A 36-year-old California woman is walking around with a severe case of buyer’s remorse after her nose job turned out to be a disappointment.
Wendy Macias, who has always been self-conscious about her sniffer, traveled to Mexico earlier this year for a procedure that set her back $6,640. However, she says she began saving for a reversion immediately afterwards.
Highlights
- Wendy Macias regrets her $6,640 nose job, saying it caused her pain and deep depression.
- The 36-year-old described severe discomfort, emotional turmoil, and a lingering mirror phobia.
- Macias warned others to research thoroughly and avoid rushed decisions influenced by insecurity.
She says the operation left her in a deep depression and warned others of the psychological impact of changing one’s appearance.
Wendy Macias’ self-consciousness started at the age of 5, when her brothers teased her about her nose
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From the age of 5, her nose was a subject of humor among her brothers, who dubbed her “Narizona,” which means “big-nosed girl” in Spanish.
More than three decades later, she would take action to obliterate her siblings’ favorite talking point by setting a date for a rhinoplasty.
She drove to Tijuana, Mexico, and had the procedure done on May 7.
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The results were not immediately visible due to the bandages and swelling, but her surgeon planned around this when he took before and after pictures.
She says she was immediately regretful when she saw the images
“Upon seeing my table pictures for the first time, I immediately realized I had made a huge mistake,” she said in an interview with the Daily Mail.
“My nasal bridge had been made too sloped for my preference. I didn't want an upturned, fairy cutesy nose,” she explained.
“I wanted a subtle, straighter curve and for the tip to be parallel to the ground when I smiled.”
She further noted that to add insult to injury, the pain from the unsatisfactory results kept her out of sleep, robbed her of the pleasure of eating, and made breathing a task.
The pain she endured while healing exacerbated her sense of regret
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“I was so sleep deprived, bruised and swollen. My mouth was severely dry all the time,” she recalled.
She noted that even pursing her lips for a straw hurt and that opening her mouth for a bite became a scary prospect for the fear of tearing her healing incisions.
“It felt like paper cuts on your nose. I could only open my mouth a little. I had only soups and smoothies and tons and tons of water and tea.”
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“I would wake up in the middle of the night ... It was so uncomfortable because I couldn't move my nose or mouth very much,” she elaborated.
“The first five days I constantly had blood and snot in my throat and had an incredibly dry throat all the time. It was absolutely disgusting. I do not recommend it.”
The psychological effect on Macias was as pronounced
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“I started to unknowingly fall into a deep post op depression,” Macias shared. “I cried for a week straight. I was so wildly sad,” she said, which prevailed despite her loved one’s attempts at consoling her.
“My loved ones would console me and call me beautiful over and over. I would just shake my head and fervently say, ‘Thank you but I don’t believe you.’ I felt like I had ruined myself with all my heart. I felt so ugly.”
Contributing to her mental state was guilt, as she felt “deeply ashamed of herself for giving in to societal standards.”
The 36-year-old says she still struggles to look in mirrors
Macias’ tryst with the scalpel down in Mexico has made her something of an expert in the importance of accepting one’s nose.
“A nose job is an incredibly profound change to the physical, mental and emotional state of one's being.”
“Your brain will also reject your reflection and make it appear more warped than it might be so you can clear your face of foreign objects. I couldn’t look at myself without shaking my head in regret.”
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“I still can't look at mirrors from a far away distance to this day.”
“Know the risks,” she warned, “there are many”
“Do not rush, do not make decisions while you aren't emotionally stable,” she warned the world at large.
“Talk to your loved ones about it. You don’t have to feel alone. Surgeons will not advertise bad work. Don't rely only on social media for their work.”
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“Scour the internet for their name and look for bad reviews. Take your time to craft what you desire your nose to look like in a program if you can. Know the risks. There are many!” she said.
Despite her philosophical ruminations, she is unwilling to bear the blame alone.
Macias blamed her doctor, saying: “He did not go over the repercussions of how I can react afterwards. He hadn’t informed me about the possibility of post op depression.”
Some think Macias is overreacting
