BY LISA WILLIAMS
Though my nose is perfectly straight and sits well proportioned on my face, the somewhat bovine curve at the bottom bothered me. Not the curve, per se, but a childhood memory related to it.
When I was about six, my mother casually mentioned my nose looked like Miss Piggy’s—which, in itself, is not a bad thing to say except no woman wants to grow up to resemble a porcine cartoon character. A few months later, forgetting all about her comment and the fact that I have a spectacular memory, she said, “Miss Piggy has a really ugly nose.” This caused an unintentional scar that remained on my psyche; I would never pose for pictures in profile. I was convinced it wasn’t my best face forward. However, I am a real coward when it comes to surgery. The furthest I have gone in my foray into the medical world was a blood test for my annual health screen.
Hence, my dilemma.
Jumping into the deep end
When I found out about non-surgical options for lifting and shaping my nose, my interest was piqued. But my fear of needles still kept me at bay. It wasn’t until Jesyn, a colleague of mine came into work sporting plasters over her nose that finally tipped me over the edge. Turns out, I wasn’t the only one having ‘nasal insecurities’. She had a 3D nose lift performed by Dr Low Chai Ling at SW1 Clinic. When the plasters came off, she loved her results and so did I. I knew then I was ready to take the plunge.
Making up my mind was the easy part, I discovered. Securing an appointment for a 3D nose lift at SW1 Clinic however was the difficult part. After multiple attempts at trying to jump the long waiting list for an immediate appointment (lest I chicken out again), I finally settled on an appointment about 3 weeks away.
The highly anticipated treatment day finally arrived. I surprised myself by not chickening out. Seeing Jesyn every day at work with her newfound confidence and beautified nose did play a part.
The Technique
3D Nose Lift is a specialized non-surgical nose lifting and sculpting treatment, so named because it comprises of three integral parts: (1) using dissolvable threads that will stimulate a supporting matrix of your own collagen to grow to lift your nose naturally (yay!) (2) using dissolvable threads & fillers to lift the nose spine to elevate the nose tip (3) using revitalift fillers to highlight the brow tip aesthetic line.
Read more: Which is the best: Threadlift, Filler or Ultherapy?
Brow Tip Aesthetic Line
“Many people think that the nose begins at the nose bridge. In actuality, a beautiful nose comprises of the brow all the way down to the nasal tip” explains Dr Low. The brow tip aesthetic line is an imaginary curvilinear line that begins at the inner eyebrow and extends along the shadow of the bridge to the tip. Ideally, the brow tip aesthetic line should be a continuous curve that is not disrupted by unwanted shadows. Using fillers, the brow tip aesthetic line is enhanced, prettifying it in the same way one would with a cosmetic highlighter.
During the procedure, Dr Low’s gentle reassurances made me feel instantly at ease. I felt the pin pricks of the local anaesthetic administered to the tip of my nose, and I would say that was about as bad as it gets. Everything else was surprisingly tolerable. (Darn! I wished I realized this sooner, I thought to myself).
Immediately after the procedure, I was handed a mirror. I almost cried tears of joy! Gone was the ‘Miss Piggy’ nose, in its place was something I have always dreamt of— a sharper and more lifted ‘prototype’, and my heart skipped a beat! Before I could jump out of the bed to show off my new nose to the world (and kiss the doctor!), gentle hands were already busy taping my new nasal creation in a firm plaster bandage. Dr Low explained to me that it is possible to have bruising and swelling and that I should be wearing the tape overnight. I was slightly crestfallen that I could not paint the town red with my new nose, but was told that it was still slightly swollen and tender, and it was best for the nose to ‘settle down’ overnight.
Obediently, I obliged. The next morning, the first thing I did before anything else was to remove the tape on my nose. I was exhilarated to see my new nose— it was more defined and lifted, everything I had discussed with the doctor.
When I was contemplating this treatment, I thought long and hard about whether I would tell people. Considering just how successful Dr Low’s pursuit of a subtle change was and the lack of a scar, I could well have got away without revealing this indulgence to anyone but family. But I decided to come clean to avoid the lying and its complications. Anyhow I decided that to close friends and colleagues, it was easier to tell them what I had done. Considering that this was non-surgical, I felt more empowered lest anyone judges me either way.
I don’t think I’m ugly—far from it, I think I’m pretty attractive (and modest, as you can see). There is no doubt that looking good makes me feel good. At 33, I’m fitter than I have ever been.
Not for the pleasure of the male gaze, not for the pressure of perfection, I improve my body in these small ways because I want to. While I’m wary of ‘choice feminism’—not all choices women make are feministic simply by virtue of being women’s choices—my journey with my body is my own. I am individualistic; I do both, rebel against and participate in a variety of cultures. As does my body.
With the body, as with life, one must accept the things one cannot or does not want to change and change the things one cannot or does not want to accept. The goal, then, is to embrace it and transcend it; to enjoy it and worship it; to love it and let it go.
3D Nose Lift is available at SW1 Clinic. For more information, you may call them at 65-68178888
Read More: Forget Brows: Women Are Now ‘Thread’-Lifting Their Faces