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Rhinoplasty Recovery Time + Downtime

What is the average rhinoplasty recovery time? When should I expect to be able to go out in public after a nose job, and when will the bandages come off?

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healing post-op recovery

Wedding or party after your Rhinoplasty

That is a great and common question. The sutures (if not absorbable), splint (internal and external) are removed around 6 to 7 days. Occasionally I will remove nostril sutures even earlier to improve scarring. Bruising and the intial major swelling should be gone by 10 to 14 days. Average bruising under the eyes is improved enough to be covered by makeup at 7 days. Then comes the actual recovery for how the nose starts to acheive its final "look". Initially, most patients can... more

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Ashkan Ghavami, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

+11

Rhinoplasty Recovery

SWELLINGThe nose undergoes significant changes in the first 2 to 12 weeks following rhinoplasty. The swelling gradually dissipates over the first several months and thus the appearance of the nose changes gradually.When the cast is removed after one week, the nose will look swollen.Usually by the end of the second week, the swelling and bruising have subsided enough that the casual observer will not readily notice that the nose has been operated on.To the patient, the nose will look swollen... more

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C. Spencer Cochran, MD

Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty recovery--a detailed timeline.

Until your external splint (plastic, metal, or plaster, usually secured with tape to your cheeks) comes off, it is evident you have had surgery. Most surgeons remove their rhinoplasty splints at 5-10 days after surgery. If your nasal bones have been reshaped (bump removed or upper nose narrowed), you will probably have some degree of periorbital bruising (black eyes) that takes a week or two to resolve. So, unless you will wear cover makeup (women) or "bronzer" (men) to cover your... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS

Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

You can expect a lot of changes the first few weeks after Rhinoplasty

The cast usually comes off after a week. At that time in the healing process, there will still be bruising, usually under the eyes. This lasts 2 weeks, regardless of the amount. And this varies from none to some, depending on whether the bones needed to be broken. The nose and surrounding chheks, upper lip and eyes will be swollen too. However the swelling will last much longer than the bruising. Not all the swelling will be gone for up to 6 months. That's a long time! However a good half... more

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Oakley Smith, MD

Toronto Facial Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty healing

In my practice, we see patients for primary and secondary rhinoplasty. Healing time can vary, but the general post-operative course I describe to my patients can include the following depending on what was done during the rhinoplasty: Post-op - for the first 3-5 days patients have a splint and nasal packing in place. Days 3-5 - the packing or internal nasal splint is removed and the external splint is changed. Any exterior sutures are removed (some patients will not have external sutures... more

Steven H. Williams, MD

San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

This would depend on the exact procedures being done. If...

This would depend on the exact procedures being done. If the bones are broken, technically referred to as osteotomies, they can take about 6 weeks to heal. In my practice, I see patients at one week to remove any external or internal splints which may have been placed during surgery. Most patients return to non-strenuous normal activities within a few days, though one week is a safe time period. I ask patients who underwent osteotomies to refrain from contact sports, picking up children, or... more

D.J. Verret, MD

Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon

Recovery Time

I recommend planning 4-5 days off from work. An important caveat, though is that some patients may have black eyes. Avoid any activity that will raise your blood pressure for 2 weeks post-Rhinoplasty. I also advise abstaining from high impact activities (jumping, running) for 6 weeks after Rhinoplasty. I usually leave an external splint for four- to five- days. It normally will take almost 18 months before you see the final shape of your new nose.

Paul C. Zwiebel, MD

Denver Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Rhinoplasty Recovery Time

Although the time it takes to recover from a rhinoplasty can vary from patient to patient depending on their biology as well as the type of rhinoplasty performed, it typically takes 7-10 days to look good enough to go in public without turning any heads.

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Amir M. Karam, MD

San Diego Facial Plastic Surgeon

Recovery time is not the same for everyone!

The first question I ask patients when they ask this question is..."Define recovery time." This is because every patient has different expectations. Patients will have a splint on for 5-6 days. However, almost all my patients are off pain pills and back to work within 2-3 days. If they are concerned about what they look like, the majority of bruising and swelling will be down by day 8-9 so that they can go to work and the public will not know that they have... more

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Raghu Athre, MD

Houston Facial Plastic Surgeon

Recovery

Most patients need to account for approximately one week to recover from a rhinoplasty. Although not particularly painful the most common complaint it that it’s just hard to breathe though the nose as you recover. While I don't place any packing inside the nose during or after surgery, there is usually scabbing, crusting and swelling of the tissues that blocks one’s airway. Bruising around the eyes is common especially when any bony work has been done and the bones were... more

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John Bitner, MD

Salt Lake City Facial Plastic Surgeon

Things to Do to Reduce Rhinoplasty Recovery Time

The splint will typically comes off in 5-6 days. You will notice an immediate, noticeable improvement in the shape and appearance of the nose. However it will take few months for majority of the swelling to resolve. Even though, an average patient may have some bruising early on, it typically resolves within a few days. Some specific things that you can do that will help with quicker recovery include 1. taking Arnica tablets, 2. taking pineapple extracts and vitamin C supplements, 4.... more

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Ali Sajjadian, MD

Orange County Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Rhinoplasty Recovery

Every individual is different and the actual rhinoplasty operations differ, so recovery ends up being on a spectrum. The greatest factor for being presentable in public is whether or not you develop "black eyes" after rhinoplasty. This is a bit random, but is more likely to occur if osteotomies are performed and is dependent on your immediate post operative activity levels. (Take it easy for the first 3 days and use cool compresses as directed.) The final result of the... more

Michael A. Bogdan, MD

Dallas Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Female noses usually look good in a week

You do not indicate your age or sex, but in general younger, female patients do very well with rhinoplasty. I favor the external approach and at one week the splint comes off as well as the sutures. Most of my patients will return to work or school looking a little swollen. Noses can take months or even years to achieve the final result but most of my patients feel comfortable going out into public at a week. A rhinoplasty in a male or a female with thick skin can be more complicated as... more

Ivan Wayne, MD

Oklahoma City Facial Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty recovery

Healing after a rhinoplasty can take up to one year to see the final result. However, once the splint is removed, you will see the obvious changes in contour even though there will still be noticeable swelling for the first several weeks to months after surgery. The finer or minor swelling takes up to a full year to completely dissipate. The nasal skin, cartilage and bone will take up to one year to heal but you can return to work in about one week, after the splint is removed. Visible... more

William Bruno, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Recovery After Rhinoplasty

While every patient's rhinoplasty recovery period is unique, healing after rhinoplasty surgery includes: Bandage and suture removal after 5-7 days "Restaurant Ready" in about 7-10 days. 75% of your results may be apparent at 3-4 weeks 100% of your results should apparent at 9-12 months Keep in-mind that these are general guidelines and your individual experience may vary. I hope this is helpful.

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David Mabrie, MD

Bay Area Facial Plastic Surgeon

Many factors will determine how quickly you will 'heal' from a nose job

Generally speaking, patients will notice an immediate change in their appearance the moment the splint is removed. Most initial healing and reduction of most swelling occurs during the first 2-3 months. One will notice diminution in the amount of swelling gradually over the next year (with thin skin) and up to two years (with thicker skin).

Sanjay Grover MD

Orange County Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

How Long to Heal After A Rhinoplasty?

Healing after a rhinoplasty has several components: 1. Bruising: May have little to no bruising depending on technique and surgeon. Can be present up to 10 days in some cases. 2. Facial swelling: Normal to have swelling along face, most disappears around one week. 3. Nasal Bones: If nasal bones are broken (term osteotomy) it will take up to 3 months to regain strength. Avoid contact sports during this time. 4. Intranasal swelling (Mucosal): Most swelling intranasal disappears... more

Anil R. Shah, MD

Chicago Facial Plastic Surgeon

It takes a full year - but changes will be seen sooner.

Here is my usual timeline: 5-7 days after when the splint comes off you usually see how the dorsum (bridge) looks. At three weeks you have about 60% of the result. It takes a full year for all of the swelling in the tip to go down. Don't try to rush it, give nature a chance to heal.

William B. Rosenblatt, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Rhinoplasty Recovery

Despite looking somewhat bruised and swollen and wearing a splint for 1 week, the recovery is relatively easy. Pain is usually only mild at 48 hours but nasal congestion continues for 1-2 weeks. I don’t use packing gauze so the problems associated with packing and removal are absent. When the splint is removed at 1 week, 75%-80% of the result is present. The rest of the result can take 6-12 months once low grade swelling subsides.

Harold J. Kaplan, MD

Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

Recovery time after rhinoplasty

Nasal splint removal after a rhinoplasty is 6-8 days after surgery. Most rhinoplasty patients can go into public 8-10 days after surgery without fear of strangers staring at them. There may be lingering bruising around the eyes which become yellow and disappear usually at day 10 and which usually responds to makeup very nicely. Going back to work 10-12 days after a surgery, most coworkers cannot tell that anything has been done to your nose (depending on what you had... more

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Thomas T. Le, MD

Baltimore Facial Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty recovery time and downtime

Most of the downtime is due to having a splint on the nose. I like to leave the splint on for 5 days. There may be some bruising of the eyelids if there is bony work done. The discomfort is mainly over the first 3-5 days. You will want to keep your head above your heart for the first month.

Kenneth L. Stein, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Rhinoplasty Recovery Time

For most patients, it is around 7 to 8 days before they are presentable without any obvious signs of having had rhinoplasty surgery. I rarely use nasal packing, so for the first 2 days the patient is usually able to breathe pretty well through the nose, and there will be some swelling around the eyes along with bruising. This swelling typically resolves at 2 to 3 days, then the nasal splint is typically removed on the 5th or 6th day, after which for 2 more days brown color matched tape is... more

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Jeffrey S. Epstein, MD

Miami Facial Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty Typical Recovery Period

Hello, Most people take one week off work but understand that they may still have signs of bruising and swelling at that time. Although they will be feeling good at that point and capable of doing all normal activities, they need to refrain from vigorous activities for two to three weeks and avoid trauma to the nose for a year following surgery. You can find out more about the typical recovery period from rhinoplasty including what activities you can do, by following the link below... more

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Thomas Buonassisi, MD

Vancouver Facial Plastic Surgeon

Typical rhinoplasty recovery time

Most patients have a nasal spline and/or sutures that are removed at 1 week. I would say most bruising will go away within 7-10 days maybe up to 2 weeks for most people. I usually tell patients to give themselves 2 weeks to return to work and 3-6 weeks to return to general exercise activities.

Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Recovery from rhinoplasty

Average rhinoplasty recovery time as follows: My casts come off between the third and seventh day. Patients may fly on the eighth day if they are returning to a home destination. Patients may resume all normal activity by the one month. Naturally, there are deviations from this but after 26 years of experience that is the usual recovery time.

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