Hard looking tip after rhinoplasty (photo)

Question

I had rhinoplasty 10 days ago and my tip looks really hard making my nose look fake. Is this swelling? Will it soften? Also my columella is really straight. Is this because my lip is swollen? Will it drop?

Jamil Ahmad, MD · Answer

At 10 days postop, you are very early in your recovery and a lot of changes will still take place. Recovery after rhinoplasty will vary based on the person, characteristics of the nasal tissues and what was done during surgery. Around the 4-6 week mark, most patients are able to appreciate most of the changes from surgery as a significant amount of swelling has resolved. However, it can take somewhere in and around 12-18 months to see the final results. The areas with thicker skin in the nose such as the tip, alar rims and radix may require longer to settle. Also there appears to be a linear decrease in swelling for the first several months followed by a period where the swelling fluctuates (sometimes little or no swelling and other times more swelling) before the nose settles. Typically, the nasal tip has a tendency to drop (derotate) and recede (deproject) after rhinoplasty. The degree to which derotation and deprojection occurs will vary greatly depending on what was technically done during surgery - in some cases this can be substantial and in other cases it is negligible. These changes can take months to occur.You should discuss your concerns with your surgeon during your follow-up visit.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

A nose early in the healing process is very difficult to evaluate due to swelling.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

At ten days after rhinoplasty the nose is often quite stiff. it will take months often for the stiffness to dissipate as the swelling subsides.

Hard looking tip after rhinoplasty (photo)

Answers (3)

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