Getting a nose job is really exciting. Whether it’s because you’re finally getting your nose reshaped after years of being dissatisfied with it, or simply because you broke it and it’s now out of place (ouch!) anticipating the final results is a fun waiting game.
If you’ve never had rhinoplasty before (i.e. this isn’t a revision rhinoplasty) then you probably have a few questions about the recovery times following your rhinoplasty surgery. When will I be able to go back to work without a plaster? When will all the swelling go down? And perhaps – most importantly – when will I see the final results from my surgery?
Like all surgeries, it takes some time to make a full recovery, both for your body and the way that you look following. There are a number of factors that will influence your recovery time, and they are important to remember.
Recovery factors include:
- Your general health going into the surgery
- Your general health after the surgery
- Your age
- Whether you are a smoker
- Whether you follow the doctor’s orders
- Whether you ensure you rest enough after surgery and don’t do too much at once
- How complex the surgery was
All these factors contribute to the length of your recovery time. Most people will be fairly healthy going into and coming out of surgery, will be non-smokers, will follow the doctor’s orders correctly, and generally, for a rhinoplasty, it isn’t a very complex surgery, and you won’t be under the knife for very long.
For these people, you will recover significantly from the surgery in the first few weeks. You’ll likely have a fair bit of bruising and swelling around the nose and eye area during this time, but it will subside within this time period.
After this, the swelling will be fairly minimal, but still a little noticeable in some people, out to the 2 to 3-month mark, when it will probably only be of minor notice to you, or perhaps even imperceptible (“what did I look like before again?”).
After a full year, your nose will have settled completely, and any residual swelling will be long gone. This is how you will look from now on unless you decide on a revision rhinoplasty again later on down the track. If you are concerned about how your nose looks, wait at least three months to assess, and preferably a year so that everything has settled. Jumping the gun and rushing into another surgery is never a good idea and puts you at risk of complications. The more surgeries you have on the one area, the more unpredictable the results can get, too. It’s a good idea to hold off as long as possible if you are considering this option.
Like we mentioned, your recovery depends on your general health after surgery. If you get sick with a serious illness, your body will be trying to recover from two things at once, which will stretch out your recovery time. This may also be the case if you decide to undergo multiple surgeries at once, for example, a brow lift too.
The best way to recover as swiftly as possible is to stay healthy. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables with lean meats or other proteins if you are a vegetarian, and return to healthy exercise when the doctor says that it’s possible. This way you’ll be able to see the final results of your rhinoplasty surgery as soon as possible.
If you are concerned about how long it is taking you to heal, make sure to book in for an appointment again with your surgeon. They will be able to assess how well your recovery is coming along and whether they have any further advice on treatment or what you should be doing. Many surgeons include follow up appointments as part of their schedule of fees included with the surgery.
