Tania Hassanzadeh, MD

Hi there! After any rhinoplasty, especially multiple revisions, it is very common to have altered sensation of your nasal tip and a "woody" feel. I expect the sensation of your tip will improve over the course of 12-18 months, and likely go back to normal, but it is a possibility that it will always feel a little different (whether that's numb or more sensitive). The stiffness or firmness should improve greatly over the next year, even after multiple revisions. However, the degree of improvement depends on whether grafting was done to your tip, what material (i.e. septal, ear, or rib cartilage) and how much was used, and exactly where/in what orientation it was placed. Sometimes I will consider a small injection of steroid after 3 months post-op to move this process along.

Regarding contact sports, unfortunately yes: your nose will always be more susceptible to injury than prior to surgery, especially if the bones were broken in (i.e. osteotomies were done) or grafts were placed to bring up your bridge or tip. I always advise my patients to avoid contact sports as much as possible and to wear a face mask if absolutely unavoidable. I wouldn't consider contact sports for an absolutely minimum of 3 months, but 1 year realistically.

You are best served by asking these questions of your surgeon too, because only she or he knows your history and will be able to counsel you best! Hope this helps!