My Nose Job(s) Story

I have been heavily criticised in the past for preaching about body positivity following my cosmetic surgery. So I thought it was time to address those comments and elaborate on the matter. Here is my rhinoplasty story! (Complete with a few graphic images).

I was ten the first time I broke my nose. I’d just returned from visiting Santa and was frantically running around my grandparent’s house. I was wearing my favourite pair of flared skater jeans because I was convinced I was Scunthorpe's answer to Avril Lavigne. I tripped over the bottom of my jeans and head-butted the corner of a coffee table. It’s safe to say that that was the most painful thing I’d ever experienced, but I didn’t know it would change my face forever. A year later I fell off a chair in class and broke it again because it was already so weak. I had to have a second operation to try and correct the damage that I'd done but it didn't really do much good. At this point I'd given up hope of ever having a straight nose. My nose bent to the right and with a lot of cartilage missing, was noticeably deformed.

At around 13 I hit my face again and at this point my nose was so weak, the small impact sent me for another operation. Following this cast removal I spiraled into a horrible place of self-loathing. I refused to have my picture taken (unless it could be retaken a million times) and would not socialise and do the things other people were doing at my age. It really upsets me looking back to this time of my life, I wasn't having that fun childhood everyone else was because I was greatly affected by my appearance. 

(Aged 13: questionable hat choice, great chocolate choice)

In an attempt to reclaim my confidence I had my nose pierced at 17. This helped for a while, it made me feel I was somehow concealing my nose with a gold ring. But soon enough I realised that was just a quick fix and my appearance issues didn’t stay away for long. I had meetings with NHS surgeons, however I was told that unless I went to a private hospital, my appearance would not be considered when repairing my nose. This is because it would be classed as a cosmetic surgery and therefore would not qualify for the funding. However, when I was 19 my grandad told me that he would pay for me to have it fixed privately. Never in my life have I ever been as happy as that day and I don't think I could ever repay the generosity and kindness he showed me. 

A nose job may seem straight forward, but it was a very difficult process. After a few consultations I finally went under the knife. People always ask if I was nervous and say they could never do anything like that. But I wasn't nervous at all, I was ecstatic. It was all I had wanted for years and I was ready to face it head on.

I was in the operating theatre for five hours. When I woke up I could only see out of one eye as the other was swollen shut. I felt like there was a brick inside my head. After a night of being woken up every few hours for medication, I was allowed to go home and rest. But first I had to have gauze removed that was put up my nose during surgery. Now this really was incredibly painful and I am so glad my surgeon was kind and reassuring during this process. They literally just grab the end and yank it out and it honestly feels like its coming from your brain. But once that was over, my head felt a lot less like there was a brick in it and I was able to get some rest. 

(The next day)

What followed was a week of immense pain and a lot of straws. I couldn’t eat or sleep and it was an incredibly miserable time for me and those around me. After about ten days I went to have the cast and stitches removed. In order to gain access to the bone in surgery, your septum is cut, lifted up and later sewn back in place. So these were the stitches I had to get removed, and you can imagine how painful the removal of stitches was in such a sensitive area.

(After a week)

However, the minute I saw my new nose all the pain I’d endured seemed worth it. I immediately burst into tears as this was the first time I’d had a straight nose in ten years. After about six months to a year of being extra careful, my nose is better than ever. I am more than happy with my decision to have a nose job and I feel that because it was due to previous injuries, I should be free to promote body positivity. 

(Before the operation and after the cast removal)

This really was a difficult process and shouldn’t be decided upon without serious consideration of all the facts. If you are thinking of undergoing nose surgery feel free to message me for more information. I hope people can understand that I am not a fraud for celebrating self-love after cosmetic surgery because at the end of the day it wasn’t my choice. But even if it was, I believe that if something makes you feel better and will improve your quality of life, you should be able to do it and celebrate it. 

(Before the operation and a few weeks after)

Thanks for reading, again if you have any questions, ask away!

Rebecca x