Is There Still Swelling 7 Months After a Rhinoplasty?

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. Although at 7 months following rhinoplasty, you are seeing many of the changes resulting from surgery, the tip can still be quite swollen and this is typically exaggerated in the thick skinned patients. 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 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. Steroid injections can help reduce excessive and protracted swelling secondary to scarring. However, steroids should be used judiciously as they can have some deleterious side effects.

It’s not unusual for patients undergoing rhinoplasty to have prolonged swelling.  Several factors including the use of open rhinoplasty, fracture of the nasal bones, thickness of the nasal skin and a previous rhinoplasty have been associated with prolonged swelling.

            This swelling can adversely impact the aesthetic result and in some cases cause difficulty breathing through the nose.  Most patients will note significant swelling for about two to three weeks following surgery.  After two weeks, most patients are comfortable resuming their normal lives and going out in public.

            Swelling will persist in most patients for at least one year following surgery, with the nasal tip being the last site to experience resolution.  For this reason it’s important to be patient and maintain good communication with your surgeon.  

Yes. Though the majority of the swelling should have subsided by
this point, there is still swelling 7 months in to a rhinoplasty recovery. In
fact, nasal swelling after the surgery could take up to an entire year to
completely go down. Don’t worry too much about the results of
your surgery yet, as they are still transforming. If you are still unhappy with
your new look after you have waited a year, you may consider revision
rhinoplasty to get you closer to the ideal image of your nose.

In general, swelling after rhinoplasty takes months and months to fully resolve, and the tip takes the longest to resolve. You should wait at least a year before considering revision rhinoplasty.

Swelling after rhinoplasty (nasal surgery) can occur up to one year after surgery.  In thick skinned patients this may take even longer to settle.  Patience is key and it seems your physician is trying to get things to settle more quickly with steroid injection.  Good luck. 

The swelling after rhinoplasty can take up to 12-15 months to resolve.  There is typically dramatic improvement in the first 3-6 months followed by slow improvement over the next 6-9 months.  The waiting can be difficult, but try to be patient.

Good luck!

Unfortunately, your particular situation requires a lot of patience. I tell all of my thick-skinned rhinoplasty patients that they should expect at least one year before the majority of swelling has resolved. Many of them will notice a difference even after two or three years. The problem is that many surgeons do not adequately prepare their patients for this extended healing period. The great news for you is that there is still refinement to occur; it just takes patience.

Swelling in thick skinned patients can take a long time to completely resolve. I have even seen patients show improvement up to two years after the procedure. Be patient. If you have a good underlying structure the "puffy" skin will hopefully continue to shrink to fit it.

You have really answered your own question. In thick skin individuals, nasal swelling can take upwards of 18 months to resolve. Be patient and your nose will continue to improve.

Actually when we consider rhinoplasty over decades, there is little evidence of scar tissue as the cause of  thickened nasal shape, and there are few procedures in revision rhinoplasty which remove scar tissue. Years after all tissues in the nose thin and are pliable and soft, except when supported of stiffed by the natural cartilage or grafts placed to support the shape. Thick skin can take up to a year. It is best to wait out full healing, avoid the steroids and consider a revision if your result falls short of expectation.
Best of luck,
peterejohnsonmd