What is the exact healing process after Rhinoplasty?

After rhinoplasty the situation is relatively stable within a week or so. By six weeks it would take nearly as much force to damage the result as it would to break the nose in an un-operated upon state.

Although everyone heals differently after a rhinoplasty procedure, there are certain norms that you can expect. If your surgery requires a nasal fracture, your bone will never be as strong as it originally was. Most patients notice a lot of external healing within the first few weeks following their rhinoplasty. These are the changes that you will notice when you look in the mirror. Any swelling and bruising should start to resolve and you can begin to enjoy the results of your rhinoplasty. In terms of internal swelling, it can take up for 2 years to completely go away. You won’t be able to tell from the outside, but the inside of your nose may take up to two years to completely heal. I recommend asking your surgeon about any other specific things to expect, as they will know the details about exactly what is being done during your rhinoplasty procedure.

The cosmetic result after rhinoplasty surgery is dynamic, and changes slowly over time. Allow yourself twelve months of recovery before critically evaluating your rhinoplasty result. The internal structure of the nose heals quickly, but scar formation and post operative swelling resolution does change the appearance of the nose over time.

Healing following rhinoplasty is patient dependent, and can be a bit unpredictable. Swelling usually takes about one year to subside, but 80% of swelling is usually gone by two months post-op. Bones take about 6-8 weeks to heal with callous formation following fracture. However, that does not mean that your nose will be as strong after surgery as it was before. In fact, it can be weaker unless proper structural support is placed...which is why I am a fan of open structure rhinoplasty techniques.

I generally allow my patient to wear sunglasses at 6-8 weeks time.  By then the bones have healed sufficiently.  However, it does take about 1 year before the shape of the nose stops changing.  The majority of changes occur during the first 6 months, but it isn't until 1 year postop that we can say all the swelling is gone.Hope that helps.