Rhinoplasty recovery time

Often the new nose becomes synonymous with new life. It dramatically changes the person’s appearance, harmonizing facial features as much as possible. Therefore, rhinoplasty is a series of surgical changes in shape, length, and size of the nose and is the second most popular plastic surgery. The data from the International Society of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) shows the following figures: in 2020, more than 1.2 million plastic surgery operations were performed on the nose. In terms of demand, it is surpassed only by breast augmentation.

The success of any surgical intervention depends not only on the plastic surgeon. The recovery from rhinoplasty plays an important role, and you should strictly follow the specialist’s recommendations.

What Are the Rhinoplasty Healing Stages?

 You may wonder, “how long does it take to recover from rhinoplasty?” Let’s answer this question.

  A nose job does not require a long rehabilitation period. In general, the recovery period takes 2-3 weeks.

Immediately After Surgery

 After surgery, the patient is under the control of the surgeon and medical staff for 24 hours. For the first few hours after a nose job, they may experience drowsiness, weakness, and apathy. All this passes quickly. In practice, after 3-4 hours, patients walk and eat on their own.

 The next day the patient can go home, having received all the recommendations of a specialist. A more extended stay in the hospital is unnecessary at this stage of recovery after rhinoplasty.

First Stage: 0-7 Days

The operated nose is fixed with a special bandage, preventing bone displacement. It resembles the shape of a butterfly. It is essential to stabilize the result because even the slightest trauma can have a negative effect. Naturally, the bandage takes some getting used to. It is as comfortable as possible but can initially cause discomfort (tightness, heaviness, difficulty breathing).

In the first 3-7 days, swelling, numbness (nose and upper lip), and bruising on the skin may occur. These will gradually go away. All discomfort can be easily eliminated with painkillers.

During this period, it is recommended to sleep on your back to reduce swelling, as well as to take care of yourself (do not lift weights, do not bend over). In addition, it is worth refraining from makeup.

Second Stage: 7 Days to 2 Weeks

 During this period, swelling decreases, and bruises disappear. That is, leave visible traces of the operation. You can go to work, but there are some restrictions on sports, visiting saunas, baths, and swimming pools. Return to sports can be no earlier than 1 month after surgery. Visiting saunas, baths, and swimming pools should be resumed after 1.5 months.

Third Stage: 1 Month

Patients also wonder, “how long does rhinoplasty take to heal and see the preliminary result?” The answer is 1 month. Most often, it is 1 month after surgery scheduled for a visit to the plastic surgeon. Usually, a person looks excellent at this time, with no traces of the operation. Guided by your feelings, you can continue doing sports.

Late Recovery Period: 6-12 Months

The nose gets a more precise shape in 6-8 months. The final result of rhinoplasty is after 1 year.

We hope you found this rhinoplasty recovery blog article helpful. But if you still have doubts about doing a nose job, meet Dr. Kadir Kilimcioglu to get a consultation.