Laura's Rhinoplasty Story

As part of our Changing Perceptions series, we spoke with Laura, a 24-year-old nurse and MYA patient from Newcastle who underwent rhinoplasty at our Preston hospital.

In the recent study by MYA Cosmetic surgery exploring the perceptions of cosmetic surgery, patients like Laura shared their stories and reasons for having a cosmetic procedure.

Over three-quarters of those studied said they could relate to Laura’s story and understood her decision to have rhinoplasty. In addition 1 in 4 people admitted to having wrongly judged people in the past, purely for having cosmetic surgery.

“As young adults, I think there is pressure for us to embrace our flaws, just as there is to dislike them; I tried every day to change the way I negatively perceived myself and not let it change the way I lived my life, but it did.”

“I had disliked my nose for as long as I can remember. I have clear memories of feeling very self-conscious at school and I struggled a lot with low self-esteem and a lack of confidence all through my teens.

As a nurse, I have an extremely people-focused job and although I wasn’t looking for approval from anyone at work, on social media or even in my relationship, I just wanted to feel comfortable in my own skin.”

“I began researching cosmetic surgery properly at the age of 20. I knew that surgery was going to be the best option for me and so went for consultations with two different companies.

Meeting both my patient coordinator, Julie and my surgeon Dr Giannitrapani at MYA Cosmetic Surgery instantly put me at ease, their knowledge made me feel really comfortable and they ensured my mind and expectations of what surgery could achieve for me were realistic before I booked in for the actual surgery.”

“Having surgery has made me so much happier, but it is definitely not a quick fix that it is sometimes seen as - and definitely not something I took lightly.”

“I would urge anyone considering surgery to think carefully about all options and outcomes and decide what's best for them as an individual. It is a total physical and mental journey that you need to be fully prepared for.”

“I was sure I was doing the right thing but that didn’t make me any less apprehensive about the outcome. I trusted my surgeon 100% but still, it was someone changing my face.

I was slightly worried about the recovery process and what I’d look like - but having two of the blackest eyes I’ve ever seen for a few weeks was worth it in the end.”

“I think cosmetic or 'plastic' surgery, in general, is given a bad name. Immediately people seem to think of vanity - I didn’t have surgery to become a model or take better selfies, I had it to feel comfortable doing my food shopping and going to work without this dark cloud of low self-esteem hanging over me!

“Surgery should never be to please anyone other than the person getting it. My family and boyfriend were so supportive and knew I had to do this for myself and I have absolutely no regrets."

“I do have other insecurities (who doesn't!) but nothing that affects my day to day life as much as this did - and that’s the point, isn’t it?”

Laura’s surgeon at MYA Cosmetic Surgery explains,

“Changing your appearance for whatever reason is a big decision and part of my job is to make sure patients have all the information they need, as well as clear and realistic expectations of the achievable results - in order to make a well-informed decision.

 Around 5.5% of our patients who come in for an initial consultation actually proceed to have the surgery. Throughout each patient journey, diligent checks are in place to assess mental health, as well as pre-existing conditions - to ensure that the patient’s long-term health and wellbeing will benefit as a result of surgery.”

 You can find further information on Rhinoplasty and Nose Reshaping surgery on our site here, along with before and after photos, and FAQ’s.

To hear more of our patient stories as part of our Changing Perceptions series, keep up to date with the blog here and visit the Patient Stories section of our site here.