What Is Recovery After a Nose Job Like?
- Posted on: Jan 30 2023
If you have a nose job scheduled, you probably can’t wait for the final results – and who can blame you? A nose job (or “rhinoplasty,” which is the medical term) can give you the nose you’ve always wanted, can correct the results of trauma or injury to the nose, or it can even help you to breathe and sleep better. However, you should know that after your surgery your nose will need some time to recover!
What Will I Feel Like After a Nose Job?
Right after the surgery, your nose and the area around your eyes will feel swollen, painful, and bruised, and you may have a dull headache. You may have to wear a splint on the nose for the first week, and you may have some drainage or bleeding from the nose. Most patients report that after the surgery they are only in minimal pain. You will be given prescription pain medication, but many patients find they can switch to an over-the-counter pain reliever fairly quickly.
The swelling will go down within 2 weeks to a month, although there may be a bit of swelling for up to a year. You’ll start to feel better and better each day, and you’ll be able to get back to most of your regular activities after about a month – in the first phase of healing, you shouldn’t do anything to increase your heart rate or anything that might risk hurting your tender nose. Your doctor will give you a list of other things to avoid as well, which may include: blowing your nose; swimming and showering (so that you don’t get any water in the nose); wearing glasses (to avoid putting pressure on the nose); sunbathing; smoking (which can slow down the healing process); drinking alcohol; wearing makeup (so that you don’t touch the site as it’s recovering); and laughing too hard.
You are no doubt looking forward to your “new” nose after your rhinoplasty procedure! If you haven’t scheduled your procedure yet, contact the office of Dr. David Altamira, in Sugarland or Houston. Call (713) 271-9000 for an appointment today!
Posted in: Rhinoplasty
