Reality Star Shares Real Advice on Rhinoplasty

On a recent episode of the reality television show Million Dollar Listing: Los Angeles, real estate agent David Parnes revealed that he had recently gotten a nose job. In an interview with People magazine after the episode revealing his surgery aired, he offered some solid advice for anyone out there considering going under the knife.Parnes said, “If you choose to have the procedure, conduct extensive research to find a surgeon who is board certified, and a specialist in rhinoplasty. Ask to see before and after photos, and speak to some former patients for a reference… This is a major surgery and not to be taken lightly.”This is excellent advice. Too many people take getting a nose job too casually. Rhinoplasty is a serious medical procedure that if done improperly cannot only damage your looks, but cause major health issues. Parnes himself is familiar with this because his recent surgery is his second one. His first nose job was poorly done, and left scar tissue in his nose which caused him serious breathing troubles. This second surgery was done to alleviate his breathing problems as much as it was done to alter his appearance.One of the weird things about nose jobs that Parnes hints at in his remarks is that people both downplay their seriousness and hide the fact that they have had them. This ends up driving people toward unscrupulous surgeons, and a lot of people end up needing a second, corrective surgery.It is time we change this. People should not feel uncomfortable sharing the fact that they had rhinoplasty. Parnes is part of this movement toward more disclosure, and he should be applauded for it. It was heartening to read in the article about his procedure that he hasn’t received any negative feedback about his nose.At the same time, however, it is important to recognize that rhinoplasty is a very serious medical procedure. A nose job should be taken just as seriously as any other surgery, and perhaps even more so since the complications that can arise from a poorly done surgery or a rushed recovery can be devastating, and obviously very visible.