How long does it take to heal after osteotomy/nose tip?

After an osteotomy for cosmetic nasal surgery, the nasal bones are splinted. Since there are just two pieces and the uppermost part is often just  greenstick fractured, the osteotomies are sticky at a week and solid in three or four. The bone will continue to heal and remodel and by six weeks should be about are strong as before surgery.Healing from a rhinoplasty, especially tip work, takes about a year. Not to say that is takes a year to look good, but tip swelling can take a long time to subside. Numbness and tingling may be present from not at all to many months as the nerve regenerate. The strange sensations are a good sign that everything is getting better. Often the swelling and numbness are found together, and once gone, sensation is usually back to normal. More information, rhinoplasty videos and before and after pictures are available on my website, by clicking on the link below.

Nasal bones that undergo osteotomy are usually pretty well healed within 6-8 weeks. But taking a good hit to the nose can break it at any time.

The nasal bones knit together after being broken just as a fractured arm or leg would. Usually it heals just as strong as before but in some cases if the bones don't heal properly together, it can be slightly weaker than before surgery. By 3-4 weeks the nose is not tender anymore and a strong fibrous callous has formed. It takes a full year for the bone to form and be as strong as it will. In endonasal rhinoplasties there is less dissection and so less numbness of the tip of your nose. Typically most patients feel normal after 3-4 weeks. With open rhinoplasty, there is much more dissection and the tip of the nose can feel "numb" or "woody" for up to 6 months.