My smile has changed after rhinoplasty. 4 months post-op. Advice?

Question

I got my rhinoplasty 4 months back. My upper lip covers my teeth whenever I smile and it looks awkward. Most of the time i dont smile due to the reason that it looks very funny and my nose widens. When I consulted my doctor he suggested a alarplasty and I got it done a 3 days back. My upper lips are swollen and also like earlier covers my entire teeth when I smile. It looks so awkward that I feel I made a mistake by getting a nose job done.

Deepak Raj Dugar, MD · Answer

Hello!You are only 4 months out of surgery, so still give your self some time to heal. You still have swelling that will go away overtime which will cause everything else to settle. Be patient, it takes 1 full year for the entire dorsum (profile) and sidewalls of the nose to fully heal and for all the swelling to dissipate. Rhinoplasty healing is a tedious process because it is one of the only surgeries where we are not removing excess skin. It takes 3 years for the tip to fully heal (only if significant tip work is performed). The tip takes the longest time to heal and mold to the new framework because it is the thickest skin of the nose. The skin over the profile is thinner than the skin over the tip.Dr. Deepak Dugar MDBeverly Hills, CA

Ross A. Clevens, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question. Your nose will continue to change up until the 12 month post op mark. Please discuss your recovery progress and healing instructions with your medical team and board certified facial plastic surgeon. 
Best wishes,

Somyos Kunachak, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Hi Nainaruth,Unfortunately, you did not mention what kind of nose job you've done, augmentation or reduction. Generally however, there are a few conditions where rhinoplasty can result to your lip lowering (covering your teeth when you smile) post op - first, there is the rhinoplasty that involves premaxilla augmentation either by implant or cartilage; then there is the surgery that involves an intervention on the muscle on the sides of your nose (levator labii superioris aleaque nasi muscle); and a surgery that involves an intervention on the depressor septi muscle.However, at only 4 months post-op, you still have a few months of recovery to wait for the final result. Should this persist after 1 year, a correction surgery can be done.

My smile has changed after rhinoplasty. 4 months post-op. Advice?

Answers (3)

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