How long could it take for my nose to reach its final shape after a rhinoplasty?

the final result of a rhinoplasty may not be evident for 1-2 years, depending on your skin thickness.  The majority of the edema goes away in the first 6 months, but a small amount of swelling persists for quite some time

Dear MichaelMcGThanks for the question. Final result will take 12 months so it’s possible that you have some swelling. It’s better to consult your doctor to figure out level of swelling. I wish you all the best.

It usually takes, depending on your ethnicity, thickness of skin, male or female, these all contribute to a significantly longer post operative recovery. It usually takes at least one year to see the final result, especially the nasal tip area. In secondary surgery, it may take longer.

Because you are still very early on in the recovery process, you shouldn't be concerned with the final results of your procedure just yet. In many cases, it may take an entire year to see optimal results following your rhinoplasty and up to two years for patients with thicker skin who underwent a complex procedure. Unless you are having a problem with functionality, it's best to continue to be patient during the healing process.

     The tip at 4 weeks will rotate up after cephalic trim in a closed rhinoplasty (seen it a hundred times or more). 

Healing from rhinoplasty has several phases. The early phase is the swelling and bruising in the first week. During the next couple of weeks the swelling begins to go down and you can see the general shape and proportions of the nose. By three months most of the swelling has resolved above the tip. The tip will look much better but still lack definition. The definition of the tip can then take up to a year to be fully realized. I would not expect your tip to "rise" by itself two months after surgery.

After 4 weeks, you will still be considerably swollen. The final result of rhinoplasty is not evident for 18-24 months following surgery. This is especially the case if tip work was performed. 70% of the swelling will resolve after the first 3 months, and the remainder goes down over time. I would recommend giving it some time and see how you continue to heal. In the meantime, I would recommend discussing any post-operative concerns with your surgeon, as they know the details of your procedure and exactly what was performed. I hope this helps, and best of luck with the remainder of your recovery. 

Hello. Do not worry. While the changes after the first few weeks of recovery from rhinoplasty will be the most dramatic, it takes up to a year for the entirety of the swelling to subside. During this time, the tip will become more refined and suited to your desires, just be patient. Best of luck!


Jaime Perez, MD
Rhinoplasty Specialist
Plastic Surgery Center of Tampa

The tip of the nose may still rotate upwards and at 4 weeks after surgery you are not seeing the final result. It may take up to six months to see the final tip shape. It is important to be patient with rhinoplasty particularly when the changhes done are more subtle than dramatic.

The final shape of the nose can take a long time to resolve, especially the tip swelling. So be patient, as four weeks is too short a time to come to any conclusions.

Good luck!