This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCF chapter.
From the age of eleven, I knew I wanted to have a nose job. While all of my other features were pretty balanced, it seemed like my nose stuck out and screamed for attention. I felt like people saw my nose before they saw anything else about me, and by the time I finished my freshman year of college, I was pretty sick of it. Here’s a look at my nose at the time, just so you can have an idea of what I was dealing with:
Nicole Wills
I knew I wanted to do something about my nose, but the thought was so intimidating. The internet is crawling with negative opinions on plastic surgery, and doing research into the prospect of a nose job meant that I had to read a lot of those negative opinions. It took the advice of my mom to convince me I was making the right decision. She asked me if I would apply makeup to my nose every day if I knew it would make it look straight. I said that I would, and she pointed out that if I was willing to do that, why not make a permanent change? That advice stuck with me, and within a few weeks, I had chosen my doctor and set the date for my surgery.
On May 23, 2017, I walked into my doctor’s surgery suite with my old nose and walked out with a new one (actually, I was wheeled out with a splint on my nose, but you get the picture)! I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t have anywhere near a high tolerance for pain, but to be completely honest, my recovery was pretty much a breeze. Despite the fact that my doctor had to break my nose to remove the hump, I barely bruised. Funnily enough, the most trouble I had was a sore throat from the breathing tube that was used during my surgery. After about a week, I went back to see my doctor and have my splint removed. This is what it looked like:
Nicole Wills
I’m not afraid to admit that I cried happy tears upon seeing my new nose on my face — a nose that didn’t stand out or make me feel embarrassed to turn my head to the side while talking. Is plastic surgery the right option for everyone? Definitely not. But my nose job changed my life for the better, and I can honestly say that it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’m relieved that I ignored the stigma associated with plastic surgery, and I hope that if you’re considering it yourself, you won’t write it off just because of the insanely negative connotation it carries. Do what makes you happy — I’m so glad I did!
If you have any questions about rhinoplasty or want advice on the matter, feel free to send me a message on Instagram!
Nicole is a graduate of the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in advertising/public relations, a Bachelor of Arts in political science, and a minor in writing & rhetoric. She has been involved with Her Campus for four years and served as the editor-in-chief of the UCF chapter for two years. She's a lover of 80s music, horror movies, and the Oxford comma. If she's not hanging out with her cat, Stevie — named after Stevie Nicks for obvious reasons — she's probably at a theme park. If you want to follow her on social media, you can find her on Instagram, Twitter, and at her blog: nicoleelisabeth.com!
