Does the cartilage swell up as well as the skin after rhinoplasty?

The cartilage does not swell after rhinoplasty. At one week post surgery, your nasal tip skin is severely swollen and truly at its most swollen point in the healing process. This makes it impossible to make any assessment of how your tip will look when its healed. Most likely within 3 weeks to 3 months you will begin to see the reduction and refinement that you were seeking from rhinoplasty surgery. I hope this information is helpful for you.Stephen Weber MD, FACSDenver Facial Plastic Surgeon

Cartilage does not swell after rhinoplasty just as bone does not swell.  Only the skin, fat, muscle of the nasal envelope will swell.  You can have significant swelling that may have more density that you would think after surgery.  It is far too early to make any judgments about your final outcome at less than a week out.  Give it more time and let your surgeon know about any concerns you have.  All the best!

Only soft tissues and skin swell after rhinoplasty.  Cartilage does not swell.  Thick nasal skin will limit your outcome from surgery.  However swelling at this stage of surgery is both expected and normal.