Is Tanning Okay After Rhinoplasty?

Hello! Thank you for your question! After any surgical procedure, you should be careful with incisions as well as avoidance of direct UVA and UVB rays in order to lessen the chance for hyperpigmentation of the skin and scars, which can take several months to resolve, if it ever does. As the tissue was elevated off of your nose along with any oother adjunct procedures, minimizing trauma to the area is critical for such a delicate procedure as the rhinoplasty. The ability of the affected area to heal has been slowed and you should try to avoid additional swelling to the area. The area will likely be numb for several weeks to months and will be difficult to feel when sunburn is coming on. Typical recommendations include wearing a hat and/or sunblock to the affected area for at least 6-12 weeks following the procedure. Certainly discuss the postoperative instructions with your surgeon, as thoughts differ among surgeons. Hope that this helps! Best wishes!

The "good doctor" answer is that you should always wear sun-screen when out in direct sunlight for an extended period of time.  However, with incisions all inside the nostrils, you should be able to sun all you want without having an effect on your rhinoplasty results.  Have fun on your vacation!

It is important to avoid exposing your nose to the sun for extended periods of time for the first 6 months following surgery. If it is necessary to be in the sun, I would recommend a high spf suncreen and protective hat if possible. I hope this helps, and I wish you the best of luck.

I would suggest that  you not expose yourself to direct sunlight this early after your procedure. If you are going on vacation, I would suggest a facial sunscreen with a high spf and hat or umbrella to protect your face from the sun.  Even though the risk is low, if you sustain a sun burn to your nose it can complicate your healing.  I would suggest you protect your face.  Good Luck

Rhinoplasty (open OR closed) lifts the nasal skin from the underlying support structures in order to sculpt and reposition bones/cartilage to give the new nasal appearance. This cuts sensory nerves, and makes the nasal skin totally numb for many months until these nerves heal!

At 2-3 weeks post-op your bruising is gone and you look just fine, but your nasal skin is going to be quite numb, and sunburn or frostbite (if you were gong skiing instead of sunning) can damage your skin without the "normal" pain response that warns you of "too much sun" or "too much cold."

I have seen blisters and permanent color change or scarring from inadvertent burn or freeze in surgically-numb skin. Be careful! Use a full sunblock on your nose and realize that you won't get the usual signals that your nose has "had enough" and is heading for "too much!". Best wishes and safe travels! Dr. Tholen

in general plastic surgeons are big advocates of deliberate tanning.  we are in the business of helping people stay young looking.  excess uv radiation (sun light / tanning booths) can acclerate the aging of the skin.

   Sun exposure of an intermittent nature will probably have a negligible effect on a closed rhinoplasty, but attempting to tan and risking a burn that early following rhinoplasty is asking for a problem.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Tanning should be find after your procedure.  We generally do not like surgical incisions to be exposed to sunlight after surgery.  Some surgeons will ask patients to not expose scars like this for a year after surgery.   However, if your surgery was done closed, meaning no external incisions, you should be safe to go in the sun.  Please ask your surgeon for his advice as well.

Best of luck with your surgey and enjoy your vacation.

Thanks for your question.

In general, your nose has less natural protection from the sun right after rhinoplasty. All the tissue was just elevated off of the internal structure of the nose, including the bone and cartilage, and blood vessels were coagulated in order to do this. There fore we weakened the nose's natural defense since we weakened its blood supply. This blood supply grows back , but it can take quite a bit of time to happen. In the first 6 weeks, your nose is less naturally resistant to UV rays and is more likely to burn and get discolored. Also, since your nose is mostly numb early on, its less likely that you are to notice the problem until its too late. I recommend you stay out of the sun as much as possible in the first 6 weeks after surgery. If you are in the sun for short periods of time, stay in the shade, and wear a big hat and a good sunblock. Do not wear sun glasses in the first 6 weeks, or any glasses for that matter, if osteotomies were performed, (breaking of the nasal bones). You can get your nose wet as soon as the splint comes off, but I would be careful about chlorinated pools early on until the incision is fully healed an more mature, as the chlorine can irritate the incision. The gym and anything that increases you blood pressure will increase the swelling of your nose and delay your healing time. I recommend 6 weeks for this as well.Best Wishes, Pablo Prichard, MD

Please be sure to keep your nose covered when outdoors for extended periods of time. Tanning so soon after surgery may be harmful to the healing tissues. Your best bet is to use a sunscreen with a high SPF in conjunction with a hat.