The sides of my nose deflate and inflate when I breathe in and out. Is this common post rhinoplasty?

Question

Both sides of my nose inflate and deflate quite noticeably when I breathe normally. I am two months post op. Is this normal or common after a rhinoplasty procedure?

Kouros Azar, MD · Answer

Everyone's nose can do this if they breath in hard enough. I wouldn't worry about it unless it is affecting your breathing. Then, that could be another issue. For now, be patient and kind to yourself as your body recovers. If, at 6 months post op, your breathing is affected then schedule an appointment with your surgeon to be assessed in person. Kindly,Kouros Azar

Samson Lee, MD · Answer

To some extent all of our noses have usually mild inward movement on increased inspiration. Essentially if you breathe hard enough you will always be able to collapse the nose. Some patients have increased problems with this and can lead to problems breathing in particular when breathing more vigorously such as with exercise of during sleep. With some of the techniques in rhinoplasty particularly cosmetic ones, this can sometimes weaken the sidewall of the nose and cause potentially increased problems during breathing. If you don't have a breathing problem, I wouldn't worry about it, if you do, then I would go see your surgeon to be evaluated.

Jeffrey Watson, MD · Answer

That is more likely a factor of your nose strength and anatomy than of the surgery itself. If you breathe in hard, that can occur in any nose. If you feel breathing restriction when you breathe this is a more important issue and can indicate that you have valve collapse (meaning weak side walls) which, again, may be more to do with your nose than the surgery. Your final result is evident after a year so please be patient and then have a good look at what's going on at that point. Hope that helps!

The sides of my nose deflate and inflate when I breathe in and out. Is this common post rhinoplasty?

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The sides of my nose deflate and inflate when I breathe in and out. Is this common post rhinoplasty?

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Rhinoplasty

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.