Society nose best, or does it? This is my story. “Sorry, Fashion Week only wants skinny girls with skinny noses.” As many of my readers know, I am a half Indian (no, not Native American) and half European (literally every European country IS me) ex-model. Growing up in a predominantly Caucasian community, I looked different than most of my closest friends. As I hit my teenage years, my “differentness” went from 0 to 100 real quick (starts rapping to Drake song). Pinocchio happened. Minus the lies. My nose (God rest it’s soul), grew and grew… and grew. By 17, I had been punched in the nose while play-fighting with a group of friends and the injury made my “situation” even worse.
Society nose best, or does it?
Pretty soon, people confirmed my worst nightmare. They would make comments about my nose. When I would model, agents would tell me I was perfect, but my nose was just too imperfect for the job. When friends would take selfies with me, they would have me turn a certain angle to avoid seeing it’s enormity. It. Killed. Me. While I preached loving every part of myself, I was secretly hating the one thing smack dab in the middle of my otherwise “proportioned” face.
I think we all experience this self-consciousness. But being in the fashion and entertainment industry where I was constantly surrounded by stars and editors of magazines, I was not so keen on “learning to love myself”. The temptation for plastic surgery was dangled in front of my face every time I left my Santa Monica apartment. Would I really be satisfied if I changed my nose into a cutout of Kim Kardashian’s?
Rhinoplasty Time
2015. I chose to move forward with my rhinoplasty and I can honestly say, it was the best decision for me. It has made me more confident in showing my true self and while I do wish I had “gotten over” my obsession and accepted what I looked like – I have no regrets in altering it. But there’s something to be said about plastic surgery. It doesn’t eradicate the comments. They keep coming but in a NEW way. I’m normally a very open person – I have no filter and it’s one of my favorite qualities. When I share my plastic surgery experience, I now find myself not getting shamed for my “Pinocchio” nose, but INSTEAD for getting plastic surgery at all! People tell me not to share it because it shows weakness. It shows shallowness. It shows a dissatisfaction with your life.
Guys, this is not the case! Can we stop shaming each-other for how we look? Can we also stop shaming each-other for the choices we make with how we look? Now don’t go all Joan Rivers or Heidi Montag on me, okay? But if there is something truly eating away at you that you can’t move past and it’s holding you back from a killer life, there’s NO shame in looking into changing it yourself. YOLO, Drake once said. God gave you your body, but he also gave you free will. You have worked hard for your education, your intuition, and your resources to be whoever you want – mind, body, and soul.
You Can’t Please Everyone, Only Yourself
My realization from all of us? You can’t please everyone. Ever. The only person that you should please is yourself. And that’s the only person that really matters.
