Post Op Swelling for Bulbous Tip

I tell all of my patients that it will take at least 1 year to see that most of the swelling in the nasal tip to go away. By 3-4 months about 80% will have gone down. It also depends on the patient and the thickness of the skin. I would tell you that all of my patients have almost no change in their nasal tip at 3 weeks, unless they had a dramatically enlarged tip. Just imagine that the skin overlying the tip has been stretched out for your entire life, its going to take more then 3... more

Your tip is swollen and normal. You will see significant improvement over the next 3 months, but the final result will take at least 1 year.

The tip remains swollen for many months after surgery.  I would expect a small reduction in swelling by 6 weeks, but it will really take a full year for you to see the entire result from surgery.  Some surgeons like to inject a steroid to assist in reducing the swelling, but this is very surgeon-dependent.  If you are concerned about the amount of swelling, I suggest speaking with your surgeon.  Good luck, /nsn.

For patients, swelling in the tip after rhinoplasty can be frustrating, though this is the area where the swelling and stiffness will take the longest to resolve. The tip will thin and visibly change up to 12 months after the procedure. Even surgeons dislike waiting this out, though if not respected the 'final' result can pinch and deform if there is not enough support remaining. Perhaps your surgeon was talking about swelling in a general way. Be patient and good results should... more

Rhinoplasty swelling occurs both on the outside and inside of the nose. It is normal to feel congested and have nasal obstruction and postnasal drip immediately after rhinoplasty surgery. Patients are generally "restaurant ready" and socially acceptable within 2 weeks. Most swelling after rhinoplasty resolves within a month. The final 20% of swelling takes a much longer time to resolve, up to a year or longer after surgery. Fortunately, this final swelling is usually only... more

Give it more time to reduce in size. The nose is unique in plastic surgery requiring all of 1 year to get rid of the expected swelling. We use a medical ultrasound device weekly in the first 6 weeks to speed this process along for our Rhinoplasty patients. Dr. G

Hi, As you have probably heard many times, 3 weeks is too soon to judge your rhinoplasty results.  Especially the tip.  Be patient and you should see gradual improvement over the next few months.  Discuss your concerns with your rhinoplasty surgeon. Good luck and be well. Dr. P