Hi Susan - thanks for leaving a comment on my blog.Q: "I am writing you again because your comment on this thread about Dr. Li saying your nose would be wider was intriguing. I'm guessing that the composite photo pre-op wasn't able to show you this?"
A: No, it wasn't. The composite was only of my profile.
Q: "I'm concerned about how upper jaw advancement will change the look of my cheeks and nose from the front view, not just profile. Did you find that his prediction turned out to be accurate? It's hard to tell from the photos you've posted - your hair is different and there's swelling that makes it hard to compare - but would be great to get your personal take on the nose / cheek changes."
A: Yes, Dr. Li's prediction did turn out to be accurate. My nose has become slightly wider. See photo above showing day of brace installation vs. now. But I suspect I'm the only one that notices. Trust me, no one else stares at my face as much. LOL. I don't dislike the change, however, and quite frankly, I don't think much about it at all. Why? Because I believe it's not about any single feature. It's about proportions and balance. It's about adjusting what was misaligned/malfunctioning to make it function optimally, and as a by-product, make the features look more balanced. Does that make sense?
Now, about the cheekbones. Mine are slightly higher now. My favorite pair of sunglasses leave a slight indentation on my cheeks now while they never did before. That's the ONLY give-away.
Overall I think the thing you'll notice the most in the long run is that your facial features are more balanced and harmonious. For instance, in my case, I used to feel very self-conscious about my long and prominent chin. I felt like Jay Leno. Now when I see photos of myself I don't see any single feature jumping out at me.... they all kinda blend in and play well together.
Talk to your surgeon if any other questions nag at you. They've heard them all and will most likely have answers that would help put your mind at ease. Good luck! :)
Talk to your surgeon if any other questions nag at you. They've heard them all and will most likely have answers that would help put your mind at ease. Good luck! :)
8 comments:
Thanks so much for your blog! I'm scheduled to have jaw realignment surgery on September 3, and I'm so nervous! To top it off, my oral surgeon presented me with a choice at my last appointment. I can either have A) lower jaw surgery to correct an asymmetrical lower jaw, or B) both lower and upper jaw surgery, the upper jaw surgery not being orthodontically required, yet it may help me close my lips together (right now, they tend to hang open a bit when I'm not focused on shutting them).
From your experience, I'm wondering if you might have some advice regarding some of the
following concerns. I'm wondering to what degree you found that your lips thinned out. It doesn't appear to be drastic in your pictures. I'm concerned that my lips are already a tad asymetrical, and that if they are made thinner, this asymetry may actually show more. Were your lips at all asymetrical before the surgery?
I'm also told that they will only move the upper jaw up by about 3mm --does this seem like a pretty minimal amount? Would 3mm drastically shorten my face?
My surgeon initially seemed to encourage me to just do lower jaw
surgery, saying that I had a "balanced, pretty face" and that he would rather not mess with it. I certainly don't want to ruin my
looks, but it would be nice to close my mouth. I have a rather long face as it is, so I wouldn't think 3mm would make that much of a
difference. Oh dear, I'm rambling -- I'm just so nervous about this
decision!
Thanks for your wonderful blog -- it's very helpful to read about those who have already gone through it.
Thanks for your time!
Hey Kristen,
Your blog was key in my early days of making the decision about braces and jaw surgery.
Now I'm 6 days post-op and so happy about it! Thank you for all the info, the great pictures, and for personally responding to my nitpicky questions!
I'm swollen still, but in a totally different way than you :) Our noses both got the ski jump boost from the profile view, and mine looks a little piggy from the front. All that is just a pit-stop on the way to full recovery.
Thanks again. Brace Myself has a special place in my heart!
-Susan
Interesting article you got here. I'd like to read a bit more about that theme. Thanx for posting this material.
bracemyself.blogspot.com; You saved my day again.
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now. Keep it up!
And according to this article, I totally agree with your opinion, but only this time! :)
Do you have copy writer for so good articles? If so please give me contacts, because this really rocks! :)
I really like when people are expressing their opinion and thought. So I like the way you are writing
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