Cosmetic enhancement is a subject that takes a long time of consideration for author Stephanie Zubiri.
At 39, the food and travel blogger opens up about a decision she had long contemplated: undergoing surgical treatment to address one of her insecurities.
In a candid admission on May 6, 2024 via Instagram, Stephanie reveals, "I got a nose job!!!"
The post was published along with a snippet of her podcast episode with Iza Calzado for Soulful Feasts.
Read: Kitty Duterte, 19, gets candid about experience with rhinoplasty, jawtox, lip fillers
POST-PREGNANCY CHANGES
Reflecting on her journey, Stephanie delves into the backstory of her decision.
She recalls, "When I was 16 my parents encouraged me to get plastic surgery for my nose and I vehemently refused.
"I was happy the way I was and was happy with how I looked!"
However, after giving birth to two children over 15 years later, Stephanie noticed changes in this facial feature: "My nose had grown with each pregnancy and never went back."
Despite attempts to address it through temporary measures, her nose remained larger than before.
"I kept doing patch up procedures like threading, hoping that eventually it would deflate and go back to its original size," she details.
"But, even after my youngest was already 5, it never did."
This led her to discover the unique traits of the nose, relating it to her audience: "Did you know that your nose and ears are the only parts of your body that continue to grow?
"And your nose stores fat that can’t be burned??"
Nonetheless, her pride of being plastic surgery-free had kept her in limbo about getting one.
"To be honest, I really was wrestling with the idea of rhinoplasty because I was so proud of being a pretty natural kind of girl," she says.
"But I felt like I didn’t look like myself! And the thought that it would only grow, kinda freaked me out, as vain as that sounds."
STEPHANIE GOES UNDER THE KNIFE
After a thorough introspection, Stephanie resolved to undergo rhinoplasty in 2020: "I did my research and self-reflection and decided that I would do it once and for all.
"But I had one condition- it needed to still look like me."
She explains, "I wanted my same nose just smaller. Back to how it used to look. No need to shave off the bump on the bridge or do anything crazy."
Stephanie was determined to find a surgeon who understood her desire for a subtle change.
"I looked hard for a doctor that would give me what I wanted and would respect my wishes and not push me into more than what I was comfortable with."
She adds, "I also wanted to correct a severely deviated septum that was causing me bad bouts of sleep apnea and major snoring and sinus problems."
Approaching the moment when she'd finally go under the knife, Stephanie grappled with nerves and self-doubt.
"Even with all that, the night before the surgery I was so stressed," the celebrity mom relates.
"I look like my children and Max and I have the same round nose. I was so worried I wouldn’t look like him anymore and almost cancelled."
However, reassurance from her doctor and a reaffirmation of her wishes gave her the confidence to proceed.
She expresses, "That morning the doctor reassured me he would respect what I wanted. And I’m so happy I did it! I’ve never looked back!"
In sharing her story, Stephanie invites others to embrace and celebrate honest expressions of self-image, while also being mindful of other people's bodily choices.
"It’s important to have frank and honest conversations about plastic surgery and ask ourselves why we are doing and what are we really trying for to fix.
"It’s also important to not shame those who make that decision as well as be honest and real about when you do a procedure. So as not to give impressionable women the notion of natural perfection.
"Here’s to a safe space to discuss this!"
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