Rhinoplasty Before Your Wedding

You’ve dreamed of having a perfect, storybook wedding. Now, the big day is just a few months away and you’re in the midst of plans. While some aspects of wedding planning can be left until just a month or so before the big event, others should be taken care of as soon as possible. If one of your pre-wedding goals is to have rhinoplasty, the sooner you have it, the better.

Deciding on Surgery

There are a number of factors that go into deciding to have rhinoplasty. While the surgery might be something you’ve wanted since you were in your teens, you still want to carefully weigh the pros and cons of having it and evaluate whether or not it’s really the right thing for you before you go forward.

A consultation with a facial plastic surgeon who specializes in rhinoplasty is the first step. You might consider booking your consultation almost immediately after you say “yes” to your fiance’s wedding proposal, so that you have plenty of time to consider your options. That’s not really necessary, only make sure that you give yourself 10 weeks or so to heal prior to your big day.

During the consultation, you’ll let the surgeon know what you’d like changed about your nose and he or she will let you know if those changes are possible. He or she will examine your nose and let you know what types of changes will give you a nose that best matches the rest of your face. For example, the doctor might recommend lifting a tip that droops or narrowing the bridge of the nose. Computer images of your current nose and of what your nose can look like after surgery will help you both see if you are on the same page in terms of what you can and can’t get from rhinoplasty.

Along with making sure your expectations are realistic, your surgeon will review your current health and any medications you’re taking. Being in good health is as important as understanding what the surgery can and can’t do for you. If you have a medical condition that makes the surgery off limits, your surgeon might recommend waiting until after your wedding, if your condition will be under control by that point, or might recommend another option, such as non-surgical rhinoplasty.

Talking to Your Fiance

Having your fiance’s support when you’re having rhinoplasty is a must. You’re about to start a new life together; it will be difficult to hide the fact that you’ve recently undergone surgery in preparation for it. Talk to your fiance about your decision. You can let him or her know why you’ve decided to have the surgery and why you want to have it now, instead of after the wedding.

Your fiance might have some concerns about the procedure or about you changing the way you look. Listen to his or her concerns and address them. If your fiance is for the most part of supportive of your decision, but still nervous about the idea, it can be a good idea to have him or her attend the consultation with you. He or she can offer feedback on the computer imaging and can ask the surgeon any questions about the procedure.

Scheduling

Once you’ve decided to go forward with the surgery, the big question is: when do you schedule it? Usually, the further out from your wedding, the better. Although you will look normal (and better) again just a couple of months after the rhinoplasty, it’s usually a good idea to schedule it no later than three months before your wedding day. By that point your nose will most likely look the way it’s going to look.

Scheduling your rhinoplasty at least three months in advance not only gives your nose ample time to heal, it also gives you time to really plan your wedding without the idea of surgery looming over you. Getting the surgery out of the way means you have one less thing to think about in the hustle and bustle of wedding planning.

On top of that, the downtime you have in the first few weeks after the rhinoplasty can be a great opportunity to focus on planning your wedding. Take advantage of that first week of recovery to flip through wedding magazines or browse wedding sites, looking for your ideal dress or picking out the dresses for your bridesmaids. It’s also a great time to start planning the guest list and to figure how many people you want at your big day.

If you are getting ready to say “I do” but would like to change the size or shape of your nose first, contact Dr. Jeffrey Epstein, a double board certified facial plastic surgeon who specializes in rhinoplasty. Dr. Epstein can answer the questions you and your fiance have and help you choose a date for surgery that works best for the date of your wedding. He sees patients in both New York City and Miami. For a consultation in NYC, call (212) 759-3484. For an appointment in Miami, call (305) 666-5885 today.