I'm getting rhinoplasty ! Can anyone give me some tips?

Before rhinoplasty, you may need to:

Avoid certain medications. Avoid medications containing aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) for two weeks before and after surgery. These medications may increase bleeding. Take only those medications approved or prescribed by your surgeon.

If you smoke, stop smoking. Smoking slows the healing process after surgery.

Make arrangements for the day of the surgery. For the first 24 hours after sedation, you may have lapses of memory, slowed reaction time and impaired judgment. Therefore, arrange for someone to drive you home if you're having an outpatient procedure. Also, arrange for a family or friend to stay with you a night or two to help with personal care tasks as your recover from surgery.

Rhinoplasty is usually done inside the nose. The surgeon readjusts the bone and cartilage underneath the skin. The surgeon usually makes cuts inside the nostrils. Sometimes he or she makes cuts in the septum between the nostrils. Then the surgeon separates the skin from the underlying bone or cartilage and mucous membranes, and follows a series of steps to cut, trim or build up (augment) the nasal bone or cartilage.

The surgeon can augment the nasal bone or cartilage in several ways, depending on how much needs to be added, the structure of the nose and available materials. For small changes, the surgeon may use cartilage harvested from deeper inside the nose or from the ear. For larger requirements, the surgeon can use implants or bone grafting. Bone grafting is a procedure in which bone material (the graft) is inserted into another bone (the host bone) to enhance the host bone.

Rhinoplasty requires local or general anesthesia, depending on the complexity of the surgery and your surgeon's preferences. Discuss with your doctor beforehand which kind of anesthesia is best in your case.

Local anesthesia. This type of anesthesia is usually used in an outpatient setting and is limited to a specific area of your body. Your doctor injects the pain-numbing medication into your nasal tissues and sedates you with medication injected through an intravenous (IV) line. This makes you groggy but not fully asleep.

General anesthesia. You receive this type of anesthesia by inhaling it or through an IV line — a catheter placed in a vein in your hand, neck or chest. General anesthesia affects your entire body and induces a temporary state of unconsciousness.

After the surgery, you will be in a recovery room, where the staff monitors you for any complications. You might leave later that day or, if the procedure is done in a hospital, you might stay overnight.

After the procedure

After the surgery you need to rest in bed with your head raised higher than your chest, to reduce bleeding and swelling. Your nose may be congested because of swelling or from the cotton packed inside your nose during surgery. In most cases, the dressings remain in place for one to seven days after surgery. Your doctor also tapes a splint or plaster cast to your nose for protection and support. It's usually in place for about one week.

Slight bleeding and drainage of mucus and old blood are common for a few days after the procedure or after removing the dressing. Your doctor may place a "drip pad" — a small piece of gauze held in place with tape — under your nose to absorb drainage. Change the gauze as directed by your doctor.

To further decrease the chances of bleeding and swelling, your doctor may ask that you follow these precautions for several weeks after surgery:

Avoid strenuous activities such as aerobics and jogging.

Don't swim.

Don't blow your nose.

Avoid foods that require heavy chewing.

Avoid large facial expressions, such as smiling or laughing.

Brush your teeth gently to limit movement of your upper lip.

Wear clothes that fasten in the front; don't pull clothing, such as shirts or sweaters, over your head.

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n addition, don't rest eyeglasses or sunglasses on your nose for at least four weeks after the surgery, to prevent pressure on your nose. You can use cheek rests, or tape the glasses to your forehead until your nose has healed.

Also, avoid exposing your skin to the sun for two to three months after surgery. Too much sun may cause permanent irregular discoloration in the skin of your nose.

Some temporary swelling, black-and-blue discoloration of your eyelids and numbness can occur for two to three weeks after nasal surgery. Rarely, this may last up to six months, and subtle swelling may take a year to resolve entirely. Ice packs or cold compresses can help reduce swelling and discoloration around your eyes.

Because of the slow healing process, you might not see the final results of your surgery for up to a year.

Here are a couple of good sites. Good luck with the surgery.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/rhinoplasty/MY004...

http://www.aafprs.org/patient/procedures/rhinoplas...

I honestly don't think there's anything at all bad about your nose. It's a fine shape. I think if you're depressed and you're crying about your nose. It could be psychological and down to other reasons. I'm not patronising you or trying to analyse you because I know how it feels to be unhappy with a part of yourself. It's really not an unattractive nose. If you did get surgery, I don't see how they could really 'improve' it because it already looks fine to me. Once you're at the top, the only way you can go is down. What if it went wrong? Sorry if I sounded patronising or anything. I do hope you feel better about yourself soon. I've been through it myself. Take care, Gina xxx