Metal Mouth Message Board

It’s been 11 weeks since I have upper/lower/genio and tubinectomy done for OSA – and I look completely different and having a hard time accepting it! But I think I am just being hard on myself and need to learn to adjust to the new me.

My face is shorter, my chin is more pronounced, my bottom jaw is wider, my lips are more fuller and my nose is wider as well. But nothing suits me atm. The way I did my makeup before does not suit me now – so I have to learn a new way of doing it. My hair doesn’t suit my face shape, so I have to get that cut… The things I didn’t even think of before.

I also think I look more ‘wrinkled’ than before. But I don’t know if that’s because I was swollen for so long and just need it all to ‘settle’ – still some swelling in my cheeks and jaw.

People are telling me to just be patient, it needs to settle… I had one person told me they didn’t like my eyes and another said they looked prettier. Ironic really as the eyes are the one thing they didn’t touch.

So I don’t know if I am just being my worst critic or not.

I also think it doesn’t help that I have a fullness and some hearing loss in my ears since the surgery which is bringing me down. (I am having surgery tomorrow to insert grommets)

So are these feelings normal?

Yeah, adjusting is...different. For the most part, I'm really happy with my new look, though I do sometimes feel like Frankenstein's monster when I look in the mirror and forget to smile. :/

My ears feel plugged up about 50% of the time; the surgeon says this is normal. When they're plugged I can't hear correctly. Maybe that's part of what you're dealing with?

As for makeup: go to your nearest MAC cosmetics store (freestanding, or in Nordstrom's). The makeup artists there are super well-trained, and if you tell them your situation they'll help you emphasize what you like and play down what you don't. And you don't even have to buy anything (though, to forewarn you, they're generally pretty good salespeople). Getting a new foundation/blush routine with my "new" face has helped me immensely: the contours are just different, and knowing what to do with them has been encouraging.