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Nina de Wit's avatar

I have a, what I now call, aristocratic nose:). As did my parents and grandparents. My mum however got hers corrected in her mid twenties. She both made fun of my nose and praised me for it as a teenager. I found both terribly embarassing. Luckily I never corrected it and I've grown to love my nose.

Two years ago I posed for a portrait series of women with big(ger) noses. And people's first reaction was to tell me my nose did not look big at all. As if to comfort me. It shows the assumption is that a big nose is ugly by definition.

Caro Verbeek wrote a really interesting book (in Dutch) about noses and the way we have characterised them through history.

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Marissa's avatar

This story HIT HOME for me. I am the only one in my family with a big bump at the bridge of my nose and growing up, my mother told me that if I ever wanted it fixed she would help me with that. I have never liked me nose (which turned to hatred thanks to the dressing rooms at H&Ms when I was in high school) and have considered changing it. But now as an adult I think about the recovery time, how much it would change my face, and what I'd rather spend that money on. Logically I know all of this but certain photos or reflections of my nose take me aback to this day. It's definitely a constant struggle for me. Sending you love from another big nosed gal.

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