Just over One Year Post Rhinoplasty, How Much Change Will Still Occur?

In most situations the swelling is mostly gone by 1 year.  Thicker skin noses in general need plenty of time to develop their final shape – in instances up to 2 years.

In general, it takes at least one year to see the results of rhinoplasty but it may take a year and a half to two years in patients with thick skin, males, and ethnic noses. Tertiary or secondary tertiary rhinoplasty may take significantly longer.  One cannot completely predict how individuals heal versus scar formation in the nasal area.

Without knowing the specific maneuvers that were performed during the rhinoplasty (things such as tip or dorsal grafts) the final result is typically achieved at one year. You can continue to see refinement of your result even past this time, however people are generally at their final result within a year.

 

Hi and thanks for your question.  1 year after rhinoplasty, if the surgery was well done and the nose is structurally in good shape, there should be almost no further changes.  If the nose is changing after 1 year, that is a worrisome sign.  Modern rhinoplasty leaves the nose with very good structure so that the forces of gravity and scar tissue don't change the nose.

Rhinoplasty results take 1 year and are permanent then. Your may show some change in 20 years as the fat and elastic tissue ages--doesn't that sound lovely!

At one year post-rhinoplasty, you are probably close to seeing your final result if not completely healed already.

It would be fair to say that at one year after rhinoplasty surgery you are looking at the final result. If there are any skin remodeling changes yet to occur, they will be very subtle. 

The wound healing process takes up to one year to complete.  Significant changes will occur in the first few months to a year post rhinoplasty as tissues heal, swelling resolves, and structural tissues settle into their remodeled position.  Typically by one year, the tissues are stable and have settled into their permanent position and appearance.  I would not expect significant change to your post-rhinoplasty nose after one year except those changes that are inherent with aging.

The common accepted dogma is that after one year the results of rhinoplasty are settled. I tend to disagree. If your surgery was not a major "reductive procedure" I believe you may get further contraction in the next 5- 10 yrs, and major changes will not occur. If a reductive rhinoplasty was performed with excess removal of tip cartilage, resection of a dorsal hump without re-stabilization of the mid 1/3 of the nose, among others, I believe the nose will have major changes in the next 5 years.

 

Best,

 Your Rhinoplasty Surgeon would know your particular case but in general at 1 year post Rhinoplasty the nose is fully healed and the final results obtained IMHO.