Recovery times for blepharoplasty & rhinoplasty?

Dear Patient: Thanks so much for your question! I do get this type of question at my practice, and I tell patients that whenever they  undergo facial plastic surgery, and like in your case a combination blepharoplasty and rhinoplasty, they should take at least 10 days off work, and if they return to work, they should only be performing clerical duties, no significant strenuous work should be performed up to four to eight weeks post op and this should be closely monitored by your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon.

This being said, bruising and swelling around the eyes and your nose area will be present after the surgery and should continue to decrease anywhere from 48 to 72 hours.  Anywhere from 10 to 14 days post op you should be able to see increased improvement in your looks.  Remember every person heals differently.  And when you combine surgeries there will usually be more bruising and swelling.  You should be ok for your event !  
Remember to always choose only Board Certified Plastic Surgeons for these type of surgeries, set up several consults with Board Certified Plastic Surgeons and have a good communication of your goals and expectations so you get the best results possible in the hands of a professional Board Certified Plastic Surgeon.
Wishing you the best!
Ron Soltero MD, FACS
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Member American Society for Plastic Surgeons
Member American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
Voluntary Professor UCSD

 This is an excellent question! Yes, you should be recovered enough in that time frame to be presentable and to not feel self-conscious. You will certainly still have some swelling, but this should not be a problem that would prevent you from attending social functions.

YES, one month should be enough time for sufficient recovery that you look good even close up, but this depends on the type of blepharoplasty (and rhinoplasty) that are done, the technical quality of your procedure, your own individual healing response, and your standards for your own appearance.

Long term recovery following blepharoplasty and rhinoplasty is mostly dependent on the amount of swelling and how quickly it resolves. Although it may take up to a year for all swelling to resolve and the final results to be visible, most swelling is resolved by about 3 months. I find it greatly varies among people; age and underlying medical problems can significantly prolong swelling. On the other hand, incisions tend to heal fast after these procedures and may have started to fade by two months postop. I believe a reasonable time frame for recovery would be about three months, but depending on your health and your expectations, you may be fine at 2 months postop.

Hi Lynnie, You should absolutely be good to attend an event a couple months after your surgery. In general, the immediate recovery from these procedures takes about a week to 10 days for the bruising and swelling to resolve enough to be presentable. After a week, you can be back to work and other activities. Beyond that, there will some mild residual puffiness, numbness, congestion and stiffness that will remind you that you just had surgery and will take about 4 to 6 weeks to resolve. There is a little lag time in photos. In a group shot, you should look great at 2 months post-op but, in a closeup photo, you will probably still look a little puffy but not something that anyone else should notice. Let us know how else we can help. All the best,Dr. Litner

In all likelihood, you should be able to attend the event. Most patients are urged to take at least 1 week off from work, school, and social activities for recovery  after a rhinoplasty. Bruising and swelling around the eyes are to be expected and are quite variable. It usually starts to subside after 48-72 hours following the surgery. In most patients the bruising will have disappeared or can easily be concealed at 10-14 days, when the splint comes off. The tip of the nose may feel numb for 4-12 months. Most patients look socially acceptable at 10-14 days, but swelling continues to diminish over months. Patients may temporarily feel self-conscious about their appearance, but it is generally not noticeable to others after a couple of weeks. It may take up to one year for the nose to achieve its ultimate appearance. A combination of a blepharoplasty and rhinoplasty may produce more bruising and swelling but should not significantly lengthen your recovery time.I would suggest that you find a surgeon certified
by the American Board of American Plastic Surgery and one who is ideally a
member of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) that you
trust and are comfortable with. You should discuss your concerns with that
surgeon in person.
Robert Singer, M.D., FACS
La Jolla, California

Rhinoplasty is one of the most difficult operations to perform correctly in the entire field of cosmetic surgery,  So choose your surgeon  wisely based on extensive experience. Anticipate a cast applied across the bridge of the nose for one week and visible bruising and swelling for two weeks after both procedures performed together. Most of the swelling will be subsided from the rhinoplasty at two months after the procedure, however full healing takes one year.

In my practice, I would advise a patient undergoing upper blepharoplasty and rhinoplasty to allow at least 6 weeks to look "OK" for an important social event, especially if photographs were going to be taken. If the event is with close family or friends and you don't worry about looking your best, then 3 weeks should be enough. Keep in mind, however, that these estimates are based on a complication-free recovery.

Thanks for your question. In general most patients are presentable after 7 to 10 days following blepharoplasty and rhinoplasty. Our preference is to have a flesh tone tape covering the nose during the second week of recovery so that it may be obvious during that time. That your recovering from a nose job. Six weeks after your procedure you should certainly be able to attend a special event without being obvious that you had surgery. Any bruising that might develop should be gone within approximately 10 days or less and the majority of your swelling (although not all) will be gone within six weeks. Enjoy the video link below for more information. Best wishes,Jon A Perlman M.D., FACSDiplomate, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)ABC-TV Extreme Makeover SurgeonBeverly Hills, CaliforniaIG: jonperlmanmd

Dear Lynnie, You should be just fine to attend your event looking refreshed. You will still have some swelling from your rhinoplasty that takes time to dissipate however you should not have any concerns. See examples of before and after rhinoplasty photographs in the link below and if you review my rhinoplasty video gallery you can see many reveals that are seven days post surgery and some are combined procedures with blepharoplasty and/or endoscopic browlifts. Best regards, Michael V. Elam, M.D.