How long is it normal to have swelling after rhinoplasty?

The amount of swelling and how long it persists after rhinoplasty depends on several factors such as the surgeon's technique, open versus closed approach, whether the nasal bones were broken, and the number of prior nasal surgeries.
Patients in whom open rhinoplasty techniques were used, cases in which the nasal bones were broken, and a history of one or more previous nasal surgeries often will have more prolonged swelling.
During the first week, most patients will have moderate swelling . Usually, by the end of the second week, much of the bruising and swelling have subsided to the point that it is not obvious to the casual observer that the patient has had surgery.
However, the nose will look swollen or puffy to the patient for 3 to 4 months. It usually takes a full year for the residual swelling to resolve and the final result be apparent.

Hello and thank you for your question. The swelling lasts a long time in certain patients. I always advise my patients that the final result takes at least 1.5 years for the swelling to fully resolve. Steroid injections performed by your surgeon can be extremely helpful after surgery. I start these as early as one month after surgery. I recommend that you maintain close follow up with your board-certified plastic surgeon who can evaluate you in person.

Best wishes and good luck.

Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

The recovery process after a rhinoplasty looks different based on a number factors including extent of surgery, primary vs revision, patient skin thickness, etc. etc. That being said, in general it can take 12-18 months for swelling to fully resolve. A large portion of this is completed in the first few months after surgery, but patients will typically continue to see subtle improvements in the level of swelling over the subsequent year or so. Often this is most notable in the nasal tip as this area tends to hold on to swelling a bit longer than the rest of the nose. It can certainly be a concerning process for patients as they await for the swelling to fully resolve, but there are a few things that can sometimes help. Elevating the head of the bed or sleeping on several pillows can help by employing gravity to let the swelling travel "downhill". Intermittent use of ice packs wrapped in a towel can also help with some of the swelling. Even things like maintaining a healthy, low-sodium diet may prevent some of this fluid from sticking around. It is important to have a good relationship with your surgeon during this process who can evaluate you and determine if you have more swelling than average and whether any further intervention or recommendation may help this process.
Hope this helps and best of luck! Kyle Kimura, MD