Update, June 2026: Eight years ago, Carrieanne Reichardt, then 25, got a rhinoplasty with Adam Kolker, a board-certified plastic surgeon based in New York City. She allowed an Allure photographer to document the procedure (warning: graphic images ahead) and shared her experience with contributor Jolene Edgar. Here is her story in her own words, followed by an update on how she feels about her results today, eight years later.
I love so many of my features. For instance, the green eyes I got from my mom, my naturally full lips, and smile, but my nose has been a source of insecurity. Around 15, as puberty hit, my nose just…changed. One day, it suddenly looked large and awkward, with a pronounced bump and protruding tip that I simply didn’t identify with. I’d catch my profile in the mirror and be uncomfortable with the face staring back.
I felt particularly insecure about my nose when starting college, as I was presenting myself to the world, independently, for the first time. Whenever I met anyone new, I’d be very careful to talk to them only head-on, so they couldn’t glimpse my profile. By 19, I was researching rhinoplasty surgery, and my dad even took me for a nose-job consultation, but I didn’t feel the surgeon was a good fit, so we decided to table the idea.
Hannah Choi/Allure
When I moved to New York City after graduation, and began establishing myself and building a career, I suddenly felt the time was right to revisit the procedure. I met with Adam Kolker, MD, a board-certified and well-known plastic surgeon here in New York City, and immediately felt safe and heard. I respected his delicate, conservative approach and appreciated how he spent real time listening to my concerns and making sure I felt comfortable.
Once I firmly made the decision to move ahead with the rhinoplasty surgery, I told my family. With four siblings, there’s never a shortage of opinions, but they were all extremely supportive. I inherited my nose from my mother, and when I told her the news, she revealed for the first time that she had once considered getting a nose job, too, which was majorly shocking, because my mom is very reserved and rarely criticizes, or even talks about, her appearance. She’s just always seemed so comfortable in her skin. I really admire that about her.
