Frequently Asked Questions

Many of the comments that are left to me are often time the same questions. They are good ones, but sometimes it takes me a long time to respond as I am a full-time student and I can’t find the time to answer them in depth. So this post is to answer your FAQ’s in as much depth as I can answer.

Q: Who was your plastic surgeon?

A: Her name is Susan Lee Chobanian and she is located in the LA area. She’s the best in the business if you ask me!

Q: My nostrils don’t look even after the bandages came off. Is it to due uneven swelling?   Will it go away?

A: Yes. I believe there are two factors in this; 1, your nostrils were uneven to begin with but you never noticed because your nostril were not exposed prior to your nose job and 2, you likely have uneven swelling that exaggerates your uneven nostrils. We are not born with perfectly symmetrical faces. That includes our nostrils. Go back and look at old pictures of your nose and study the way your nostrils appeared. You will likely find that they were indeed uneven. The swelling just makes it obvious. I had a young girl point out that my nostrils were uneven early in my recovery when I was swollen. When my swelling went down and months passed, they looked more even and no one noticed any unevenness. If months pass and they still look very asymmetrical and you are unhappy, consult your PS and explore your other options.

Q: I just had my bandages removed and I look like a piggy! Will this go away?

A: From what I’ve seen, yes. Most people’s noses tend to turn up and swell in the beginning and then eventually un-swell and settle and look normal again. I didn’t have this experience. I had a droopy nose during swelling that eventually turned up over time. This is the way that my PS and I discussed my nose being, thus the nose she sculpted was designed to perk up. If yours wasn’t designed that way, then it should go down. If your PS messed up, I would see them again to find out what went wrong. Although if I had a PS who messed up, I’d pinch my pennies and find a skilled one to correct it.

Q: I had my nose done in the last month and I want to go to the beach. Is it okay?

A: Well, you won’t die if you go. I wouldn’t spend excess time under the sun after a nose job. I was told no sun for 6 months. If it is absolutely mandatory that you go, put lots of sunscreen on your face and nose and get a hat with a wide brim to completely provide shade for your face. Take a beach umbrella if you can and stay in the shade.

Q: When will the swelling go away?

A: It depends on how invasive your surgery was. If you’ve had your bridge and tip done and you had quite a bit of reshaping, at least one year. You’ll see lots of swelling disappear by 6 months, though. The rest of the time, you’ll see your nose just refine and change slightly. If you’ve not had much done, maybe 6-8 months. Everyone is different, though.

Q: Did you have a closed or open rhinoplasty?

A: I had a closed rhinoplasty. I didn’t need an open one so she decided that this would be the best way to do it. Also she prefers closed rhinoplasty’s so that is her particular style. This may not be true of some plastic surgeons.

Q: I hit my nose. Did I ruin my nose?

A: Probably not. If you grazed or tapped it, I’m pretty certain that you are fine. If you ran full speed into a wall, there’s a good chance you did ruin it. We all accidentally hit/tap/graze our noses when it’s in the cast so don’t worry too much. It’s really hard to ruin a nose job while it’s still in the cast so don’t worry too much. I would keep my nose away from children and babies, fyi. Be careful for the first few months and don’t put yourself in situations where you might hurt your nose. Hitting it in your sleep or accidentally grazing it won’t damage it.

That’s all that I can think of right now. I’ll add more if I remember anything else.