Rhinoplasty recovery time can be a major consideration if you’re thinking about undergoing the procedure.
If you want a better understanding of the likely recovery involved with rhinoplasty, here’s an overview of what most patients can expect, as well as some helpful care tips to support a smooth recovery.
How much rhinoplasty recovery time will you need?
It’s common to want to know how much rhinoplasty healing time you’ll need to allow yourself when undergoing surgery.
While nose job recovery time can be different for everyone, you can generally expect to look and feel back to normal around three months after your procedure. Most patients take at least two weeks off work, but some prefer to wait a little longer until the majority of swelling and bruising has subsided.
What does a typical rhinoplasty recovery timeline look like?
While every patient’s rhinoplasty recovery journey is different, you can generally expect the rhinoplasty recovery stages to progress as follows:
- The first few days – Expect some swelling and bruising around the nose, eyes and cheeks. Swelling is typically most prominent around 3-5 days’ post-procedure, before gradually subsiding. You’ll need to wear a nose splint and bandages like you might have seen in rhinoplasty recovery photos to ensure the nose retains its post-surgical shape.
- At one week – Your surgeon will remove your nose splint to reveal your new nose. Keep in mind there will still be significant swelling, so don’t worry if your nose doesn’t quite look how you expected.
- Two to three weeks – Most swelling and bruising will have subsided. From here, you should notice a gradual but continual improvement in the shape and refinement of your new nose.
- Four to six weeks – It will become easier to breathe through your nose. You should also be safe to resume light cardiovascular exercise around the four-week mark, but hold off from more intense resistance exercise until the six-week mark.
- At three to four months – The majority (around 90%) of the healing process is complete, and you should have a good idea of the final shape and look of your new nose. While your nose will continue to change slightly over time, any changes should be virtually undetectable.
- At 12 months – You’ll have made a full recovery and be able to see the final result of your rhinoplasty procedure.
Care tips to support a smooth recovery
Rhinoplasty recovery can be a slow process, so it’s important to do everything you can to help your nose heal and ensure the best possible result.
Here are some helpful post-rhinoplasty care tips to support your recovery:
- sleep in an elevated position in the initial weeks following surgery
- use a saline intranasal solution to prevent skin dryness
- avoid blowing your nose
- apply a cold compress to your cheeks to help ease swelling
- fuel your body with plenty of water and nutritious foods
- rest up as much as possible
Benefit from more than two decades of experience
The result of any rhinoplasty procedure can only be as good as the skill of the surgeon that performs it.
When you choose Sedgh Plastic Surgery, you’ll benefit from the more than two decades of experience that Dr. Sedge has accumulated working in top medical institutions in the United States.
Find out more about undergoing rhinoplasty at Sedgh Plastic Surgery or contact us to arrange a no-obligation consultation.
Posted on behalf of Sedgh Plastic Surgery
