Does a Nose Go Back to Normal After Breaking?

The swelling may take several weeks to months to completely resolve. Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Hello kammy11,

I'm sorry to hear that you broke your nose.  It was a good thing that a physician at the hospital was able to perform a closed reduction after two weeks.  That can often be a hard thing to do since bone callous formation makes it harder to move fracture fragments after about 10 days in most adults.  Unfortunately you will have to wait 6-12 months to see what kind of position your nose ultimately heals in.  Unless you had a non-displaced nasal bone fracture (x-rays show a break in the nasal bones, but they are not shifted), it is impossible to put things back together exactly.  I wouldn't worry too much if the only problem is an altered shape.  You can have a rhinoplasty operation to improve the cosmetics of your nose at some time after all the swelling is finished and the bones have completely healed.  If you have developed breathing troubles then you might need more urgent treatment.

Find yourself a specialist in Rhinoplasty to follow up on your recovery.

Good luck,

Dr. Shah

Hello. The nose will always take several months to recover from any surgical procedure. So swelling should be expected. However there is a chance the reduction was not done properly or the bone healed in an unfavorable manner. If either one of these happens, you may need another operation. If you are not happy with the way your nose looks 3-6 months after the reduction, go see a nose specialist for an evaluation.