What is Rhinoplasty Recovery Like?
Following your nose surgery, there will be a mild to moderate amount of pain and discomfort. We will recommend or prescribe medications to help, and the discomfort and pain should begin to decrease within 72 hours. If dressing or splints were used on your nose, it will be removed in 5 to 7 days during your follow-up appointment.
Most patients take one week off work or school. When your splint or dressings are removed, a lot of the bruising and swelling can be hidden with makeup. However, if you don’t want anyone to notice at all, you may need to plan to take two weeks off work.
It’s important for patients to understand that their nose may be considerably swollen for about two weeks. This is normal and no cause for alarm; however, the swelling may cause your nose to appear wider and the tip more upturned and more bulbous than it will eventually look.
The swelling will subside over the course of a couple of weeks and will continue to go down over the next several months. Keeping your head elevated, using cold packs, and sleeping upright will help reduce swelling.
The first couple of weeks after your nose job, you may feel as though your nose is very congested, as if you have a cold. This is also very common, as is swelling, numbness, and bruising. Exercise should be avoided for at least three weeks after your rhinoplasty.
Another important thing for patients to note is that it may take up to a year for the final results of a rhinoplasty to become apparent — although your nose will continue to look better and better each day as the swelling subsides.