If you’re preparing for rhinoplasty, plan on a little downtime. You’ll need time after the procedure to heal before you resume your daily activities. Many of our patients have questions about the recovery process and want to know how long recovery takes. The answer isn’t simple. Recovery occurs in stages. You’ll be able to return to work much sooner than you’ll be fully healed. Here are some basic guidelines about what to expect during each stage of the recovery process. Dr. Sajjadian can give you personalized advice and recommendations during your consultation.
The First Few Days
After rhinoplasty, your nose will be placed in a splint and heavily bandaged. Dr. Sajjadian typically removes this splint at 5-6 days post-surgery. Many patients choose to return to work around this time. You’ll notice and immediate improvement in the shape and appearance of your nose at this point, even though some swelling and bruising will remain. Many patients are able to return to work, do light activity, go out in public, etc. within a few days of surgery.
To help with a quicker recovery, you can do a few things at home, including taking Arnica tablets, drinking pineapple juice and taking vitamin C supplements, sleeping with the head of your bed elevated and applying cold compresses for the first few days.
A Few Weeks After Surgery
After a few weeks of healing, you can resume light exertion exercise. Take it easy and certainly avoid full-contact sports, but you can start moving and exercising again. Dr. Sajjadian will explain which activities you can resume and which should be avoided. Following your recovery instructions is essential for the best results.
Swelling can take quite a while to fully resolve. You should see great improvement a couple of months after surgery, but some swelling can remain for a year or more. Be patient and give the swelling time to resolve. It will get better, but you do need to be patient. Choosing a highly skilled, triple-board-certified plastic surgeon like Dr. Sajjadian is important. The swelling does take time to resolve, but in the meantime, you can remain confident that your new nose will look amazing based on the surgical expertise of your selected surgeon.
Six Months Post-Op
After six months, you can usually resume contact sports and heavy physical activity. You may want to protect your nose using a nose guard or a facial mask. At this time, you should see dramatic improvement in the swelling of your nose and will be able to get a good idea of what your final result should look like.
A Year Post-Rhinoplasty
After a year, your nose will have healed substantially. Many patients no longer have swelling. When correcting the rhinoplasty results from other surgeons, Dr. Sajjadian typically requires a waiting period of at least a year. This allows the swelling to fully resolve encouraging better results from the revision rhinoplasty. Choosing your surgeon carefully can help you to avoid the need for revision surgery down the road.
Call us today and schedule your rhinoplasty consultation with Dr. Sajjadian.