1 year after rhinoplasty — is my radix still swollen or structurally too full? (Photos)

Question

1 year after rhinoplasty — is my radix still swollen or structurally too full? I’m about 1 year post-rhinoplasty with rib cartilage and thick skin. My main concern is the radix, which still looks rounded, wide and somewhat asymmetric. After my original rhinoplasty, I had excessive radix swelling/fullness (shown in the last photo), and my surgeon performed a revision about 2 weeks later to correct it. The radix still feels slightly soft rather than like a firm bony structure. Could this still be swelling or scar tissue from the surgeries, or does it look more like a structural issue? Is further improvement over the next 6–12 months still possible? I’d really appreciate opinions from rhinoplasty surgeons.

Mert Demirel, MD · Answer

At 1 year after rhinoplasty, especially with thick skin and rib cartilage, some swelling and scar firmness can still continue to improve. The radix can be slower to settle than patients expect, particularly after early revision or additional manipulation in that area.
The fact that the area feels slightly soft rather than firm may suggest residual swelling, scar tissue, or soft-tissue thickness rather than only a bony or cartilage overbuild. However, photos alone cannot reliably separate swelling from a structural issue.
Further improvement over the next 6–12 months is still possible, but it is usually gradual. Thick skin, scar tissue, and rib cartilage cases can take 18–24 months to fully mature. That said, if the radix remains wide, rounded, or asymmetric after that point, a structural or scar-related fullness may be present.
I would be cautious about another revision too early. Re-operating on the radix before the tissues fully mature can increase scar tissue and unpredictability. Conservative observation, serial photos, and in-person examination are usually safer at this stage.
My advice would be to follow up with a revision rhinoplasty specialist and ask whether the fullness feels like edema, scar tissue, graft/cartilage, or bony width. If it is scar-related, conservative treatments may be considered. If it is structural, revision should usually wait until healing is fully mature and the exact cause is clear.

1 year after rhinoplasty — is my radix still swollen or structurally too full? (Photos)

Answers (1)

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