Hard Bumps on Nose After Rhinoplasty

You are correct that it typically takes about 1 year to see the final results following rhinoplasty. At this stage of your recovery, the bumps that you are describing may very well be swelling created by osteotomies (the controlled breaks that are made to reshape the nasal bones). It is common for patients to feel a small 'pea-sized' bump on each side of the nose in the locations that you are describing especially after percutaneous lateral nasal osteotomies (using a very small and sharp instrument that is actually passed through the nose/cheek skin instead of internally to make the osteotomies). The bumps are the result of swelling in the skin where the instrument was passed through. If your bumps are secondary to the osteotomies, gentle massage of this area will help these bumps to resolve in a few weeks and this is normal following rhinoplasty. Alternatively, an irregularity in the location you described could be the bones themselves. You should discuss this again with your surgeon.

Hello and thank you for your question. The hard bumps you are referring to may be your nasal bones. If those are your nasal bones, it may not get better with time and may even worsen as the swelling resolves. The final results take at least 1.5 years for the swelling to fully resolve. This can require lots of patience and waiting. Steroid injections performed by your surgeon can be extremely helpful. I usually start steroid injections around 1 to 2 months after surgery and continue as needed. I recommend that you maintain close follow up with your surgeon who can evaluate you in person.

Best wishes and good luck.

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

Thank you for your questions and as hard as it might be to hear your surgeon say “wait and see,” it really is the best strategy as five weeks post rhinoplasty is too soon in your recovery to know exactly what is causing the bumps. Once the swelling resolves after the first year, the bumps should have resolved. You could talk to your surgeon about lymphatic massage, which helps reduce the swelling at the site. Try to be patient and give your body time to heal after rhinoplasty, which can be a very technically challenging procedure.