Is There Any Hope my Nose Will Look Smaller?

I am 4 1/2 months post Rhinoplasty. Not real happy with the outcome of my surgery, my nose is not at all like I had hoped. I see my surgeon again in February. Hearing advice from the surgeons on this site helps so much. I know that all say the true result will be in a year. Will I see my nose get smaller?

I still have some tenderness and swollen membrane inside my nostrils. I am healing very well all in all. Is there any hope my nose with contour and look smaller? Thank you in advance!

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7 Doctor Answers | Asked by mynewme in orange park florida

Doctor Answers (7)
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Yes there is hope

Though Rhinoplasty surgery does take a long time to completely heal, I typically see the majority of swelling resolve after the first month or two. The remainder of swelling will resolve over the following 10 plus months. However, in patients with a very large nose in combination with very thick skin, this process can take up to two years. Also, the fact that you mention the membranes inside of your nose are swollen, I can assume that you still have a fair amount of healing to do. For... more

Give it some more time

You won't really be getting to your final result for 2 years although you are probably seeing 90% of it now. The best idea is to give nature time to help you get to your own best healing point. The only reason to consider some sort of early revision would be if there were clearly something wrong which it doesn't sound like there is in your case.

Resolution of postoperative swelling after rhinoplasty

At this point of your postoperative phase you should get a good idea of what your final result will be. Of course there will still be some resolution of swelling and some minor nasal remodeling for up to a year. There is some variability in how fast the nasal swelling resolves, depending on extent of nasal trauma during surgery, nasal skin thickness, overall size of pre-op nose, open vs closed technique, etc. Since you state that there is still some... more

There is Hope That the Nose Will Look Smaller and More Contoured As Time Passes After Rhinoplasty

Hi MyNewMe, Your new nose should get "smaller" and improve in contour as time goes on. Following rhinoplasty as swelling and scar tissue evolve, the nose seems to get smaller. A nose will ultimately look only as good as the underlying structure that was left behind by the operating surgeon. Unfortunately there are many patients whose noses look fabulous when the splint and tape are removed only to have a "shrink-wrap effect" take place over the subsequent 2 to 5 years.... more

Michael A. Persky, MD

21 reviews

Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

drpersky.com

Full healing does take a year

Full healing does take one year. Some studies show that there is further contraction and healing over the next two to five years after a rhinoplasty. However, the results of this are subtle. Your nose will become smaller between the fourth and twelfth month. The nose internally, externally, and especially at the tip stays tender for the first six months after the surgery.

Yes it absolutely will get smaller

The selling takes at least one year to resolve and up to two years in patients with very thick skin. So enjoy the results knowing that they will just get better every month.

Toby Mayer, MD

7 reviews

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.bevhills.com

Patience is a virtue

Depending on the type of rhinoplasty that you had - open vs. closed, as well as the thickness of the skin on your nose, the time until final results can vary widely. In any event, be patient and good things will come.