Will Light Pushing Affect my Rhinoplasty?

Hi Ark306-

Light pushing on the tape should be fine. Cleaning the skin and reapplying new tape may be a better option. The nasal bones are generally not set until 6 weeks after surgery. Sleeping on your back and elevated is genrally helpful as well. If there is any question contact your surgeon.

Best of luck.

Tom Kaniff

Taping may act to bring down swelling after rhinoplasty, but begins to be cumbersome months after rhinoplasty.  I would recommend a product containing bioflavonoids to reduce swelling.  

Hi Ark306 in Arkansas,

One some plastic surgeons may continue to recommend nasal taping after rhinoplasty; however, keeping tape on the nose at one month may not have much of an effect on swelling. The light pushing on the nose should not alter your final results. However, check with your rhinoplasty surgeon.

Thick skin patients more likely develop scar tissue after rhinoplasty, as compared to thin skin patients. To improve bulbous tip, rhinoplasty surgeons typically reshape and reposition the tip cartilage. Some cartilage is removed and some may be added to create more tip definition. Thick skin may also require removal of some extra soft, fibrofatty tissue deep under the skin during surgery, effectively "thinning" the skin. Lastly, steroid injection after surgery help reduce swelling and scarring to further refine the nose.

There are any good potential options. Only after a comprehensive evaluation can a rhinoplasty surgeon help determine appropriate options for you. Best of luck.

Dr. Chaboki

It is unclear whether compression exercises truly help reduce swelling. If it does, it probably only helps within the first few weeks after surgery. Having said that, by one month the nose is strong enough to handle light pushing without being damaged. Continued taping of a nose with thick, sebaceous skin can lead to clogged pores and acne.

It is unlikey that continued taping after the first 4 weeks is providing you with with any significant reduction in the thickness of your skin.  In fact it may be creating a bigger issue, with your skin pores becoming blocked and giving rise to a low grade infection along with increasing your oil production further worsening your problem.  Your surgeon may consider a small of amount of steroid into the tip.

Four weeks after rhinoplasty, the nose is sufficiently healed to allow full exercise. Pushing or pressure on the nose will have no effect, and the taping you still apply is unlikely to benefit as well. Pushing on the nose within the first week and second week after rhinoplasty was referred to as Joseph's exercise and recommended to straighten a nose which was off mark a bit after the splint was removed in six days. Dr. Joseph of course was the 'father' of rhinoplasty decades ago, though his pushing exercise is unlikely to affect the result either.
Best of luck,
peterejohnsonmd

Most likely not, but best to check with your operative surgeon. Follow his advise. From MIAMI Dr. Darryl j. Blinski

I personally do not think that taping the nose offers any long term benefit after the first week or two. Pushing lightly on the nose should be ok.

You will do no harm lightly pushing on your nose one month after surgery, but I doubt the taping and pressure will  do any good. Nasal skin care would be beneficial - see your dermatologist or an aesthetician.

Keeping tape on your nose at this stage is doing nothing to improve the reults of the surgery, but could be irritating your skin.