Will I Be Able to Play Contact Sports After a Rhinoplasty ?

Thanks for the question. After 4-6 month your operation area is totally healed and yes you can play basketball, soccer and also do other sport activities. I wish you all the best.

Contact sports should be avoided for at least 4-6 weeks after rhinoplasty.  Patients are not permitted to exercise for at least 2 weeks after the rhinoplasty to prevent a nosebleed from occurring.

Dear RJason;

If you are at risk for injuries from contact sports, I am not sure you want to take a chance of another injury whether it is six weeks or two years.  A face mask or nose guard is appropriate, and they are certainly available; professional athletes use them after they have had nasal injuries. 

Soccer and basketball are two of the sports that most commonly cause broken noses.  Even though you only want to straighten your nose, the bones will have to be moved and your nose will be not yet hardened until about six weeks after; it could even be eight weeks.  Your plastic surgeon will decide with you when the time is appropriate to return.

As far as not needing a septoplasty: if the nose is crooked certainly a septoplasty must be considered because typically, "As the septum goes, so goes the nose."

Robert Kotler, MD, FACS
Facial Plastic Surgeon
Author, SECRETS OF A BEVERLY HILLS COSMETIC SURGEON
Author, THE ESSENTIAL COSMETIC SURGERY COMPANION