I Am Going on a Vacation in Hawaii After One Month Post Op Rhinoplasty. Will This Be Ok?

Question

It's my summer vacation and one month of being inside the house is killing me. I know I must avoid the sun. If I go to hawaii and sit on the beach with an umbrella and sunscreen on would it still be an issue. Is it only the sun that i should be avoiding or the heat of the weather all together? I dont want to be indoors all the time. Any advice?

Sam Rizk, MD · Answer

Generally speaking, you should be cleared to take a vacation by
the one-month mark of your rhinoplasty recovery. At this point, you should be
okay’ed to fly, though your surgeon must be the one to give you
the final decision on this. As for enjoying your time in Hawaii, I would advise
that you be mindful of your recovering nose while on your vacation. Do not
participate in water activities or strenuous physical activities, and be sure
to regularly apply sunscreen to your healing nose. Your nose could still refine after a rhinoplasty especially if there was graft work done or if there is thick skin. As long as you are being
cautious and are being practical about what you can and can’t
participate in, your recovery should not interfere with your plans to go to
Hawaii.

Benjamin C. Stong, MD · Answer

It is perfectly fine for you to go on your vacation one month after rhinoplasty. The bones of the nose, assuming your surgeon had to fracture the bones, are very stable. Still, I would avoid situations were your nose could receive contact or trauma, such as contact sports. As alway, you should use sun block on the nose for general good skin health.

Gregory Turowski, MD, PhD, FACS · Answer

You will be perfectly fine on your well deserved vacation. At this point traveling by plane is safe for you. Go and relax, but still be careful. Please protect yourself from the sun- use sunscreen and avoid direct sun on your face, especially nose area. You are still only 4 weeks after the surgery, so take it easy and do not overdo it. Allow yourself about 6 weeks before diving and going back to contact sports. You can enjoy nice walks on the beach. Have fun and be safe. At this point you are also

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD · Answer

There is no contraindication to vacation one month after rhinoplasty. Is essentially a stable is it would be had no rhinoplasty been done.

Steven L. Ringler, MD, FACS · Answer

If you are already 4 weeks post-op after your rhinoplasty and you have a vacation planned, you should discuss the details with your own plastic surgeon as to whether or not this is advised. Typically, as long as the heat is not excessive and you are under an umbrella with sunscreen, you most likely will not have a problem. The issue, as you probably know, is that your nose can swell internally in response to excessive heat. Also, you should plan on using a decongestant before you fly, since equalizing your ears on the plane may be more difficult due to the internal swelling. You don't mention whether you had an open rhinoplasty, and if so, the scar beneath your nose has the potential to become hyper-pigmented or darkened. Good luck to you.

Pablo Prichard, MD · Answer

In general, your nose has less natural protection from the sun right after rhinoplasty. All the tissue was just elevated off of the internal structure of the nose, including the bone and cartilage, and blood vessels were coagulated in order to do this. There fore we weakened the nose's natural defense since we weakened its blood supply. This blood supply grows back , but it can take quite a bit of time to happen. In the first 6 weeks, your nose is less naturally resistant to UV rays and is more likely to burn and get discolored. Also, since your nose is mostly numb early on, its less likely that you are to notice the problem until its too late. I recommend you stay out of the sun as much as possible in the first 6 weeks after surgery. If you are in the sun for short periods of time, stay in the shade, and wear a big hat and a good sunblock. Do not wear sun glasses in the first 6 weeks, or any glasses for that matter, if osteotomies were performed, (breaking of the nasal bones). You can get your nose wet as soon as the splint comes off, but I would be careful about chlorinated pools early on until the incision is fully healed an more mature, as the chlorine can irritate the incision. The gym and anything that increases you blood pressure will increase the swelling of your nose and delay your healing time. I recommend 6 weeks for this as well. Sometimes it can take longer for your skin to mature, even a year and more in some cases.  I suggest that you wear sun block for at least a year every day while out in the sun.Best Wishes, Pablo Prichard, MD

Richard A. Zoumalan, MD · Answer

Yes, traveling one month after rhinoplasty is definitely safe. You can bring some nasal saline spray with you on the plan if you feel like your nose is dry. Have fun in Hawaii!

	-Dr. Zoumalan

Jeffrey Zwiren, MD · Answer

One month after a rhinoplasty you should be fine to travel. You may have problems with dryness of the nose in the plane. Use a little vasoline around your nostrils to add some moisture to the air you breath.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

It is certainly acceptable to go to Hawaii a month after your rhinoplasty surgery. The best advice is to use  a floppy hat, stay out of the direct sunlight,and  use sunblock across your nose.

Peter E. Johnson, MD · Answer

Because your nose will still be healing on the inside, the outside will be quite sun sensitive. You can travel, though a sun block rather than sun screen will help you avoid problems. Look for products with a physical block such as micronized zinc.

I Am Going on a Vacation in Hawaii After One Month Post Op Rhinoplasty. Will This Be Ok?

Answers (13)

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