Getting a Nose Job
As with anything that will permanently change your body, pulling the trigger on a nose job is a serious decision. Before you make your final decision, here are some things you should know first.
Have you always felt self-conscious about your nose? Maybe it has a pronounced hump on the bridge. Perhaps it’s bulbous around the nostrils– or both!
You wonder when you talk to people if they’re thinking about how big your nose is. Looking at pictures of yourself can ruin your day, even if the photos are of happy memories.
Feeling this way can eat away at your self-esteem. You can choose to accept the way your nose looks or you can change it.
Undergoing rhinoplasty surgery can be a positive experience if you do it for the right reasons. However, as with any type of elective surgery, it can be dangerous.
It’s important that you know all the facts before you go through with the surgery. Then you can make an informed decision you can feel confident about.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about getting a nose job.
Making the Decision to Get Rhinoplasty
There’s a lot to take into consideration when deciding whether or not to get plastic surgery. Perhaps the most important factor is why you want to do it.
First and foremost, you should be getting a nose job because it’s what you want. Other people in your life, including significant others, shouldn’t be a factor.
Are You Doing it for the Right Reasons?
You also have to have managed expectations of what a nose job can accomplish. Fixing your nose can improve your self-esteem a lot. But, it won’t change your whole face or your life.
Taking a picture of Jennifer Lawrence to your surgeon won’t mean you’ll come out looking like her. You will still look like you.
Do some soul searching and ask yourself if you want a nose job for the right reasons. If you’re using rhinoplasty as a way to fix something inside you emotionally, you will end up disappointed.
Another very important factor is the cost of surgery. In plastic surgery, you get what you pay for. This is not an area where you should be cutting corners.
The Average Cost
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that the average cost of a nose job is $5,125. However, that figure is a little misleading.
That price is just for the rhinoplasty itself. There are many other fees that will pop-up and accumulate.
Other Costs
Before you even decide to get the surgery, you will be charged for a consultation. This can run you a few hundred dollars.
On top of that, there are hospital and anesthesia fees which will be a few thousand dollars. Then follow-up appointments, pain medications, and other incidentals could wrack up your bill.
The final figure will probably be something closer to $10,000 or more. It all depends on how extensive your surgery will be and how reputable your doctor is.
Finding a Reputable Surgeon
Finding the right surgeon for you can be overwhelming. There are so many options available.
Looking for a plastic surgeon isn’t like finding a general practitioner. It can be difficult to find referrals from friends and acquaintances.
If you can’t find recommendations from people you know, look for them online. Most reputable doctors will have reviews of their work readily available.
Gather a list of names and then do some research. Check out their website. Look at before and after pictures.
After you narrow the list down, schedule your consultations.
The Consultation
This is an appointment where the doctor will tell you how they would perform your rhinoplasty. It’s also a time when you should ask a lot of questions to make sure this is the right surgeon.
Not all plastic surgeons have equal abilities. Just because they own or work for a surgery practice doesn’t mean they’re good at what they do.
Board Certification
First, the surgeon should be certified by The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.
Many don’t realize that the government doesn’t require that a plastic surgeon be trained in plastic surgery. Someone who is only trained in general surgery can legally perform your rhinoplasty.
Just because someone knows how to remove an appendix doesn’t mean they know how to fix your nose!
Being ABCS certified means they have trained specifically in plastic surgery. The first question you should ask every surgeon is whether they’re certified.
Other Questions to Ask
Another question to ask your surgeon is whether or not they specialize in rhinoplasty. This is an extremely difficult procedure to master. If they don’t specialize in nose jobs, look elsewhere.
Ask how many years they have been performing rhinoplasties. Where and for how long did they train specifically in this specialty.
Feel comfortable with their answers and like the before and after pictures they show you? Then go ahead and make your appointment for the big day!
The Day of Surgery
As with any other surgery, you’ll check into the designated clinic. From there, they will confirm that you have someone to take you home after surgery.
This is non-negotiable. After anesthesia, you will be legally impaired and unable to drive.
Once you’re admitted, your anesthesiologist will put you under. Next, you’ll be in dreamland while the main event happens.
After Surgery
After, you’ll wake up in outpatient recovery. As the anesthesia wears off you will feel woozy and out of it. Expect for your nose and face to feel uncomfortable and even painful.
Your nose will be bandaged up, so you won’t have any ability to breathe through your nasal passages.
Once you’re fully aware and alert, the surgeon will go over how the surgery went. They will explain aftercare and give you your pain medication prescription.
Finally, you’ll be released to recover at home.
Recovery
The first 24 hours of recovery are usually the hardest. Your pain might be relatively minimal, as you will be on pain medication. The worst part will be the overall discomfort.
Your nose may be bleeding heavily throughout the day and night. Your bandages will have to be changed routinely.
Adding to the discomfort is the inability to breathe through your nose. Always have some water close by to keep your throat from getting irritated.
To minimize swelling, keep your head propped up. Even better, rest and sleep in a chair recliner if possible.
During this time you won’t be so incapacitated that you can’t take care of yourself. But, do yourself a favor, and arrange for someone to take care of you that first day.
The Following Recovery Days
Waking up to bruising around the eyes is normal. You’ll probably require pain medication for the next few days.
But, after those first 24 hours, your recovery will happen quickly.
You’ll be in bandages for the next 7-10 days. After the first 3-5 days, you’ll be feeling pretty good.
Of course, you can expect discomfort. But as Allure Plastic Surgery put it on their blog, the recovery isn’t as bad as you think! At least it shouldn’t be. If you’re experiencing dramatic pain, call your surgeon immediately.
Take It Easy
During this recovery period, enjoy yourself! Rest, watch a movie, eat well, and keep hydrated. Let your body heal, and don’t overdo it.
After this recovery period is done, it’s time to go to your first follow-up appointment.
Your Post Surgery Follow-Up
In this appointment, your surgeon will remove your bandages. They might remove some packing too, depending on what kind of surgery you had.
“Packing” is when they pack your nasal passages with cotton. This holds the shape of your nose, keeping it from collapsing while it heals.
If your rhinoplasty involved breaking the bridge of your nose, you’ll likely have packed. For patients who just had worked on the cartilage of the nose, you might not.
The removal of the packing can be pretty uncomfortable. The packing extends up into your sinuses and is pulled out with tweezers.
Then, the surgeon will remove the stitches inside your nose. Now it’s time for the big reveal!
Slow down. Before you get too excited, manage your expectations. You won’t know what the final product will look like for months.
The Next Year
During the months that follow, it’s important to take care of your nose.
Your surgeon will instruct you not to exercise for about 6 weeks after surgery. When you get back to the gym, be mindful.
Don’t do anything that would put you at risk for getting hit in the face or falling. You won’t have to live that way forever. Just while your bones are fragile and mending.
Over the course of the next year, your nose will change slightly.
It takes months for the swelling to completely go down. Eventually, it will settle and you can see the final product.
Are You Thinking About Getting a Nose Job?
Getting a nose job is a serious decision. But, if you understand what you’re getting into and go to the right surgeon, it can be a positive experience.
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