After Cast Came Off Nose, My Nose Started Becoming Bigger, Will This Go Back To How It Was Right After Surgery?

Question

After my cast came off about 9 days later, I was thrilled with the results for a few days! But then suddenly, my nose started to become bigger, and less cute and buttony at the end, and not as nice. and it's stayed like this for the past 3 weeks. Will it ever go back to what it looked like after surgery? It's better than it was before the procedure, but not as nice as it was when the cast came off. I know this is uncommon, as the real shape of the nose is meant to develop a few months after.

Jamil Ahmad, MD · Answer

Immediately after the cast is removed, it is common for the nose to look more defined. After the compression has been removed, the skin and soft tissues can swell and this can take weeks to months to significantly improve. 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. At 3 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. It's hard but important to stay patient during your recovery and to be diligent attending your follow-up appointments with your surgeon.

Shepherd G. Pryor, MD · Answer

Don't worry about a thing!  This is very common and normal after rhinoplasty.  The cast is the only thing holding sufficient pressure on the nose to allow the skin to adhere back to the new structure underneath.  But when that is removed it is very normal for the nose to swell up a bit and stay that way for the first few months until it settles and all the edema subsides.  Keep in mind that the skin of the nose is incredibly thin and even 1 mm of swelling can make your nose look dramatically different and bigger.  Once that subsides you will have that same appearance as when the cast came off and it will only get better!  Hang in there and you'll do great.

After Cast Came Off Nose, My Nose Started Becoming Bigger, Will This Go Back To How It Was Right After Surgery?

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After Cast Came Off Nose, My Nose Started Becoming Bigger, Will This Go Back To How It Was Right After Surgery?

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Everything you need to know about Rhinoplasty

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.