It’s already been over a month and a half since my removal, so I’m leaving a post to share my progress (photos deleted). The photos weren’t taken in the same place or from the same angle, so please keep that in mind..!!! From the left, it’s my original nose - surgical nose;;; - removal nose.
1. Shape. Did it return well to my original nose?: It has returned about 80% similarly. Until week 2, I thought it would look exactly like my original nose once the swelling went down, but from week 3, the contraction phase started and my nose lifted a little. It was lifted the most around weeks 4-5, and it started coming down little by little from this week. My nasolabial angle was originally a bit narrow, so even when it lifted, it wasn’t an extreme upturned pig nose,,, but I’m hoping it comes down more..!! It feels a bit awkward because the nostrils seem gathered toward the center and lifted. It looks a bit more lifted in the morning and comes down in the evening. I think my nose looks the prettiest before bed lol.. Looking at other people’s reviews, it seems to come down a lot around the 3-4 month mark, so I’m not too worried. Also, my hump was shaved down slightly, so at first it felt pressed down and square-ish + the nasal bridge looked broad and flat, but that is gradually improving too..! It feels like the bridge keeps getting narrower and rounder?
2. Pain From the day of removal until about a week later? my nose felt sore and hurt even if I just touched it! Until days 3-4, the throbbing feeling was strong, so I kept doing cold compresses. I think cold compresses help not only with swelling but also with pain. After a week, there wasn’t any pain that made me constantly notice my nose. Now it feels like I’m going through a similar recovery process as after rhinoplasty. As the nerves that were cut reconnect, I have a tingling sensation, and because scar tissue is forming in the nose + the wound is contracting, there’s a pulling feeling in my nose.
3. Function I didn’t have functional problems either when I had the surgery or when I had the removal. Maybe it’s because they didn’t touch my septum,, I did have some runny nose right after removal. But now I have no dryness, nasal congestion, runny nose, or anything like that at all. Thankfully.
4. Scar tissue Around week 3, scar tissue formed near the nostril incision area like a booger, but after applying scar ointment frequently for about a week, it got smaller. I think timing is important with post-surgical scar tissue. If you find scar tissue, apply ointment right away..! I bought Sidmool Scar Care Gel and Scanon (pharmacy) and am applying them alternately. And I can feel a little scar tissue at the left nasal tip. It isn’t noticeable to the naked eye, but when I touch it with my hand, I can feel it clump up and loosen, so I’m watching the progress. As long as it doesn’t get bigger, I’m thinking of just leaving it alone.. Scar tissue injections scare me too
5. Reactions around me Except for close people who know I had rhinoplasty, like my parents, boyfriend, etc., no one noticed whether I had surgery or had it removed. After rhinoplasty, for 4 months I only went between work and home and didn’t meet anyone, then I met friends recently, but no one noticed what had changed. My mom says it just looks like my original nose. Even when I keep saying it looks a bit lifted, she just says it’s my nose lol.. I’m relieved.
6. About healing my anxiety.. Like many people here who are considering removal, I was also at the terminal stage of anxiety before removal. Contracture, dents, functional problems, collapse, etc. I kept imagining every worst-case scenario, like what if I can’t go back to my original nose, or what if choosing removal after long deliberation turns out to be a bad move, and I was eating away at myself. But after removal, 90% of that anxiety healed. My mind feels so much more at ease. The remaining 10% is still recovering together with my nose.. Removal doesn’t show its result immediately either, and my nose shape changes every day, so I’m keeping a close eye on it, but still, compared to before removal, my mind is so! much! more comfortable.
The hospital information and surgery history are all in my previous posts! I’m hoping time passes quickly so my nose fully recovers and I can stop thinking about it completely….