Can Rhinoplasty be problematic in winter?

As a surgeon who does many rhinoplasty's and practices in one of the colder places in the United States I can assure you that there's nothing dangerous about having rhinoplasty in the wintertime. That being said normal frostbite precautions  always should be taken!

Seasons won't really effect the results or increase your chance of getting sick. A rhinoplasty will make your nose "feel" like a bad cold whenever you have the procedure. If you have a season where your allergies are really bad or you always get sick then  you may want to wait for a time other that then.

During the first year the skin is still healing and should be protected. If you engage in outdoor activities in very cold weather you should be careful to avoid frost bite. When outdoors in intense sun, protection from the sun should be done. 

Rhinoplasty is perfectly fine year round. While you might catch a cold in the winter you have the risk of a sunburn during the summer time. I am actually more concerned when my patients develop sunburns either before or after rhinoplasty. If winter is the best time for you to pursue surgery, go for it. I would caution you in the first few months to avoid prolonged exposure to the cold as the nasal tip can be a little more cold sensitive and tender following surgery. Good luck!Stephen Weber MD, FACSDenver Facial Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty is performed during the summertime and wintertime without any problems. Its important not to go outdoors for an extended period of time, such as snow skiing in subfreezing whether when the tip of the nose is still numb.This is important to prevent frostbite. Closed rhinoplasty techniques would be preferential than open rhinoplasty in this scenario. For many examples, please see the link below

In Chicago winter can be severe, and the cold risk here is frostbite during the healing. Circulation changes and decreased feeling in the tip might make the tip of the nose cold sensitive so be carefull outside if things are nasty.

Hi there. In my experience, people have similar experiences from rhinoplasty regardless of when they choose to have it done. The cold won't really influence how quickly the swelling goes down. We do recommend applying ice packs for a day or so, but after that, I don't think it would really matter. Keep your head elevated, watch your salt intake, and wait it out. If you get a cold immediately after you've had nasal surgery, you'll be more congested than you otherwise would be, but this can be managed without too much trouble. One thing I have noticed is that people who have an open rhinoplasty can have sensitive nasal tips, particularly when cold wind is blowing. But my patients who noticed this didn't say anything about it until a few months following their procedures.Good luck. Whatever time of year you do it will work out well.