After thinking about revision rhinoplasty for almost more than 2 years, I finally had it done. My first rhinoplasty wasn’t a complete failure, but as time passed, the bridge of my nose gradually started to look crooked, and the tip felt more droopy than right after surgery, so it was pretty stressful Especially whenever I saw photos others took of me, the asymmetry showed more clearly, so I even developed a fear of cameras.....
This time, I was determined to be done with my nose no matter what!!!!!! A third surgery was absolutely not an option, so I went to consultations at several places, thought about using autologous costal cartilage, and then decided.
Honestly, autologous costal cartilage scared me too, but since it was a revision surgery and I also needed correction of a crooked nose, I did it with the thought that a stable material would be better.
The surgical direction prioritized correction of the crooked nose most of all, and although I didn’t want it to be raised too excessively, I still wanted it to look somewhat defined and sophisticated, so I requested a natural result with a slightly more glamorous feel. My personal ideal look isn’t extremely glamorous either, but I like a moderately glamorous face (kind of that Chinese-girl vibe...🖤)
I don’t remember the day of surgery very well because everything was hectic, but when I woke up from anesthesia, I think the chest area (the rib cartilage harvest site) was more uncomfortable than my nose. A slightly stiff feeling when breathing? Still, it wasn’t unbearable.. I see everyone say this in reviews of rhinoplasty with autologous costal cartilage, and I agree... Anyway, it’s definitely manageable enough~ And I think I could endure it any number of times to become prettier. With any cosmetic surgery, no matter how hard it is, you usually just need to get through about 3 days!
And I think the day I got the splint removed after a week was the most nerve-racking. Until the splint came off, I couldn’t see it properly, so I was going back and forth by myself like, what if it failed, no, I think it went well, and my appearance anxiety was legendary. But the moment it came off, what I felt was: why is there less swelling than my first surgery? And the crooked feeling is definitely gone!!!!!!!!! They told me there was still a lot of swelling, but why am I already satisfied and why does it look pretty now; I was surprised because there was less swelling than I expected. It didn’t feel completely finished yet, but in the taxi on the way home, I was so satisfied with my nose that I took photos and showed it off...! Just having it look centered already makes me happy....
Now it’s been 2 weeks, and I tried putting on makeup for the first time! The tip of my nose still feels firm and blunt, but they said this will soften with time anyway, so I’m waiting. Instead, the side profile is better than I expected, so I feel a little relieved every time I look in the mirror.
The inconvenient parts are that I still can’t smile widely, and I have to be careful with my nose when doing makeup or washing my face? Also, of course, when I touch my nose, it feels hard and foreign. Since this was revision surgery, they said that feeling lasts longer, so I’m trying to let go of expectations.
It’s still too early to judge the result, so I’m cautious..... But since the crooked part that stressed me out the most has improved a lot, I’m satisfied so far. I also really worried a lot about having rhinoplasty with autologous costal cartilage. If there are people considering revision surgery like I was, I think the most important thing is not to decide too hastily, but to get lots of consultations and find the method that fits your own situation. I hope everyone has a successful rhinoplasty! 🖤