Kate Middleton's nose: Meet the women who've paid thousands to get Duchess of Cambridge's perfect profile

Kate Middleton's nose: Meet the women who've paid thousands to get Duchess of Cambridge's perfect profile

• The number of women requesting noses like Kate's has trebled since 2011
• Plastic surgeon Maurizio Persico describes her nose as 'straight' and 'cute'
• Psychologist who specialises in facial attributes says shape of her nose is 'near-perfect'
  

By Sadie Nicholas

PUBLISHED: 20:28 EST, 29 January 2013 | UPDATED: 03:45 EST, 30 January 2013

Straight and cute: The number of women asking cosmetic surgeons to make their own noses more closely resemble Kate's has trebled since 2011

Not only does the Duchess of Cambridge have the most coveted wardrobe, the most envy-inducing hair and  teeth that bring out the green-eyed monster in most of us, she is also in possession of the most desirable nose in Britain.

So admired is her star feature, in fact, the number of women asking cosmetic surgeons to make their own noses more closely resemble Kate’s has trebled since 2011.

Plastic surgeon Maurizio Persico, who specialises in nose reshaping, says he’s not surprised. ‘Her nose is straight with a cute, rounded tip and is perfectly in proportion to her face,’ he explains.

‘This gives Kate an attractive and striking profile. Plus, she always looks happy and confident in photos, which is especially appealing to women whose own appearance makes them unhappy â€" those who feel  self-conscious about larger or crooked noses, which they believe dominate their faces.’

There is actually a hard-wired evolutionary preference for Kate’s small, straight nose, too, believes psychologist Carmen Lefevre, who specialises in the study of facial attributes.

‘The symmetry of Kate’s nose, the angle between her lip and the tip of her nose and the minimal amount of nostril on show, are all near-perfect,’ she explains.

Here, three women explain why they went under the knife to get a nose worthy of a duchess...

Sarah Hattley, 31, works for an insurance company and lives in Redhill, Surrey. She had rhinoplasty in October 2011 and says:

I’ve admired Kate since she first got engaged to William. I’ve tried to copy her natural make-up and long, glossy hair style: she always looks so effortlessly groomed. But it was her perfect nose â€" narrow and petite, with a subtle upturn â€" that always caught my eye in pictures.

I would try to imagine what my face would look like with a nose like Kate’s, because I’ve always hated my own, with its prominent bump and off-centre septum. I inherited  it from my Dad, who died when I  was young.

I was teased about my nose at school â€" kids would chant ‘here comes the witch’ whenever I walked into class. I’d often return from school in tears, and my self-confidence crumbled.

To draw attention from my nose, I’d walk with my head down and refuse to wear my hair up. As I got older, when a man smiled at me in a bar, I’d worry that once he saw my profile he’d instantly lose interest. When I did have boyfriends, I was terrified of meeting their family and friends â€" convinced they’d think I was ugly.

About four years ago, I started thinking about surgery â€" the only thing that stopped me was the fear of ending up looking worse. Then, 18 months ago, a colleague had a nose job with fantastic results.

After quizzing them on everything from the procedure to the pain, I felt confident enough to go ahead with surgery. I did my research, had consultations with a couple of surgeons and chose a private clinic near Heathrow.

Sarah Hattley, 31, who works for an insurance company and lives in Redhill, Surrey, said she has admired Kate Middleton since she got engaged to Prince William

I scrutinised the noses of friends, women in the street, celebrities on TV and in magazines to work out what shape would work best for me. That’s when I realised I wanted mine to look like Kate’s.

I turned up to my first appointment armed with photos of Kate. My surgeon said he’d do his best to adapt it to suit my face.

I took out a 12-month interest-free loan to cover the £4,900 cost â€" it was more expensive than a standard procedure, because as well as having the bone filed to erase the bump, my septum was moved so it was central.

My mum was supportive; she understood how much my nose had affected my self-esteem over the years.

When I saw the results after coming round from the anaesthetic, I was shocked. Even with the swelling, it looked small and dainty.

Sarah says she has always 'tried to copy' the Duchess of Cambridge's 'natural make-up and long, glossy hair style'

I didn’t feel like ‘me’ at first. But within a few weeks the swelling and bruising had subsided, and I loved my nose. It’s not exactly like Kate’s â€" the bridge of my nose looks slightly higher, but the width and nostrils are the same.

Friends and colleagues couldn’t put their finger on what was different about me at first and kept asking if I’d had a haircut.

When I revealed that I’d had a nose job, they said they’d never realised I’d had such an issue with my nose before. But after so many years of low self-esteem and bullying, I now have confidence â€" just like Kate.’

Danielle Murray, 24, is a social worker and lives near Manchester with her partner David McMahon, 30, a police officer. She had her nose reshaped in October 2011. She says:

When I look in the mirror, I no longer see the hooked Roman nose I’d hated for years. I see a cute, slightly upturned nose just like the Duchess of Cambridge’s, and it makes me incredibly happy. My fixation with my nose started when I was 13, after a boy at school started teasing me, saying: ‘You need to sort your big nose out!’ It had never bothered me before, but I became instantly obsessed.

Ugly noses run in our family: I inherited mine from my maternal grandmother. And although my mum’s nose doesn’t look like ours, she thought hers was bulbous and had rhinoplasty six years ago.

The end result gave her such a boost that it helped me overcome my own fear of surgery and I decided to go under the knife myself. Mum kept telling me that my nose wasn’t as bad as hers and that I was beautiful, but she didn’t seriously try to talk me out of it. 

Danielle Murray, 24, said she now looks in the mirror and sees a 'cute, slightly upturned nose just like the Duchess of Cambridge's'

It was during the royal wedding coverage in April 2011 that I decided I wanted Kate’s nose. From every angle, whatever her facial expression, she looked utterly beautiful. Her nose was adorable and feminine.

I started saving up, and began to look more seriously into rhinoplasty. I managed to get £4,000 together and had consultations with surgeons at several clinics.

I settled on Transform, and, in October 2011, the surgeon I chose removed my bump by filing the bone through an incision in the inside of my right nostril. It completely reshaped my nose to look more like Kate’s.

Danielle said it was during the royal wedding coverage in April 2011 that she decided she wanted Kate's nose

Mum visited me as soon as the anaesthetic had worn off. She could see I was in a lot of pain, but gently reassured me it would all be worth it.

I stayed in hospital overnight, had two black eyes and was in agony for the next five days. My boyfriend was upset, as he could see I was suffering â€" but now I’ve healed he loves how it’s boosted my self-confidence. ‘I thought you were beautiful before, but you are even more gorgeous now,’ he said to me the other day.

It’s dramatically changed the look of my whole face â€" not least because I smile all the time now!

Lauren Wright, 28, is an air stewardess and lives in Stockport, Cheshire, with her boyfriend Jamie, 33, a private security contractor in Afghanistan. She had surgery in December 2011. She says:

I used to play basketball for the England under-18 team and my nose was knocked around and broken so many times I was left with a prominent bump on the bridge.

I complained about it constantly,  but my friends and family said they thought my nose was fine.

Despite their reassurances, I hated having my photo taken or people seeing my profile. I always wore lots of eye make-up and false lashes to draw attention away from the middle of my face.

I started working as an air stewardess in 2007 and was convinced that all the passengers had the most horrendous view of my nose as I walked down the aisle.

Lauren Wright, 28, described Kate MIddleton's nose as 'perfect' and said she likes how it 'gently crinkles when she laughs'

It became too much to bear, and eventually I decided it was worth saving up for surgery.

I’d look at the noses of friends, colleagues, strangers and celebrities â€" Heidi Klum has a great little nose but, for me, Kate Middleton’s is perfect. I especially like the way it gently crinkles when she laughs.

My mum wasn’t happy about me having surgery at first â€" she felt I should accept myself as I was, but I was determined to go ahead.

I picked a clinic in Manchester for a consultation. I knew the surgeon couldn’t just plonk someone else’s nose on my face but I wanted the same subtle curve and elegance as Kate’s.

It cost £3,950, which I paid for from savings, and involved an overnight stay in the clinic.

I was nervous it would change the whole look of my face, which I didn’t want, as I was happy with everything else â€" but my overriding feeling was excitemen t.

After the operation, the discomfort was like having a heavy cold and I couldn’t breathe properly for a week. I was glued to the mirror â€" even with a protective cast on my nose I could see that the new shape was what I’d wanted.

A week later, the cast was removed. Smaller and more feminine, my new nose was exactly what I’d dreamed of and has had a magical effect on my confidence.

My boyfriend Jamie was very supportive of my decision to have a nose job, even though he loved how I looked before. And despite her reservations, even my Mum admits that getting a Kate nose was the right thing to do.