30 years of experience performing rhinoplasty surgery has taught me that it is very difficult to predict who will, and who won't bruise following nose surgery. Most patients who bruise following surgery have usually had some bony work during rhinoplasty (taking a hump off or narrowing bones) and all we as surgeons can do to minimize the possibility of bruising is to handle the nasal tissues in a very delicate fashion and use very small instruments when repositioning bones. Despite the fact that I use very thin and narrow instruments for reposition bones during nasal operations, about 25% of my patients may bruise. Judicious use of ice on the surgical area will minimize bruising and 80% of the patients who bruise will no longer have evident discoloration at 2 weeks. In my hands only about 5% of patients will bruise beyond 2 weeks, but 15 years ago I had one lovely young patient who had a bruise under one eye that lasted for 6 months !! I suggest to those patients who have bruised ( for prolonged periods ) that they go to the makeup counter of a local department store to talk to the crackerjack makeup technicians who no doubt will be able to magically facilitate a transformation with easily applied camouflage makeup ! Eventually these bruises will go away....
