I had surgery at [Clinic A], and I’ll write down my thoughts in the order I remember them. First, the consultation... The director was somewhat cynical, but he tried to adjust the surgical scope to fit my budget and was honest. During the consultation, he showed me photos of rhinoplasty without implants, and his aesthetic sense matched mine well, so I thought I should have it done there. They used costal cartilage for the tip.
Even without an implant, they don’t leave the bridge completely unfilled; they fill it with the perichondrium of the costal cartilage. Then, on the day of surgery... I lay on the operating table, closed and opened my eyes, and it was over. When I was groggy, a staff member helped me to the recovery room, where I rested, and then I took a taxi home. I honestly don’t remember much of that part.
Sorry, but when I woke up the next day, breathing was incredibly difficult because of the cotton inside my nose… The splint was also so uncomfortable, and my nose was so itchy I thought I’d go crazy. They removed the cotton on day 2 and the splint after one week. They also did sebum care then, and I wish I could get that every day… The stuffiness from not being able to wash my face disappeared completely.
They say swelling peaks after the splint comes off, but I had so little swelling that I wondered, “This is the peak?” The line was already clearly visible, and it looked like the straight-natural line I wanted, so I liked it. The director checked my progress and asked, “The surgery went well, right?” That reassured me even more lol. I also received swelling laser treatment at the clinic, then endlessly repeated warm compresses and walks at home.
They said you have to wait until three months after rhinoplasty to know whether it turned out well or badly. Now that I’m at three months, I was worried about a step deformity, a possible disadvantage of using no implant, but it is barely visible and the tip is nicely slim, so I’m satisfied. I’m still caring for the costal cartilage scar with scar ointment, and it seems much lighter than three months ago.
In conclusion, my friends and family say it looks natural, so if I don’t tell them, they can’t really tell I had rhinoplasty; they just say I look prettier. I was most afraid of having a face where only the nose stood out, so I’m very relieved. It’s fascinating how one nose can control a person’s whole impression.