Will I be Able to Treat my Post Rhinoplasty Nose as Normal?

I had a very traumatic experience after my rhinoplasty. I am healing fine I think, but I am worried about touching and washing my nose. Will I always have to be concerned? I did not plan on feeling this way, but I fear I'll never be able to rub my nose, or touch it the way I used to. I never really knew how much I touched my face/nose until I was told not to. So is It possible to just treat my nose normally again, without always thinking about it? Thanks so much for your time.

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4 Doctor Answers | Asked by Cbus7950

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Healing after Rhinoplasty surgery

The good news is the answer is yes! Your nose should feel completely back to normal twelve to sixteen months post surgery. You may treat your nose fairly normally after the first three months especially when discussing simple things like washing, touching etc. The only restrictions you may have after the sixteen month period is for patients who scuba dive who may have sensitivity due to the mask and snorkel equipment. Other then this you should be back to normal and on to your daily... more

Michael Elam, MD

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Orange County Facial Plastic Surgeon

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Worried about Rhinoplasty

Your nose should be rock solid by 1 year after the Rhinoplasty and many, of my, Rhinoplasty patients achievce this at 6-9 months but I gave you an extra few months based on your comments of a rough post op Rhinoplasty experience. You should be able to treat your nose as you did before.

Post Rhinoplasty

Apprehension about manipulating the nose following a rhinoplasty is normal because of the swelling and tenderness. However, 3-4 weeks after surgery the soft tissues are sufficiently healed to allow normal handling of the nose. Your anxiety will gradually disappear with time.

When to Treat Your Nose Like Normal After Rhinoplasty

After a rhinoplasty your nose will always be slightly more delicate than before surgery. The key word here is "slightly" however. Within 3 or 4 months the typical rhinoplasty nose will be within a few percentage points of its pre-surgical strength. There are some unusual situations were a rhinoplasty has been done to reconstruct a severely damaged nose where this is not true and you will need to ask your surgeon. I ask my patients to wait 2 months after... more