Top 5 Milestones of Healing that Typically Occur After Rhinoplasty

If you have ever wanted to change the way your nose looks, you’re not alone. Many people want to alter the shape, size, or structure of their nose to enhance their appearance. The nose tends to be the focal point of the face, and if there are certain imperfections in the nasal structure, they can distract from your other facial features.

While contouring with cosmetics can give the illusion of a different nose shape, rhinoplasty is the only way to change the way your nose looks permanently. For this reason, rhinoplasty is one of the most popular plastic surgical procedures in the world. 

The procedure works by removing or repositioning the bones and cartilage in your nose to change the way it looks. 

When seeking a rhinoplasty procedure, most patients are concerned about the recovery process. Find out what it’s like to heal from rhinoplasty by reading about the 5 milestones that occur during the recovery process.

1. Returning Home After Surgery

The first milestone in your rhinoplasty aftercare journey is returning home after surgery. Most rhinoplasty procedures are performed on an outpatient basis, which means that you can return home the same day as your procedure. 

You will be monitored for several hours in an aftercare area before being discharged to return home. This is to ensure that you wake up fully from anesthesia and feel well after surgery.
In some cases, you may need to stay overnight for monitoring after your rhinoplasty. This is rare and typically applies to patients who are getting extensive procedures or have extenuating circumstances.

2. Removal of Sutures and Dressing

Once you’ve returned home after your rhinoplasty, the next milestone in your recovery will be having your dressings removed. 

You will have sutures, bandaging, and potentially a small splint in place when you go home from your surgery. These provide added support to the vulnerable skin, cartilage, and bones of your nose during the first few days of recovery. 

About one week after your treatment, your sutures and bandaging can come off. If you have a splint in place, it may need to remain for another week for additional support.

3. Reduced Swelling and Bruising

After a rhinoplasty procedure, it is normal to have some swelling and bruising around your nose. The swelling and bruising are due to the manipulation of your nasal tissues during the surgical process. 

These typically last for one to two weeks after your procedure. When the swelling and bruising begin to subside, you will know that you’re reaching the next milestone in your healing process.

4. Returning to Exercise and Other Activities

The cartilage, bones, and other tissues in your nose are delicate. When your rhinoplasty is complete, these tissues will be especially vulnerable for several weeks. For about four to six weeks after your rhinoplasty, you will need to avoid strenuous activities that could cause stress or trauma to the nasal tissues. 

Strenuous activities include exercise, contact sports, heavy lifting, and other similar tasks. About one month after your procedure, your surgeon will evaluate your healing process to determine whether you can resume your normal activities again. If you are cleared for exercise, you have reached another milestone in your healing journey.

5. Seeing Your Final Results

The last milestone of your rhinoplasty journey will be seeing your final results. It takes several weeks for swelling and bruising to completely subside and for your nasal tissues to settle into their new placement.

For most patients, final results are visible in six to eight weeks. Once you have reached this point, you have completed all of the milestones in your rhinoplasty recovery.