Best Way to Reduce Swelling 2 Months After Rhinoplasty?

As a cosmetic surgeon, I am very involved in my patients’ healing process and want them to feel as comfortable as possible, as soon as possible. The following are various suggestions I relate to my patients in order to promote healing and to reduce swelling that is still prevalent even months after surgery. Try to stay away from alcohol and smoking, and try to cut salt out of your diet. Moderate, controlled exercise can actually stimulate healing (walking 30 minutes a day is most recommended). Finally, make sure that your head is elevated at all times; try not to bend down and drop your head, and sleep with your head raised above the rest of the body (2-3 pillows work best).

Recovery after rhinoplasty will vary based on the person, characteristics of the nasal tissues and what was done during surgery.It can take somewhere in and around 12-18 months for postoperative swelling to completely resolve and to see the final results. The areas with thicker skin in the nose such as the tip, alar rims and radix may 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. Some factors that may exacerbate postoperative swelling include factors that cause fluid shifts and water retention in the body such as drinking alcohol or a high salt diet. Additionally, factors that cause increase sweat production such as warmer weather can also contribute to skin and soft tissue swelling postoperatively. Sometimes, taping of the nose can help encourage the resolution of swelling. You should continue to follow-up with your surgeon and follow your surgeon's recommendations.

The best way to improve swelling after rhinoplasty is taping, massaging the nose, sun avoidance, keeping it elevated as much as possible and then tenture of time. It will take up to a year to see the final result from the swelling after a primary rhinoplasty.

Post operative swelling is an expected occurrence after rhinoplasty and it takes months to completely subside. Extra caution is needed especially in the first 3 or 4 months to avoid situations where inadvertent trauma or stresses do not irritate or injure the healing skin and underlying cartilages and bone. This would include avoidance of sunburns, physical bumps, activities that decrease circulation, and taking safety measures to protect it from people and objects such as the steering wheel! You might see some increases and decreases from day to day the first few months. For most patients, the passage of time helps the most:  usually 12 months at least but sometimes as long as 2 years may pass before all of the soft tissue swelling has subsided. 

Some patients experience transient swelling after rhinoplasty with activities such as exercise, sun exposure, and alcohol consumption.
This swelling should go down gradually. Taping the area above the tip can sometimes help.
If the nose becomes more swollen, more tender, or becomes red -- signs of infection -- an evaluation by your surgeon is recommended.