Kavitha, a 41-year-old finance professional living in the UK, had rhinoplasty in her twenties to make her nose smaller and less crooked. Growing up as an Indian woman in Singapore, she felt her nose was too prominent and never fit societal beauty standards. She now has a nose that aligns with white beauty ideals and has no regrets, but she acknowledges her desire for surgery stemmed from fear of not being accepted rather than genuine want. 'If I was raised in India, I don't think I would have had a problem with my nose at all,' she says.
The author, who grew up in England, was self-conscious about her 'big Indian nose' after being bullied. She declined a nose job offered by her mother at age 18, fearing she would no longer look like herself. A decade later, inspired by body positivity on Instagram, she launched the #Sideprofileselfie movement to celebrate big noses, which went viral and helped her appreciate her own features. 'I can see the history of my ancestors in its gentle bump, regal length and strong personality,' she writes.
Dr Ivo Gwanmesia, a Harley Street plastic surgeon, regularly performs ethnic rhinoplasties and sees patients seeking reversals after being given 'caucasian noses' that didn't suit their faces. He notes that some lose cultural traits of their nose. The author receives messages from people of colour who regret surgery, wishing they had invested in self-esteem instead. Noor, a British Indian performer who had a nose job at 28, says she has done 'a lot of self-work' and might not make the same decision now.
Kavitha, whose white English husband is unaware of her surgery, admits she wouldn't have changed her nose if she had been raised with more self-assurance. She hopes younger people will embrace their noses as they are. Sharan Dhaliwal, author of Burning My Roti, had a nose job in 2007 after struggling with bullying and disordered eating, reflecting the complex motivations behind ethnic rhinoplasty.
