Is this normal or have I really screwed up my face?

[bbsadmin]

I don't know much about jaw surgery, but I have had other types of surgery and I know that sometimes it can take many weeks for ALL the swelling to totally go away.

For the record, I think your profile looks really nice now, especially your chin.

Give it more time. IMO, I agree with others that you are very pretty and I don't think this is having any negative effects on your looks, even with the slight swelling.

[bracedfaced]

shutmymouth, thank you for your posts! Don't be sorry, that's what this forum is for!

That being said, I honestly think you are starting to look like your old self again minus the underbite. Your top lip is definitely still swollen but I think once that goes down, you will feel the same.

Please keep on keeping us updated! Are you feeling better about your look now or no? You look so sad it your pics, I really hope you feel better about it soon.

[Laundraholic]

shutmymouth,

you're beautiful and your profile looks amazing! Any pics of how your profile used to look?

I went through the same thing yesterday (at 10 days post-op) about whether or not I made a big mistake... freaking out that this is my "final look". My swelling has come down a lot from Day 4, but my upper lip is still HUGE and sticking out and I felt like Priscilla Presley post botched plastic surgery (those pics that came out with her lips all huge and her skin all stretched too tight).

Although your swelling has come down tremendously from the original pic you posted vs the latest pics, but I can still see there's swelling so your final face is still a work in progress.

I've been on this board for over 3 years, and there have been other posts similar to this... where the poster will post a really nice picture of themselves pre-surgery (probably ones they really liked, usually with nice makeup) and the post-surgery pic is sans makeup and still swollen and therefore hard to judge whether or not "you made a mistake" as it's comparing apples to oranges.

I remember another post where someone posted pics I think at 3 months and then a year (it was a while ago so I can't remember the exact times) -- and even though by 3 months you'd think most of the swelling would have been gone the difference after one year was really remarkable. It was almost like the two pics were of sisters who looked really alike, but not of the same person. She posted the pics to let everyone know that the residual swelling CAN take a long time... I can't find that old post, but if I do I'll post it.

For the record from your most recent pics (with makeup)... you're even more beautiful!
I definitely don't think you screwed up your face

[hduggan]

I agree with bbsadmin - your profile looks really amazing.

My son was home for the first 4 weeks after surgery and by the end of that time, only his profile really looked good. From the front, his face just seemed puffy and out of proportion. By three months (when I next saw him) he looked really handsome from the front.

[shutmymouth]

Again thanks to all for the support.

As requested here is my profile picture from before.

[bracedfaced]

I whole-hearted believe you will look even better than you did before. Just give it time. I don't plan on assessing my own changes until 1 month post-op. Easier said than done as I am sure i'll be on here freaking at 1 week...i just know myself. Lol. But really, it's just your lip that looks goofy and its the same lip i've seen on so many others so early in their recovery. You're going to be stunning, i'm sure of it.

[bb]

I'm 1+ years post-surgery and looking back at my pictures, I was still swollen at 3 months, even though I thought that I wasn't and that this was my new face.
Give it time, your features are stunning and look beautiful together but you have the same swollen look that I had and that really does interfere with seeing how you'll look in the end.

[romancommander]

Hey, you should cheer up! You look really sad in your after photos. Its hard to compare the attractiveness of a happy before photo to a sad after photo. Wait until everything is better and then post up a beautiful smile. I am sure your surgeon did a great job!

[streo]

You are going from beautiful to stunning!

before: beautiful
after: stunning!

Hang in there...you have to heal.

[shutmymouth]

Exactly 1 month Post op:


I had makeup on for family easter get together. The picture was a little dark so I adjusted the brightness so you could see it


Taken this afternoon. I look so beat down. LOL. How about those under eye circles. I think the swelling is adding to this look for me.

IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/ ... heleft.jpg[/IMG] Man I cant wait until the nose relaxes some more. I love looking straight into my nostrils when I'm taking pics.

This is my bad side. The side with the most swelling


And the good side. The side with the least amount of swelling.

Does everyone still think i look swollen?

[shutmymouth]

I found out today that my doctor purposely bunched the tissue together in my upper lip to give me a fuller upper lip because upper jaw surgery usually thins out the upper lip and most people want a fuller upper lip. "More red" as he put it.

Did anyone else's doc do this? Is this SOP?

[bracedfaced]

Looking good! Loving your profile! Are you feeling better about your new look now?

I am not sure about the lip thing but hopefully someone else can weigh in.

[Carla]

Exactly 1 month Post op:


I had makeup on for family easter get together. The picture was a little dark so I adjusted the brightness so you could see it


Taken this afternoon. I look so beat down. LOL. How about those under eye circles. I think the swelling is adding to this look for me.

IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/ ... heleft.jpg[/IMG] Man I cant wait until the nose relaxes some more. I love looking straight into my nostrils when I'm taking pics.

This is my bad side. The side with the most swelling


And the good side. The side with the least amount of swelling.

Does everyone still think i look swollen?

Omg, you look so amazing! Congratulations, really

And like some have said, don't be so sad.. you really look sad in some photos. I don't understand why, because I'm not being polite when I say you really look great. If you feel so sad, maybe you should consider see a therapist? or someone you could talk to about all this journey? Dont be so sad.. it's hard, but now you're starting the see the real results.

Contratulations again

[hduggan]

Your profile is totally amazing, and your frontal view is catching up. I think you're going to look great by the time it's all finished.

[suzanna]

Do you have any before front shots without makeup where you're not smiling? It's hard to compare the afters because you look so sad!

My upper lip was still pretty swollen at the 3-4week point. I found it was the last part of my noticeable swelling that went away. You still look really puffy in the cheeks/around your nose, so don't judge how your face looks right now so harshly. It will keep changing every week as the swelling goes down. I'm 10.5 weeks post op and most of my swelling is gone now. I'm really happy with my results and can't wait to get these braces off. You're new profile looks great! And you look really pretty in the one month picture with makeup on, you're eyes pop out so much more after your surgery! I've gotten the same comments about my eyes too. And there was nothing wrong with your nose before, but I think it looks better now! It's really cute for a nose LOL