I originally didn’t plan to write this, but I received a lot of help from this community, and I also can’t sleep, so I thought I’d write my removal review.
1. Reason The first time I started thinking that I wanted removal was when it had been exactly 5 years since my rhinoplasty, because that was when I first began to feel uncomfortable sensations. At the time, when I lay down, my nose felt heavy or tight, and I had similar uncomfortable sensations in daily life as well. I had read posts saying that silicone can cause side effects at any time, so I became extremely anxious, wondering if this might be a sign of side effects. As soon as I could, about a month after the abnormal sensation started, I visited the hospital where I originally had the surgery. However, because the nasal tip was soft and there were no visible problems at all, I was told it probably was not a side effect.
A few months after that, fluid accumulated around the nasal bridge for the first time. I didn’t notice it at the time, and I remember touching my nasal bridge after my older sister said my bridge looked unusually high that day, and it felt soft and cushiony. But it went down after a few days, so I didn’t pay much attention and let it pass. Looking back later, I realized that this had been fluid accumulation.
The full-on side effect came 1 year after that. One day, my nose suddenly started swelling rapidly. At first I thought it would naturally subside over time like before, but even after several days it did not go down at all, so I went back to the hospital where I had the surgery. At the hospital, they drained the swollen area with a needle, and the result was simply blood. The doctor said that if it were inflammation, it would come out white, but since it was blood, that was fortunate for the moment, and that we should watch whether it subsided. But even after that, it did not improve at all; rather, the speed at which blood kept accumulating became faster and faster. After having it drained about 4-5 times, I was under extreme stress and booked removal surgery.
2. Surgery I had the septal cartilage and silicone removed. (It was a complete removal.) The capsule was removed, and cartilage repositioning was not done. I didn’t want to touch my nose anymore, and I didn’t want to leave anything behind, so I simply had a complete removal only. Fortunately, I was told the condition of my nose was clean. Also, they ultimately could not find out why blood had pooled during the surgery. Based on what I later looked up and guessed, it seems there may have been a gap between the nasal bone and the silicone. I think blood kept filling that empty space. Even before surgery, I had no contracture or inflammation at all, and my nasal tip was very soft. Because of that, the surgery could be completed relatively easily.
3. Recovery At first, my nose was very hard, and I couldn’t even blow my nose, but at some point it became soft again. The blood pooling also disappeared. I’m not sure about nostril show/lifting or contraction. I was especially worried about lifting after septal cartilage removal, but I didn’t really feel it. Maybe because the inside of my nose was in relatively decent condition, recovery also seems to be going well. However, maybe because the previously incised area was incised once more, I think the scar at the incision site will remain permanently. During my first surgery, the scar was barely visible, but this time I think it will remain somewhat clearly even as time passes.
4. Lastly, some people say they feel a great sense of loss after removing silicone. Looking at old photos, I also felt, “I didn’t know it back then, but a high nose really is pretty lol.” Since I originally had a low, blunt bulbous nose, it has almost returned to how it was. But I absolutely do not want to go back to before the surgery. I still don’t know whether implants always inevitably cause side effects. But at least now I know that the saying, “If you don’t get side effects within 1 year after rhinoplasty, you’ll take the silicone to your grave,” is false. Even if the early outcome is determined by the doctor’s skill, side effects can occur for any reason. They can happen for many reasons, such as bumping into something, accidentally getting hit, being stressed enough for immunity to drop, or being fatigued. After learning this, I suffered from extreme stress. It is also because I’m naturally a person who worries a lot. So even if my face is less pretty than before because of removal surgery, I prefer now, when I don’t have to worry about my nose. Even if there is an aesthetician at the dermatology clinic who handles my nose a little roughly, I don’t have to tense up.. lol Even if my nose gets a little red or I develop an abnormal sensation, I don’t have to pay more attention to it than necessary now.
The only cosmetic surgery I have ever had in my life is rhinoplasty. I had rhinoplasty and removal surgery, for a total of two surgeries. What I felt through this experience is that natural is best. Also, in the past, if I was obsessed only with external appearance, these days my perspective has changed a little. I still care a lot about appearance, but unlike in the past when I would diet by obsessing only over weight and starving myself, I now choose to exercise to build muscle and eat healthy meals every time, even if it takes a bit longer. Also, rather than being desperate to change my features through color makeup, I focus more on taking supplements, consuming collagen, and creating healthy skin. In this way, I have come to value being healthy both inside and out, and balance. Maybe because of that, even though my face may have become more plain, my mind is better than before. I also realized that although plastic surgery may help with self-esteem or overcoming complexes, ultimately it is a matter of mindset.
5. Thank you for reading this long post. I completed my removal surgery well, but I don’t think that just because mine went well, there is any guarantee that it will definitely go well for others too. This is because the degree of manipulation during each person’s rhinoplasty and their condition are all different. Also, because I have seen some reviews where people fell into deeper depression after removal, I really cannot rashly recommend removal surgery. However, I hope this review will be helpful to those who think that even if their face becomes less attractive than when they had rhinoplasty, they would still be okay with undergoing removal surgery.
*I don’t come into the community often, so I may be slow to reply. But I will try to answer as much as possible.
Like 15