I'm interested in getting a rhinoplasty done. My question is, is it okay to go boating a month after?

Thank you for your question. Going boating after 4 weeks should not be a problem but you need to be aware of a few things. It will be important for you to protect your nose from the sun, particularly if you have an incision under the nose from an open rhinoplasty. If you were to bump your nose you could change the position of the nasal bones and cartilage. You need to weigh up the risks of bumping the nose and see if it is a worthwhile one to take. A nice relaxing day on calm waters is a different boating experience to open water rough conditions and the risks would be very different. Enjoy the boating!RegardsDr Guy Watts

Hello! Thank you for your question! After any surgical procedure, you should be careful with incisions as well as avoidance of direct UVA and UVB rays in order to lessen the chance for hyperpigmentation of the skin and scars, which can take several months to resolve, if it ever does. As the tissue was elevated off of your nose along with any oother adjunct procedures, minimizing trauma to the area is critical for such a delicate procedure as the rhinoplasty. The ability of the affected area to heal has been slowed and you should try to avoid additional swelling to the area. The area will likely be numb for several weeks to months and will be difficult to feel when sunburn is coming on. Typical recommendations include wearing a hat and/or sunblock to the affected area for at least 6-12 weeks following the procedure.  You should also avoid trauma to the area for several months to protect the refinements made during the procedure. Also, avoidance of pools/lakes/jacuzzis/etc for 4-6 weeks is usually recommended to allow adequate healing and protection from stagnant water, that could potentially harbor bacteria.  Certainly discuss the postoperative instructions with your surgeon, as thoughts differ among surgeons. Hope that this helps! Best wishes!

It is important to know the implications of your boating adventure
before agreeing to go. How bumpy are the waters and how will you feel it
while sitting in the boat? Is there risk of falling in the water?
Usually, I advise my patients to refrain from participating in
high-contact, strenuous physical activity for at least the first month
after their rhinoplasty procedure. Since that stage of your recovery is
complete, going boating shouldn’t be a problem considering this very
crucial period of healing has passed.

Going boating a month after rhinoplasty will be perfectly fine.  You need to avoid sunburn on your nasal skin during this time, however, because your skin will be much more sensitive to the sun for about six months.

Yes. You should be able to go boating one month post-surgery. The biggest concern is actually sun exposure. You will want to wear sunblock, large hat and try to avoid excessive sun exposure reflecting off of the water. I hope this information is helpful for you.Stephen Weber MD, FACSDenver Facial Plastic Surgeon

Boating or other exercises no problem after 2 to 3 weeks of healing. The nose should be protected from any sort of physical activity which could injure the nose.

Every surgeon will have a different idea of what can and cannot be done in the postoperative period.  I would ask the surgeon you have selected.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

Going boating a month after your Rhinoplasty procedure is not a problem at all. You can still enjoy almost all sporting event as long as you do not hit your nose.

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

Thank you for your question. I think you should be fine to go boating 4 weeks after surgery. I tell my patients to avoid any nasal trauma for about 6 weeks after surgery, so try and avoid any situation where you could get hit in the nose. Ask your plastic surgeon if they are ok with you going boating. Good luck with surgery.