so exciting that you finally got yours done. It IS annoying when you’re recovering - even now the congestion pisses me off, to be honest - but it’ll get easier very fast. Hang in there!

sah168 · 05/06/2021 15:30

@ABitOfAShitShow ah your was much less than mine, attaching a photo here. It felt ok right after the op before the swelling, just feels a quite tight now and looks a bit excessive but it just seems to be the surgeons technique as I’ve seen he wraps his other patients up this way. The pressure is quite intense for me right now, not enjoying today much but as you say I know it will get better very soon.

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sah168 · 06/06/2021 15:48

Feeling much better this afternoon, although this morning was very rough with the swelling and a lot of pressure on my nose - it it is funny how you progress so quickly. The mouth breathing is now becoming a little annoying as it means l can only get 2-3 hours sleep max each night and even then I’m drifting in and out. @ABitOfAShitShow how long was it till you could breath though your nose (even a little)? Right now I have nothing.

My surgeon has told me not clean inside my nose until I see him for the cast removal on Thursday.

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sah168 · 06/06/2021 16:17

@RaeCJ82 how is your recovery going?

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ABitOfAShitShow · 06/06/2021 18:04

Hey @sah168, i don’t remember but it was up and down - so I’d be able to breathe for a while and then it would, inexplicably, block up or I’d be fine lying on one side but not the other. It’s still not right but it’s tons better. You have my sympathies but I PROMISE it’ll get significantly better very soon.

ABitOfAShitShow · 06/06/2021 18:05

PS. I cleaned inside my nose with saline spray and cotton buds. I wasn’t supposed to but it just got intolerable. I think I remember @BasinHaircut saying that she did too. Not that I’m endorsing it or anything. Grin

sah168 · 07/06/2021 08:36

@BasinHaircut it’s funny how doctors give such different advice when it comes to cleaning! Maybe I’ll give the saline a go Smile

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bimbimbap · 07/06/2021 13:28

my surgery was yesterday! i was surprised how good i felt after but my eyes are very swollen and shiny now, and had the worst nights sleep (ie none!)

who’s up next / would anyone be interested in hearing the things that are helping me the most?

sah168 · 07/06/2021 15:32

@bimbimbap ooh exciting! Right after surgery was when I felt my best too, before the effects of the anaesthesia wore off Grin Day 2 and 3 were the worst for me due the discomfort of the swelling, but I’m day 4 now and feeling much better, just feeling some pressure on my nose.

Did you have any packing?

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bimbimbap · 07/06/2021 15:45

@sah168 have soluble packing which apparently will turn to bloody mush and slide out in a couple of days, which sounds traumatising! what do you have?

sah168 · 07/06/2021 16:00

@bimbimbap mine was removed the following morning after the surgery and the removal process was horrible! Was only a few seconds but the feeling was so strange/uncomfortable (like pulling a long worm out Grin) Maybe the soluble will be a little more comfortable. Would love to know if you get your breathing back once it’s out though? I think I’m still just too swollen as I can’t breathe through my nose at all!

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namechange202086 · 07/06/2021 21:40

Hope you two have a smooth recovery!

@bimbimbap I'm up in less than a month and always interested in any advice.

Did either of you stay overnight in hospital? I'll be a day patient but seems crazy to go home after surgery.

bimbimbap · 07/06/2021 21:46

i was a day patient - surgery at 4ish, awake at 7ish, leaving at 8.30ish! felt surprisingly fine afterwards & definitely preferred to go home to my own bed. they tell everyone to bring overnight things in case of needing to stay but seems pretty rare.

sah168 · 07/06/2021 22:00

@namechange202086 I was suppose to be a day case but ended up staying the night as I was a bit sick after the anaesthesia so they wanted to keep me in. I was on an IV drip for most of the night and they also took my blood pressure regularly. I thought I would have wanted to go home after but was actually quite happy to stay in the end for reassurance.

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BasinHaircut · 08/06/2021 07:21

Sorry @sah168 I haven’t been on here for a while so didn’t see your tags! Congratulations!

I agree your tape looks a bit excessive but as you say different doctors/different techniques. I found that all of the video blogs on YouTube seemed to have barely any blood or dressing or anything compared to what I looked like.

Hope the breathing is improving now.

I cleaned around the entrance to my nose only for that first week (I have pretty large nostrils), then after that I did start doing the inside. I got a Piri ton saline mist spray which was really good at getting right up there and after a couple of days really started to loosen the dry blood which helped a lot. Just be careful not to pull out your stitches.

@bimbimbap that dissolvable packing doesn’t sound pleasant! I can’t believe they sent you home 90 mins after a 3 hour anaesthesia either. That’s mad.

BasinHaircut · 08/06/2021 07:24

@ABitOfAShitShow how are you now? I’m 10 weeks post op and loving my new nose. It’s really taken shape in the past week. Didn’t realise how swollen it still was before. Tip is still rock hard but my columella has really gone down now - that was the bit that was concerning me as it looked really droopy. But it’s obviously just still swollen.

sah168 · 08/06/2021 09:05

@BasinHaircut still no luck with the breathing, but I keep telling myself it will all be worth it to get me through when I'm lying awake at 3am unable to sleep Grin

I'm back to work next week (wfh at least) so just hope I have some air through there at least by then or else it will be another week of bad sleep.

I've heard some people don't get it back for 2-3 weeks because of all the internal swelling, you must have been one of the lucky ones!

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BasinHaircut · 08/06/2021 11:13

How are you sleeping? I slept practically upright for almost 3 weeks afterwards and I think that helped. Once I started laying down again it did swell back up a bit.

I also took arnica tablets for the first 10 days and I’m sure that helped with the swelling as I also found it gave me relief from my arthritis. Shame you can’t take it long term!

But yes it will all be worth it.

I’m sure by next Monday you will feel a huge improvement though

sah168 · 08/06/2021 14:23

@BasinHaircut I've been sleeping pretty much upright too - I bought a wedge pillow and the put extra ones on top. Also started on the arnica tablets a week before the op.

I did bruise and swell quite a bit, maybe it was brought on by that fact I was sick after surgery as I know that doesn't help things.

Can't believe I get my cast off on Thursday though, so excited [grim]

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sah168 · 09/06/2021 18:22

@bimbimbap how are you getting on?

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