<\/p>\n
Growing up on reality TV means fans feel entitled to an opinion on everything, and for Antonia Gorga, daughter of RHONJ\u2019s Melissa and Joe Gorga, having a rhinoplasty at 20 meant that kind of attention was coming either way. So the reality star got ahead of it, documenting her surgery with New York facial plastic surgeon Sam Rizk, MD, in real time on social media.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like people would have noticed,\u201d Gorga tells NewBeauty exclusively. \u201cI wanted to bring it to light before anyone else noticed. Plus, I like being honest with my fans and it\u2019s just good content that people would love to see.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Ahead, Gorga shares everything: the decision, the recovery and the results she’s still watching unfold.<\/p>\n
A rhinoplasty had been on Gorga’s mind for a while. Sports through high school made the timing impossible, and college wasn’t much easier. She finally stopped waiting. \u201cI always was nervous to do it,\u201d she says. \u201cBut I ended up just pulling the trigger now, and I’m glad I did.\u201d<\/p>\n
What she wanted wasn’t a dramatic change. \u201cMy nose was very crooked,\u201d she explains. \u201cI wanted to keep it as natural as possible but make it straighter and more defined.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Rizk found she also had a deviated septum contributing to asymmetry and some functional breathing concerns. \u201cAntonia was an excellent candidate because she had very clear, realistic goals and had been thinking about this decision for years,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
When the cast came off, the first reaction surprised her. \u201cI had a little bit of an identity crisis, to be honest,\u201d she says. \u201cI was like, \u2018What am I looking at?\u2019 But I actually loved it. I immediately saw how straight it was, and I gasped. I really loved it. It looks completely different than it did when I got my cast off, though. Now the swelling went down a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
The hardest part of recovery had nothing to do with pain. Staying elevated on her back was what got to her. \u201cDefinitely the sleeping,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Rhinoplasty swelling can take up to a year to fully resolve, and Gorga knows she’s still early in that process. The tip is slightly more swollen after time outside, and she’s watching it shift a little every morning. \u201cI definitely think when the swelling goes down more, I’ll like it better,\u201d she says. \u201cThe tip of my nose is definitely more swelled than usual, especially when I go outside.\u201d<\/p>\n
For anyone considering the procedure, her advice is less about the surgery and more about what comes after. \u201cBe mentally prepared. I feel like it’s more of a mental battle than it is physical. It’s not that painful. You just have to be patient with the swelling and how you look because your nose changes every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
For someone who spent years talking herself into it, the verdict came quickly. \u201cI just love how it’s my nose, but better.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n