Tip + Revision Rhinoplasty. Why does it take so long for the tip to contour after a revision?

After rhinoplasty, tip shape is typically the last thing to settle before seeing the final result; this can take 12 months or longer. After revision rhinoplasty, this process can take even longer due to additional scar tissue and altered blood and lymphatic flow in the nose as it heals. At 11 months following revision rhinoplasty, you will still notice improvement in the size of your nose. With regards to your concerns about the size of your nasal tip, this area tends to be most sensitive and effected by swelling. 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. For revision rhinoplasty, it can take longer for all of the swelling to subside. 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.

The fact that you are starting to see even slight changes in your tip definition is promising and should give you hope. As a specialist in revision rhinoplasty, I have observed that it can take up to a full year for the final result of the rhinoplasty to manifest, especially a revision rhinoplasty when more advanced techniques are often used. Much as a foot swells when an ankle is injured due to gravity, the tip of the nose always has the most prolonged swelling for this same reason. Since you are still seeing changes and improvement in the tip at this point, this in and of itself should help you to keep a positive attitude. Continue to follow up with your plastic surgeon and discuss your concerns openly.

The question you pose is good and I hear it often from patients that have undergone rhinoplasty, both primary and revision. The problem is the answer is so variable for each patient that it is not possible to give one that will cover all cases.

It everything was done properly during your surgery there are many factors that can cause a tip to look full:

In general the thicker (and more scarred) the skin is the longer it will take for the swelling to go down and tip definition to be seen.

If a lot of reduction in size has been done (making the nose a lot smaller) it will take longer for skin to contract around a new smaller tip. My general philosophy is to keep the tip fairly defined and projected and to avoid too much reduction-this helps it look refined sooner and reduces potential problems down the road.

Time of the day that you look at your nose is a factor-usually first thing in the morning your nose will look swollen and tend to look smaller later in the day as some of the swelling goes down.

There are factors that occurred during your surgery that may make your tip look full:

It is possible that there was a buildup of scar tissue around your tip that was not addressed or that there was not enough sculpting of the tip cartilages. There may have been too much reduction in tip support. All of these factors play in to the final appearance and refinement of the nasal tip.

Without seeing before and after photos it is all just speculation. I would bring your concerns to your surgeon and have a frank discussion.

Good luck.