My Rhinoplasty Experience: Six Month Update

Back in August 2019, I finally secured the plastic surgery I’ve always wanted: Rhinoplasty! I’ve shared my journey on Instagram and have a highlight if you’re interested in more day to day updates following the surgery, but wanted to recap my overall experience now that it’s six months out.

Read on for what I was looking for, my experience and before/after photos.

Choosing the Right Doctor

I had been researching surgeons in Michigan for a few years, mostly charmed by Dr. Bengston at the Bengston Center–I had attended a couple events where he shared some of his work. I then had a consultation with Dr. Bengston three years ago, but wasn’t financially ready and when I was ready, a surgeon who had previously worked with a friend of mine had moved to Bengston Center. The surgeon, Dr. Alfonso, had great examples of rhinoplasty and I had met him before at my friend’s appointment and appreciated his personality, professionalism and how approachable he was–so he was my clear choice!

If it’s not as easy for you to identify a doctor, definitely use Real Self as a resource. I used it to search doctors in the beginning of my search.

The Nose Tweaks

I was concerned with the slight bump on my nose and wanted to make a few small tweaks to get my dream nose. Dr. Alfonso shaved down the bump and also removed some cartilage from the tip so that it was slightly turned up, creating a more feminine nose that I communicated I wanted.

They took before photos during my consultation so that we could examine my nose on a large television screen and he could make tweaks to my nose using software to show me what he would recommend tweaking on my nose.

During this consultation, I agreed to his vision and booked my appointment. My one criticism of this process is that the edits he made to my nose were not saved so I didn’t have anything to refer back to before my appointment and made me nervous that the surgeon wouldn’t recall exactly what we agreed upon.

The Recovery

Bruising and bleeding were minimal for me, but I did experience some swelling. You can see a day by day progression of my recovery on my Instagram story highlights here.

The worst part of recovery for me was the anesthesia. I felt so ill when I woke up from surgery and took almost a day for me to feel like a functioning human again. And almost a full week for the effects of anesthesia to fully wear off. I felt dizzy and lightheaded when I returned to work and felt nauseated.

I also had a migraine for a week following the surgery. I’ve had migraines for 10+ years and I think the anesthesia led to a typical migraine, and I just couldn’t escape it. If you suffer from any sort of headaches or chronic pain, be sure you’re stocked up on medication just in case.

Less than a week after my surgery, I returned to the surgeon so that he could review my nose, remove the stitches from around my nostrils and remove the tape on my nose. My nose was still swollen and pretty sensitive and remained swollen for at least several months. Now that six months have passed, I can see how refined the tip of my nose is and it’s no longer sensitive at all.

A month or so after my follow up appointment, I returned to see the surgeon who said the tip of my nose was still quite swollen. At this point, I was already so happy with the results as is!

Recommendations/Thoughts

Do clearly communicate exactly what you want, be sure you visually see what the doctor wants to do and confirm you’re both on the same page! Show photos of what you like, ask to see the doctor’s past work!

Be sure to order Arnica, a supplement that helps with bruising and swelling. You can take this a couple days before surgery and after while you heal.

My friend Merl ordered me a few ice packs that were AMAZING for healing and making me more comfortable. I highly recommend ordering this ice roller, this pack and facial mask.

Take the appropriate time off! I scheduled my appointment on a Thursday and took off Friday too and had the weekend to recover. I worked remotely that Monday and returned to the office on Tuesday making sure I didn’t plan any meetings. I personally wasn’t concerned with my colleagues seeing some light bruising and the nose bandages since I talked about the surgery a ton and they all knew about it.

Remember that results can take up a year! Even at this point, my nose could still be slightly swollen, so have patience and know that any bruising and swelling will take time to heal.

And if you have any questions, you can comment or email me!

Photography by Matt Thompson