Nose Looks More Bulbous and Round After Rhinoplasty

After rhinoplasty, tip shape is typically the last thing to settle before seeing the final result; this can take 12 months or longer. During this time you will notice that the size of your tip decreases as swelling resolves and subtle details and tip definition appear. Additionally, you may notice that your tip derotates and deprojects. At three weeks following rhinoplasty, you are still very early in your recovery. Recovery after rhinoplasty will vary based on the person, characteristics of the nasal tissues and what was done during surgery. Around the 4-6 week mark, most patients are able to appreciate most of the changes from surgery as a significant amount of swelling has resolved. However, it can take somewhere in and around 12-18 months to see the final results. The areas with thicker skin in the nose such as the tip, alar rims and radix will require longer to settle. Also there appears to be a linear decrease in swelling for the first several months followed by a period where the swelling fluctuates (sometimes little or no swelling and other times more swelling) before the nose settles. Again, after 4-6 weeks, although you will continue to notice changes in your nose, they are subtle and imperceptible to most other people.

Thank you for your question. The reality with rhinoplasty is that swelling takes weeks to months to resolve completely. While the majority of the swelling (for a primary case) will resolve in the first three or four weeks, the rest may take up to 6 or 9 months.  And the final result, after all the settling, etc., is generally between 9 and 12 months. Along the way, massage or even small injections of a steroid can help with swelling. Please stay in close touch with your surgeon, and rest assured that this is normal. Best of luck!

Three weeks after rhinoplasty surgery one can expect significant swelling still present at the tip. In some patients assigned can be  so significant that it appears more bulbous and round after surgery.  During this time, is important to keep your follow-up appointments with your surgeon as a surgeon may recommend steroid injections to help control some of the swelling.