My nose still feels a bit stiff even months later

Getting over the hump of just thinking about it

I spent way too many nights looking at before-and-after photos of guys with noses like mine. It wasn’t even just about the aesthetic, though that was a big part of it. My nose had this weird, noticeable bump that just felt like it was getting sharper as I got older. I kept telling myself it was fine, but then I started having these nights where I couldn’t breathe properly through one nostril, which usually happened when I was stressed or had a cold. I ended up visiting a clinic in Gangnam, somewhere near the subway exit, where the consultation felt surprisingly dry. The doctor didn’t talk much about changing my face, just about ‘realigning’ the septum. The quote I got was around 4.5 million won, which caught me off guard because I had mentally set my limit at maybe 3 million.

The day of the surgery and the immediate regret

I didn’t tell my parents, just said I was going to be busy with a project for a few days. The surgery itself is a blur. I remember the smell of the room and the sound of the machine, but then everything just went dark. When I woke up, the discomfort was instant. My nose felt like it had been crushed by a falling object, and I couldn’t stop the feeling that I had made a massive mistake. I had a splint on, and breathing through my mouth for three days straight was genuinely the most annoying thing I’ve dealt with in my life. The cotton packing inside my nose felt like it was pressing against my brain. I kept checking my watch, waiting for the time to pass, just wanting to be able to drink water normally without my ears popping constantly.

Trying to act normal at work

Going back to the office a week later was a weird experience. I had this bruising under my eyes that looked like I’d gotten into a fight at a bar. People would glance at me, look away, then glance back. I told them I had a minor septoplasty because of a deviated septum from an old sports injury. It’s a convenient excuse, even if only half of it was true. The swelling didn’t really go down as fast as the brochures claimed. They always show these photos where everything looks pristine by day ten, but in reality, I still had this weird tightness for weeks. I kept feeling like the bridge was too high or that I looked like someone else, but the mirror was just showing the same old me, just slightly rearranged.

The lingering questions about the results

It’s been about six months now. The bump is gone, and the breathing is definitely better, which I suppose is the success part of this whole ordeal. But sometimes, when I touch the tip, it still feels a bit unnaturally stiff. It’s not numb, but it doesn’t feel like mine, if that makes sense. I find myself wondering if I should have just left it alone and lived with the bump and the minor breathing issues. The doctor said the rigidity would eventually soften, but he’s been saying that since the first follow-up. I still catch myself looking at other people’s noses on the subway, comparing the way they move when they talk, wondering if mine looks just as artificial as I feel it does.

Thinking about what comes next

I don’t think I’d call it a regret, exactly, but it’s not the relief I was promised either. I spent a lot of money and a significant amount of my time sitting in waiting rooms, and honestly, the anxiety of worrying about ‘side effects’ like the implant showing through or the skin getting too thin takes up way more mental space than the actual nose ever did. I’m not sure if I’m truly satisfied or if I’ve just become accustomed to the new shape. It is what it is, I guess. I’m just glad I don’t have to go back to that clinic unless something goes wrong, though that fear is always sitting in the back of my head whenever I bump my nose against a door or a bag.