Straight, pointed slightly upwards, and no bump to be seen. Hollywood’s favored nose type, sought after actors and celebrities alike, deemed superior to ones found in different ethnicities. If a “successful person” cannot meet this standard, they have to “fix” their nose via expensive rhinoplasty. But there have been constant accounts of poor results and respiratory ailments, leading me (and many others) to question: “What’s the point?”. There is none; “fixing” your healthy nose obstructs your life and perpetuates the toxic idea that straight, slim noses are more beautiful than the curves or size you have. Pleasing Hollywood’s old standard of beauty drains your wallet; loving your natural nose is free and completely zero risk.

Various side effects of cosmetic rhinoplasty affect your wallet and health. You’d be willing to pay about $5,000 for a new schnoz; however, RealSelf’s Krista Bennett DeMaio informs that your health insurance only covers the procedure if “it’s done to correct a structural problem” (DeMaio). You’re essentially paying more money to fix something that’s not broken. After that, she explains that you’ll need to wear a splint “worn over the nose for the next week” (DeMaio). During this time, you’re going to have to put up with “swelling and bruising for at least the first 14 days”, and the waiting period “[takes] up to a year… and they may not match your expectations” (DeMaio). Your nose is going to be in a constant state of weakness, your attention has to be fixed on it daily for about three hundred and sixty-five days to keep it safe. And, depending on how much cash you’ve left to spare, you still might not get that perfect picture you asked for. You’ll have to return for a revisional rhinoplasty, spending even more money. And, as stated by MAE Plastic Surgery, it’s a “common” procedure that many people pursue (MAE Plastic Surgery). If so many people have to lose more of their income, then the procedure has a great flaw. Rhinoplasty is a gamble on your hard-earned income, and that reason alone should be enough for you to just let your nose be. In fact, the grossest flaw is the dysmorphic “perfect nose ideal” set by willing celebrities like Kim Kardashian.

The reason people pursue cosmetic rhinoplasty is obvious: they hate their noses . As Laurie Essig, a Middlebury professor of gender and pop culture, explained: most American women in 2018 took surgery because they believed “that if they [looked] younger, thinner or more attractive, then they’ll be more likely to keep their job or husband…” (Essig). For generations, Americans - women usually - were taught to believe that only superficial attractiveness helped them succeed. Essig informs that rhinoplasty came into the world out of a 19th century new sepsis procedure remade for “making ethnic immigrants look more American” and, in the “late 1800s, the cosmetic industry had blossomed” (Essig). Immigrants were desperate to look like American citizens because they needed to survive in the U.S. But today, nose standards finally loosened because, quoted by Essig again, “According to the Pew Research Center, by 2055 everyone in the U.S. will be a racial or ethnic minority…” and “now only about 225,000 Americans are doing so each year” instead of 400,000 (Essig). And it’s true; today, more individuals have stopped putting stock in the “perfect European nose” ideal that’s been discrediting diverse human characteristics. Today, they’re focusing their cash and values on other issues. This more flexible perspective is saving your wallet, ensuring your face’s safety and lets you decide that you like how you look!

I possess an Armenian nose; slightly upward, but with a little bump on top; not your usual Barbie nose. Having gazed at straight slopes on TV, I remember thinking to myself, “I wish mine was like that”, for straighter types were more “refined”. But recently, I decided to integrate my natural nose into my self-image and, to my surprise, I actually liked it! The slight crook accentuated my eccentric personality. A straight nose would fit others very well, but not me. Because of the influence of celebrities and other media, I’m still adjusting to accept not only my face and body, but how to accept others’ as well. Seeing the beauty in diverse characteristics is important because it broadens our horizons of beauty and keeps us flexible. Tracy Chabala from Shondaland said it best: “We are not meant to be perfect, to have faces without pores, lines, and blemishes. To have a face without pores or lines or blemishes is to erase our uniqueness, our personalities, our stories, our history, and our power. We become flat, boring, and bland” (Chabala). We’re human beings; organic creatures of this very Earth with slight irregularities and imperfections, all that bestow us with personality. You can try to remove your blemishes. But if you find yourself gambling on your monthly income, instead try the creative route: try to incorporate your “undesirables” into your appearance. And I’ll try to do the same.