It has been almost 3 years since my Rhinoplasty and it was one heck of a journey. I have oily skin and I break out easily. I was told if you have this type of “thick” skin it’ll take the swelling the swelling longer to go down. I would say it took my swelling a year and a half to go away completely. I had a wide nose and a dorsal hump I wanted fixed, my surgeon made my nose thinner and gave it a beautiful feminine slope. Here is my timeline:
After surgery: wake up with a cast on, very disoriented and woozy. My eyes are starting to swell on both sides and bruising gets worse overnight but I sleep through most of the night while on meds at the hotel.
Following day: Eyes bruised and swollen but I can still see. Not in much pain at all. I get approved to head home (2 hour drive). My throat is KILLING me, it’s from the tube they use during surgery and my throat will continue to be the most painful part of recovery over the next week.
1 week Post op: Cast comes off, my nose is hideous! My bridge looks tiny and my tip looks HUGE. Surgeon says it looks good... I’m thinking this man is crazy. Still some bruising.
2 weeks post: bruising basically all gone, stitches are in my nose and are to come out/dissolve on their own. Lots of dried blood in there. Can’t breathe out my nose to save my life.
3 weeks post to 6 months: Nose is numb, only painful if someone hits it (which at the time my boyfriend did a few times...) and the tip remains hideous. I hated my nose for months and months, thinking I made a mistake.
6 months to a year+: Swelling goes down, tip gains definition slowly but surely, getting more compliments from friends and I’m becoming happier with my decision.
I am two months away from my 2 year mark and I can say I have all the feeling in my nose, and I LOVE IT. This was such a difficult journey that I wasn’t expecting to have such a toll on my emotional well-being but I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Enjoy the photos!