If you’re booked in for a rhinoplasty, then it’s a good idea for you to learn about the entire process. After a rhinoplasty, you can go right home and start your recovery journey. Any bruising that does develop, will reduce with every day that goes by. Swelling is also very normal, with the swelling on the bridge of the nose going down first, due to the skin being thinner. The swelling on the tip of the nose will take longer, but it will always reduce within the recovery time frame suggested by your plastic surgeon. If you’re interested in knowing more about rhinoplasty recovery, or if you want to prepare for your upcoming surgery, then take a look below.
Understanding Rhinoplasty Recovery
As a general rule, most people who undergo a rhinoplasty feel better within 10 days. There are a lot of factors to consider though, including the complexity of your surgery. Typically, you will have a splint on your nose for the first five days. After ten days, the nose will be healed to the point where you can resume any exercise programs. The only limitation you’ll have after this point would be with contact sports. For the tissue to fully weld back together after rhinoplasty surgery, it can take up to 6 weeks, so avoid anything that could cause tissue damage during this time.
Understanding Rhinoplasty Recovery
As a general rule, most people who undergo a rhinoplasty feel better within 10 days. There are a lot of factors to consider though, including the complexity of your surgery. Typically, you will have a splint on your nose for the first five days. After ten days, the nose will be healed to the point where you can resume any exercise programs. The only limitation you’ll have after this point would be with contact sports. For the tissue to fully weld back together after rhinoplasty surgery, it can take up to 6 weeks, so avoid anything that could cause tissue damage during this time.
The First Week Post-Surgery
After the first day of surgery, you need to get moving. This can be challenging, but it’ll help blood flow and it’ll speed up your recovery. During this time you may experience swelling, discomfort, and bruising. Although most of this will be localized to the nose, you should take note that it may also affect the eye area. Post-operative instructions include keeping your head elevated and avoiding too much physical strain. Although you do need to move around, knowing when to rest is also so important. You’ll want to avoid blowing your nose too, as this can interfere with the healing process.
Some of the things you can do during this time include applying a cold compress to reduce swelling and discomfort. Your surgeon may have prescribed you some pain relief, so take this according to their instructions. While most of the swelling happens within the first two or three days, it will decrease over the space of the week. Bruising will subside after the first week, so you’ll be on track for recovery in no time.
Signs of Successful Healing
There are some big signs that your nose is healing as it should be. One of them is that the swelling begins to subside. The swelling from the procedure will decrease in just a few days. Another sign that your healing is going as planned is if your nasal splint can be removed. It’s important to keep track of any persistent swelling or worsening symptoms because you can then report them back to your surgeon. Bruising should also go down with time, but it’s very normal for this to take a little longer depending on the procedure you’re having.
Tips to Speed up Recovery
If you want to speed up the recovery process for your rhinoplasty, then you can find some helpful pointers below.
Eat a Good Diet
Eating a nutritious diet is so important. Foods that are rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C can help your wounds to heal and they can also greatly improve your energy levels. High-protein foods, such as meat, nuts, eggs, and beans can also help your tissue to heal. Spicy foods can aggravate the nose, so avoid them to help alleviate swelling.
Cold Compress
A cold compress is one of the best ways for you to alleviate swelling. It can also help you to reduce discomfort, so doing this at least once a day is recommended. Your surgeon may recommend you apply a cold compress more often, depending on the surgery you have undergone.
Avoid Showers
Steamy showers, saunas, and nice hot bowls of soup might seem good if you want to alleviate nasal swelling, but you should avoid them if possible. Heat causes tissue to swell, so stick to a diet of room-temperature foods, and make sure that your showers are lukewarm if possible.
Don’t Wear Glasses
Sunglasses, prescription glasses, and even reading glasses all put pressure on the nose. They can also lead to additional swelling or bruising. If you have glasses that leave indentations then could lead to revision rhinoplasty later on. Your plastic surgeon will tell you when you can wear glasses again. If you have to wear glasses, consider ones that have the lightest frame, or wear contacts.
Stay out of the Sun
If you want to speed up your rhinoplasty then you need to protect your skin from sun exposure. Too much sun can cause scarring to darken permanently, and it can also cause swelling to increase as well.
Don’t Smoke
Before and after your surgery, you need to avoid smoking. Nicotine limits blood flow, meaning your body will take longer to heal. Avoiding second-hand or passive smoke is also very important.
When to Consult Your Doctor
If you are concerned about your rhinoplasty recovery then consult your doctor if you feel as though your recovery is taking longer than it should, or if the swelling isn’t going down after 5 days. You may also want to talk to your doctor if there are signs of infection, such as a fever, or if there is a lot of redness near the incision site. Heavy bleeding, scarring, number for extended periods, or losing your sense of smell should also be brought up to your plastic surgeon, as this could indicate that there is an issue that needs to be dealt with.
If you’d like to book a rhinoplasty, or if you’d like to talk with one of our plastic surgeons about your recovery, call us at 218-724-7363. You can also use the email form here if you’d rather type to us instead.