Rhinoplasty: Q&A

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How Long Does Swelling Last After Rhinoplasty Surgery?

I had rhinoplasty about a 2 weeks ago, currently the tip is quite swollen and the skin almost feels stretched or thicker? All of the other swelling is gone but the tip looks almost bigger than it did before. Is this normal? Usually how long will the swelling last?

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nose swelling

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5 Doctor Answers | Asked by KendraW in vancouver

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The tip is usually the last place for swelling to resolve after Rhinoplasty

Kendra, It sounds like you are going through the normal course of healing that everyone experiences. The swelling around the bony area of the nose always resolves quicker as the skin and soft tissue is thinner. Around the tip, the skin is not only thicker, but it is the most dependent area of the nose so swelling always takes longer to resolve. Just be patient and give it time. If you are not sure, take a picture of your nose at one month after surgery and at six months after surgery... more

Swelling after Rhinoplasty lasts about a year

After Rhinoplasty, it can take up to a year or longer for the tissues to completely settle and the swelling to resolve. While the majority of the swelling resolves within the first few months, the tissues continue to change over the next year.

Swelling after Rhinoplasty

It is VERY normal to have swelling at this stage after surgery. Although the length of time for swelling to resolve after rhinoplasty varies among patients (some taking up to 2 years), I tell my patients that swelling will resolve across the dorsum (bridge) in 6 months, while the tip and sidewalls (region where glasses sit) take 12 months. If you had an open procedure, tip edema tends to take a bit longer than for a closed rhinoplasty. You are now at the stage where you sit back, relax,... more

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Swelling from rhinoplasty is not gone in two weeks

Dear Kendra, I am sorry to say that in no case is the swelling gone in two weeks. Even if you were punched in the cheek, the swelling would take longer than two weeks to completely go away. On the nose, where a small amount of swelling can be visualized, at two weeks you have a long way to go. Furthermore, the tip tends to remain swollen longer than the other parts of the nose. Best of Luck!

Swelling can last a few months

The tip will feel thicker, hard, and woody in the postoperative phase for the first couple of months due to lymphatic edema, scar tissue and healing that has not completely subsided yet. The tip will look bigger for the first couple of weeks until the swelling comes down.

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