You may want to see the results of a rhinoplasty (nose reshaping) procedure right away, but the recovery process will take some time. During this time, a number of steps can be taken to speed up the process and ensure proper healing.
Recovery time after rhinoplasty
The average recovery time from rhinoplasty is one year. It might seem like a long time, but it becomes a lot more manageable when broken down into a span of time. The following stages of recovery after nasal surgery may vary from patient to patient, but something like this usually happens:
1 week after rhinoplasty:The splint applied during rhinoplasty surgery can be removed and you can go out without showing any visible signs of nose surgery, as long as there are no bruises around the eyes. It may take 2 weeks. It is sure to resume daily life.
2 weeks after rhinoplasty:Most of the swelling in the face after rhinoplasty surgery has gone away, and most of the bruising is gone.
3-4 weeks after rhinoplasty:You can safely resume normal physical activities such as jogging, swimming, and cycling.
6 weeks after rhinoplasty:The bones are stable, you can resume resistance training (lifting weights), wear glasses, and touch your nose. Minimal injuries are no longer scary.
3 to 6 months after rhinoplasty:The numbness and unusual sensations in the nasal area should go away.
1 year after rhinoplasty:The healing process is complete - the swelling should go away completely.
Is there a way to speed up this delay after nose surgery? In fact, there are a lot of things you can do to help your recovery after nose surgery. We recommend the following:
1. Listen to your doctor
First, follow your doctor's instructions. You can read 100 of these rhinoplasty recovery articles online, but nothing beats the information you get from your plastic surgeon. You will be given specific instructions on what medicines to take, when to take them, how to take care of the surgery site to prevent infection, and when to come back for another check-up.
2. Listen to your body
Your plastic surgeon will be able to see how your recovery is going after rhinoplasty, but only you will know how you are feeling. Listen to your body - if something is wrong right after your nose job, talk to your doctor right away.
3. Keep your head elevated for days or weeks after rhinoplasty.
Sleeping on your side after rhinoplasty is not only uncomfortable - it can shorten recovery time by preventing further bruising and swelling. To avoid surprises after rhinoplasty surgery, you should keep your head elevated for 6 weeks after surgery. One of the easiest ways to do this is to lift your head up on two or three pillows. You can also sleep in a recliner chair. If you tend to move around when you sleep, you can keep your head in place with a travel pillow or by wrapping yourself in rolled towels.
4. Use cold compresses after rhinoplasty
For the first 72 hours after nose surgery, using a cold compress can help reduce swelling. Be careful not to squeeze the compress directly on your nose. Instead, place it on your cheeks to avoid accidentally moving bone or cartilage.
5. Get plenty of rest after rhinoplasty
The congestion you experience after nasal surgery can make it difficult to fall asleep, but rest is an essential part of the recovery process. Your body uses energy to heal itself, and getting seven to eight hours of good sleep every night gives your body time to recover that energy.6. Maintain a healthy diet after rhinoplasty
What Does Eating Vegetables Have To Do With Recovering From Nasal Surgery? Very significant, in fact. Eating a balanced diet after rhinoplasty surgery will help speed up the healing process by giving the body the nutrients it needs to heal itself.
Protein is an essential building block for skin, muscle, cartilage, and blood. A diet of nuts, meat, eggs, yogurt, fish, and other foods high in protein will help your body repair damaged tissue in and around your nose.
You'll also want to make sure that your diet is full of vitamins, namely vitamin A and vitamin C. Vitamin A, which is usually found in dark green leaves like spinach and kale, is a great immune booster thatcan help you fight infections after rhinoplasty. Vitamin C plays an important role in the regeneration of collagen, a protein that binds the tissues of your skin. Citrus fruits, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli are good sources of vitamin C.
7. Stay calm after rhinoplasty surgery
Sauna, hot showers, and the hot sun can be an enjoyable pastime, but they're not so good for your puffy nose. The heat will cause the tissues of the nose to swell even more, so it is best to stick to a cool and spacious diet, take a hot shower, and stay away from the heat for several weeks after rhinoplasty.
8. Do not blow your nose suddenly and heavily after rhinoplasty.
After a nose job, you may have difficulty breathing for several weeks or even months. This sensation is caused by swelling of the nasal tissues. Resist the urge to blow your nose and talk to your doctor about using nasal saline to gently hydrate your nasal passages until the swelling goes away. You can resume actively blowing your nose 6 weeks after surgery.
What about sneezing? You can't just sneeze. Instead, try sneezing through your mouth rather than your nose. It sounds disgusting, but it's better than damaging the fragile nasal passages and slowing the recovery time from rhinoplasty.
9. Avoid vigorous exercise after rhinoplasty
In most patients, it takes about 6 weeks for the bones in the nose to heal after surgery. Strenuous exercise should be avoided during this time. Even harmless movements such as stretching, lifting, or bending can increase the swelling of the nose. Wait until the doctor gives you the green light to resume your normal activities after rhinoplasty before you start to relax your workout.
10. Do not wear glasses after rhinoplasty
Sunglasses, reading glasses, prescription glasses - anything that puts pressure on the nose as it heals can cause additional bruising, swelling, or even bumps that will require a second rhinoplasty.
Your plastic surgeon will tell you when to start wearing glasses again. In the meantime, switch to contact lenses if you can. If you can't, wear the lightest frames possible and only wear them when absolutely necessary. If necessary, you can put a splint under the glasses, the one that was on the nose after the rhinoplasty. It can be used with all glasses.
11. Stay out of the sun after rhinoplasty
Protecting the skin from too much sun exposure is always helpful, but this is especially important after nose surgery. Too much sun not only makes the nose more prone to sunburn for several weeks and months after the procedure, but it can also darken scars and worsen swelling.
12. Do not smoke before and after rhinoplasty
Before and after nose surgery, it is important not to smoke and, if possible, to avoid secondhand smoke. The nicotine in tobacco products restricts blood flow, which makes it difficult for the body to heal and interferes with recovery after plastic surgery and especially nose surgery.
13. After rhinoplasty, be especially patient!
First of all, have patience. You will recover and get the rhinoplasty results you want - it just takes time. The above steps will not turn a one-year recovery process into a one-week process, but it will help speed up the processes and improve the postoperative outcome of rhinoplasty.
The recovery process after rhinoplasty is different for each patient. But from the moment you plan your first rhinoplasty consultation, your doctor will be with you every step of the way. If you have any questions about the recovery or the procedure itself, feel free to call your doctor by phone or fill out the online contact form.
When it comes to revision rhinoplasty
When your nose surgery isn't working as expected, it can be a big disappointment. After spending a large amount of money and facing a long and inconvenient payback, you may face this terrible problem.
In any case: you are not alone. About a third of patients are consulted on the possibility of a correction or reoperation of the nasal plastic surgery.
The good news is that in some cases, it is possible to achieve the desired appearance through non-surgical methods. But when it comes to revision rhinoplasty, follow these five steps to prepare for revision rhinoplasty.
1. Make sure your nose is completely healed after the first rhinoplasty surgery
First of all, your nose must be fully recovered from the first rhinoplasty in order to withstand another procedure. It usually takes a full year to wait for a revision rhinoplasty. Premature revision surgery may not be warranted as it may not resolve all postoperative issues. For this reason, it is recommended to discuss the nose revision procedure only 12 months after the initial rhinoplasty.
2. Carefully choose a new facial plastic surgeon.
Revision rhinoplasty is more difficult than the initial rhinoplasty because there can be many complex issues that need to be addressed with the nasal tissue that has already been operated on. This requires a plastic surgeon with experience and knowledge to adequately deal with any unforeseen issues.
Certification as a specialist is very important, but a surgeon qualified in revision rhinoplasty should also actively pursue education.
Dr Farrior writes about himself as follows: . . . . I am using myself as an example to let you know which doctor to look for: I have taught rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty nationally and internationally and have published many articles and book chapters on this topic. In 2013, I was elected president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and I am the past president of the Florida FPS Society.
3. How to decide to schedule a revision rhinoplasty
Revision rhinoplasty can be relatively simple - or extremely complex. It all depends on the following:
- What is the degree of abnormalities caused by the first rhinoplasty procedure?
- How much cartilage from the nasal septum is removed during the first rhinoplasty procedure?
- What are the characteristics of your skin.
- What is the passage of the nasal airways after rhinoplasty.
The only way to know for sure all of the above is to schedule a consultation. During a physical exam, your surgeon will be able to determine if there was a significant loss of structural support during the primary rhinoplasty. If this has happened, then often with repeated rhinoplasties, cartilage grafts need to be done. Such grafts can be obtained from the septum, which rhinoplast surgeons say is the best source of material for correction.
If the septum cartilage has already been removed or damaged, it may be necessary to remove the cartilage from the ear or the rib. Each of these types of transplants has advantages and disadvantages which will be discussed during the consultation.
4. Obtain complete information from your former rhinoplast surgeon
A plastic surgeon can tell a lot by just looking at your nose. But in order to provide you with as much information as possible during the consultation, it is best to obtain and provide your pre-rhinoplasty photos and the operative summary from a former surgeon.
I understand that this may be an inconvenient request for some patients, but there is nothing shameful and forbidden about it. A medical record is your property that you share with your doctor, not the other way around.
5. Plan to revise the cost of rhinoplasty
Revision rhinoplasty usually lasts 2 to 5 hours and is performed under general anesthesia. It requires limited physical activity for six weeks after surgery. The splints remain in place for eight days after surgery, and some degree of nasal congestion and swelling will occur during the same period. More detailed information on postoperative restrictions will be discussed during the consultation.
Since the complexity and time spent on rhinoplasty is greater than that of the first rhinoplasty, the costs are higher. Typically, revision rhinoplasty costs 50-100% more than primary rhinoplasty.
If your new nose isn't what you hoped for, it's time to take the next step: seek professional advice.