How long does it take for a “curve” or “slope” to fully show after surgery?

It takes 3-6 months for the majority of swelling to subside but it is certainly possible your slope may not be quite as curved as you and your surgeon were aiming for.  Three weeks postop is super early. Your surgeon may recommend taping/massage to the tissues but you really need to give it time to assess. If the curvature you desire was ultimately achieved, revision may be indicated. Even among pure rhinoplasty specialists, the published revision rate is on the order of 10-15% of patients for a variety of revision scenarios, ranging from minor scar revisions to major redo surgery. Each situation requires patience and a collegial but critical dialogue between surgeon and patient during followup to identify what each sees and where the evolving result might be improvable with respect to ultimate goals.

Swelling from an open rhinoplasty can be difficult to define. Depending on the thickness of your skin, the amount of cartilage and bone removed and any other changes made to the anatomy of the nose, swelling can last for up to one year. At times, your surgeon may choose to inject the nose with steroids or to use taping techniques to help the swelling resolve faster in the months after your surgery. You should stay in close contact with your surgeon early, but at 3 weeks, swelling is not generally concerning. 

3 weeks postop is still too early in the healing phase to determine what the final result of your rhinoplasty will be. The swelling will likely resolve significantly in the upcoming months. Although the majority of swelling after rhinoplasty resolves by about 4 weeks, there is still some swelling even up to 12-18 months. Also, it is not unusual to have asymmetric swelling. In general, swelling in the dorsum and tip seems to take the longest to resolve. For some patients with very thick skin, they may benefit from some steroid injections in the postoperative period. I would give it some more time and continue to follow all your doctor's postoperative instructions. Best of luck

Full recovery after a nose job may take up to 1 or 2 years depending on the skin type. But, soon enough you will start seeing some change. 

Dr.Abdülkadir Göksel

It can take upto 3 months for the nasal dorsal swelling to resolve; if you are desiring more of a slope, it may be possible to promote more of a curvature by ensuring that scar tissue does not build up. This requires steroid injection and manual compression in the early postoperative period.

Thank you for the question but it is one best asked of your surgeon as he knows what he did and where you are at in the healing processDr Corbin