Jazmin is in her mid-20s and works as a fashion stylist in Los Angeles, CA. She got non-surgical rhinoplasty from cosmetic surgeon Alexander Rivkin, MD, of Westside Aesthetics. The following story was told to Alix Tunell and edited for length and clarity.
I have a very Italian-Jewish nose with a bump that I've never liked, but I’m terrified to go under anaesthesia and have an actual surgery, so I just kind of accepted that I'd have to live with it. I didn't know the temporary nose job even existed; I stumbled upon it when I was looking for a doctor to do my lip injections last year.
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I'm really anxious when it comes to procedures and anything medical, but the staff at Dr. Rivkin's office was so comforting and made me feel at home. While I was in the waiting room, I saw before-and-afters of the non-surgical nose job he does and I was like, Oh my gosh, what is this?!
Dr. Rivkin told me I was the perfect candidate for it since I'd just need a little bit of filler to make my nose look straighter and more symmetrical. I was nervous about the pain and the downtime, since I work in the fashion industry and this was during awards season, but he told me it was quick and easy and I'd be able to go to work the next day. So, at the last minute, I decided to do it. I went for the Voluma fillers, which cost $1,500 (£1,200) and last for about a year or two, as opposed to the permanent option, Bellafill. [Ed. note: The average cost of rhinoplasty in 2016 was $5,046 (£4,037), but can cost as much as $16,000 (£12,800) for a skilled doctor in major cities.]
He rubbed on numbing cream and 20 minutes later, I was completely numb and just felt a tiny, tiny little pinch when he stuck the needle in. I'd compare it to eyebrow waxing — uncomfortable and not the greatest feeling in the world, but not painful. All in all, it was just a couple of pokes — he just stuck the needle in at the top, then he did a little bit at the bottom of my nose to lift it, then sculpted and shaped the filler with his hands. It was an instant result. With surgery, you have to wait months and there's swelling and bruising, but he literally fixed my nose in five minutes. I was so stoked; it was magical. He told me not to wear heavy sunglasses for a week or two and to make an appointment to come in two weeks later to check that it was to my liking.
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The healing process was so minor, and it was actually probably worse for me because I have this rare condition called cold-induced urticaria, which means I'm allergic to cold and can't use ice on my skin. That's why I had a little bit of swelling and light bruising, but nothing anyone would notice or a good foundation and concealer couldn't cover.
I wasn't embarrassed to talk about it. My parents loved it and thought it looked so good and I think I posted photos on my Instagram. I mean, I work in fashion in L.A., so it's all about looks and appearances and first impressions — I've never been the type of person to be like, "No, I've never had anything done." If it's a safe procedure that makes you feel more confident, I'm all for it.
I hated my profile before and would never take photos from the side. And I took a lot of photos because I do a lot of styling with young Hollywood clients and attend events and post to social media, so I feel much more confident to do all that now. I also do a series on YouTube and I was always super insecure about my profile while filming, so now I can just focus on the project and not worry about standing a certain way.
The thing you have to realise with a non-surgical nose job, though, is that it's usually not going to be a crazy drastic result. You have to be realistic and understand that it's a subtle enhancement. No one came up to me and was like, "Oh my god, you got a nose job." People told me I looked good, but they didn't know that I'd done anything.
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I've had the fillers for about a year now and my nose still looks perfectly fine. I'll probably go in for a touch-up in a few months and do the permanent option because it looks so great and I really trust him to make it natural and work with my proportions.
I have so many friends who had surgical nose jobs and I feel like some of them could have just done the non-surgical option. It's such a great option that not many people know about. If you don’t want to deal with surgery and complications or risks, or you're afraid of going under, this is a good alternative.
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