Sick of my nose

[exhaustedstudent]

I've never been happy with my nose for as long as I can remember being conscious of my appearance. I am of mixed ethnicity, with half of that being Middle Eastern so it's hardly surprising I don't have a tiny little white girl nose. I grew up in a very white area of Sydney so I do question my own perception of my nose because I have had the requisite mean comments/bullying over the years which have probably shaped my own opinions.

Having said that, I have definitely had various trauma to the area over the years and definitely have a deviated septum. Unsure whether this is genetic (my mother also has it but it doesn't affect the symmetry of her nasal bridge like it does mine) or caused by accidents while growing up (I am very clumsy and tend to fall over/bash into things a lot, and there was also one time when my cousin threw a hard plastic toy at my face which I remember hurting a lot but didn't cause any bleeding.)

Anyway, I have always wanted to get my nose fixed. Over the years I have come to accept the size (I actually like the fact that it's an ethnic marker, and I think it looks pretty in profile) but it's so messed up and asymmetrical from a front on view. I have also been experiencing a lot of breathing and congestion problems which is unpleasant to say the least.

Earlier this year I decided to actually see an ENT about it so got a referral from my GP and had a consultation. He was very nice and confirmed my congestion and that my septum is deviated, but recommended I be allergy tested and try some decongestants. I have tried some of that, I know I am developing allergies, but I also really want some cosmetic solution. I have watched so many of those shows about botched plastic surgery which makes me nervous because I don't want to change my face completely, I just want the best version of MY nose. I would like it to be straight and symmetrical and I guess more defined at the bridge and nostrils from front on?

I have booked another appointment with the ENT for next week to discuss my options. I don't have private health cover and am a student so not in a position to pay a lot of money, so would be looking at the public health system.

The other thing is that I objectively don't have the best, most accurate view of myself. I had severe eating disorders for many years starting in childhood so I'm prone to overanalysing/seeing fault where there is very little. This makes me scared of pursuing cosmetic surgery as well because I question how noticeable something is from my subjective viewpoint vs what others objectively see. I want help without someone trying to convince me that I am even worse than I originally thought.

I guess I just want some input to see if anyone with similar concerns has had good outcomes through surgery, and from whom; or if anyone has been in a similar position and not gone ahead with it/why?

[imperfectly_lou]

Hi exhaustdstudent... It sounds like you have really thought this through and it certainly can't hurt to get a few opinions.

There was a recent episode of Botched where a girl with a Persian background had rhinoplasty with a poor outcome and she had it redone and stated she wanted her ethnic nose back as it was what suited her and made her feel part of her family. She had a good result.

If if you have breathing issues etc, you should be able to have a septoplasty through the public system although you may have to wait awhile. But not full rhinoplasty, or at least, it's very unlikely. It's considered purely cosmetic except in cases of severe trauma etc which means it isn't even covered by private health. I did manage to get a very small amount of mine covered as yes, I've got breathing and sinus issues too. The majority of ENTs are not plastic surgeons either. Just make sure you get all that clarified with your doctor.

[BA&Rhino]

I have had similar issues to you - being bullied due to my nose deviating one way and as the tip droops and the bridge has a hump. Yes I have inherited the shape from both my mum and dad but the deviated septum is due to trauma (we think from the birth canal).

I also have suffered from an eating disorder in the past and can be somewhat self critical of my appearance however I have worked through my body image issues and this seems like the missing piece of the puzzle which I still would like to change for cosmetic and breathing reasons.

I would continue to think over your decision and don't rush into it. Talk to a plastic surgeon and that may help you understand the outcomes you can expect. Good luck!

[Sydguy]

On 12/2/2024 at 3:07 PM, exhaustedstudent said:

I've never been happy with my nose for as long as I can remember being conscious of my appearance. I am of mixed ethnicity, with half of that being Middle Eastern so it's hardly surprising I don't have a tiny little white girl nose. I grew up in a very white area of Sydney so I do question my own perception of my nose because I have had the requisite mean comments/bullying over the years which have probably shaped my own opinions.

Having said that, I have definitely had various trauma to the area over the years and definitely have a deviated septum. Unsure whether this is genetic (my mother also has it but it doesn't affect the symmetry of her nasal bridge like it does mine) or caused by accidents while growing up (I am very clumsy and tend to fall over/bash into things a lot, and there was also one time when my cousin threw a hard plastic toy at my face which I remember hurting a lot but didn't cause any bleeding.)

Anyway, I have always wanted to get my nose fixed. Over the years I have come to accept the size (I actually like the fact that it's an ethnic marker, and I think it looks pretty in profile) but it's so messed up and asymmetrical from a front on view. I have also been experiencing a lot of breathing and congestion problems which is unpleasant to say the least.

Earlier this year I decided to actually see an ENT about it so got a referral from my GP and had a consultation. He was very nice and confirmed my congestion and that my septum is deviated, but recommended I be allergy tested and try some decongestants. I have tried some of that, I know I am developing allergies, but I also really want some cosmetic solution. I have watched so many of those shows about botched plastic surgery which makes me nervous because I don't want to change my face completely, I just want the best version of MY nose. I would like it to be straight and symmetrical and I guess more defined at the bridge and nostrils from front on?

I have booked another appointment with the ENT for next week to discuss my options. I don't have private health cover and am a student so not in a position to pay a lot of money, so would be looking at the public health system.

The other thing is that I objectively don't have the best, most accurate view of myself. I had severe eating disorders for many years starting in childhood so I'm prone to overanalysing/seeing fault where there is very little. This makes me scared of pursuing cosmetic surgery as well because I question how noticeable something is from my subjective viewpoint vs what others objectively see. I want help without someone trying to convince me that I am even worse than I originally thought.

I guess I just want some input to see if anyone with similar concerns has had good outcomes through surgery, and from whom; or if anyone has been in a similar position and not gone ahead with it/why?

Did you end up doing any type of surgery