Ask a doctor

Will It Help if I Put an Anti-inflamatory Gel on my Nose to Reduce Swelling After Rhinoplasty?

will it help to reduce the swelling after revision rhinoplasty to put on my nose an anti-inflamatory gel like Reparil gel N? or any anti-inflamatory cream? i had my cast removed after 2 weeks and now its been 16 days since my surgery and my nose is getting more swollen since my cast removal! if not then what can i do to reduce the swelling??my nose is too big! even bigger than before the surgery...

Doctor Answers 2

Anti-inflammatory post rhinoplasty

November 12th, 2012
{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

Swelling after rhinoplasty is normal and requires several months to resolve.  Topical gels are typically not effective in reducing swelling as the swelling is usually in the subcutaneous tissues, not in the skin itself.  The nose should look larger 16 days after surgery than it will after 4-6 months of healing. Tip swelling takes 12-15 months to fully resolve

Jonathan Sykes, MD


Sacramento Facial Plastic Surgeon
4.3 out of 5 stars 17 reviews

Swelling after rhinoplasty

November 8th, 2012
{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

The nose is at a disadvantage when it comes to wound healing.  First of all, there it sits in the middle of the face, its not easily disguised or covered up. Second of all,  the skin lies right on the bone or cartilage.  There is no where for the swelling to go but out.  

I understand your desire to hurry along the healing process however, there is no cream or elixir that will actually do that.  You need only the tincture of time. You're sixteen days along in a process that will take up to a year.

Hang in there,

Doug Hargrave,M.D.

Douglas Hargrave, MD

Related content

View all Rhinoplasty reviews

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.