What to Expect After Your Rhinoplasty

Many people are unhappy with their noses. Sometimes they dislike the shape of their noses or they suffer from nasal breathing problems. If you fall into these groups and feel that nose surgery would improve your quality of life, then you might be a candidate for rhinoplasty, the plastic surgery procedure that reshapes the nose. This procedure is sometimes also called a “nose job.”

Many physical alterations can be achieved with rhinoplasty. This plastic surgery can increase or decrease the size of your nose, change the shape of the tip, narrow the nostrils, change your nose's angle, and correct breathing problems. Rhinoplasty is a very commonly performed plastic surgery procedure on both women and men, but the recovery process has several factors worth noting.

Your First 24 Hours After Rhinoplasty
Right after your rhinoplasty surgery your face will feel puffy and you may feel that your nose is stuffy. Naturally, you will have a sore nose. Pain medications will alleviate most of the discomfort, but puffiness and pressure will remain. You will need to relax during the first day after surgery and keep your head elevated. Keeping your head elevated decreases the swelling, and with less swelling you will have a faster recovery and less soreness. You may have packing in your nose for the first few days. You may also have a splint on the outside of your nose.

Your Next Three Days After Rhinoplasty
During the first two or three days after your surgery, swelling and bruising around your eyes and face may increase. Cold compresses to the face will help you relieve your discomfort, but at this point you will admittedly not be looking your best. However, you would typically be out of bed at this point and feeling better. You should still keep your head elevated as much as possible. When you are resting or sleeping in bed, you should keep your head propped up on three pillows. You should remain out of the sun.

The Next Six to Eight Weeks After Rhinoplasty
As the weeks go by after your surgery, improvement will gradually become very noticeable. Most likely you will have returned to work and resumed normal non-strenuous activity after about one week. Some light nose bleeding and stuffiness may persist, but it is important that you not blow your nose. By the end of one week following your rhinoplasty, you will be free of your nasal packing, splints, dressings, and stitches, which will make you much more comfortable. This is ture in all cases, including ethnic rhinoplasty.

Within two or three weeks, the swelling and bruising normally go away, except for some very minor swelling. People who wear glasses find these weeks after rhinoplasty surgery a bit of a challenge. Although you can wear contacts, depending on what was done during your surgery, your Beverly Hills plastic surgeon may recommend that you not wear glasses for a month or so after your rhinoplasty. Your glasses will need to be held in place with tape so they do not put pressure on your nose, and this is not the most stylish look. Still, it is a temporary inconvenience.

As the weeks and months go by, you will begin to enjoy your new nose and gradually resume your normal activities while your plastic surgeon monitors your progress. If you decide to go ahead with rhinoplasty be sure that you have considered the patience that is required during the recovery process. Sometimes people become a bit disheartened in the initial recovery phase because they are sore and their faces are bruised. Just know that these problems will pass and your new nose awaits you. If you understand what you are looking for from your rhinoplasty surgery, and what the stages of recovery entail, you are very likely to be delighted that you decided to have this surgery done.