My nose is still red after almost 2 years of rhinoplasty. What to do? (photos)

Hello,

You can treat this with lasers but you have to be careful and make sure you wait 1-2 years after rhinoplasty and make sure the nose is not turning red or white when cold. Some recomendations that I have are the pico laser or IPL. If you do choose to do vbeam laser make sure you are going to somebody experienced.

Many people who experience nasal redness after rhinoplasty have a bit of underlying rosacea. When there is red skin from dilated capillaries, we prefer to use intense pulsed light treatments to minimize their appearance. I hope this helps. Sincerely, Dr. Joseph

Thank you for your question and for sharing your photographs. Based on what you’ve described, it is possible that the steroid injections have caused a degree of broken capillaries, affecting the colour of your nose both in comfortable ambient temperatures and when exposed to low temperatures.

The typical treatment for broken capillaries is vascular laser therapy. If the appearance is mostly of pink discoloration, intense pulsed light (IPL) can also be effective. Both treatments can help improve the appearance of your nose by targeting the affected blood vessels.

Before embarking on treatments with either laser or IPL, I would recommend seeing a dermatologist. It is important to rule out conditions such as rosacea, which can occur simultaneously with surgery and presents similar symptoms. Rosacea is treated differently than the effects of steroid injections or surgery, so a proper diagnosis is essential for the best treatment plan.

Hello and thank you for your question. Some of this will depend on the specific techniques used by your surgeon during your surgery. We typically would see this type of reaction in a patient with numerous revisions prior to surgery. Your steroids may have been injected too superficially as well. I recommend that you seek consultation with a qualified board-certified rhinoplasty surgeon who can evaluate you in person.

Best wishes and good luck.

Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon