Few facial features stand out as much as our noses do, and when we are unhappy with them, it is hard to look in the mirror and focus on anything else. This is why rhinoplasty is the most common facial plastic surgery procedure in the United States.
As with any plastic surgery, one of the biggest concerns clients have is with the nose job recovery time. Luckily, it’s easier than you might expect.
What to Expect after Rhinoplasty
The Hospital Stay
Recovering from surgery is never fun, but rhinoplasty recovery tends to be faster than most plastic surgeries.
Rhinoplasty surgery usually takes just a couple of hours, so overnight hospital stays aren’t required. Since you will be put under general anesthesia, there will be a recovery period after rhinoplasty where you are carefully monitored. However, unless there is an unforeseen complication, you will go home the same day.
The First Days
The period directly after surgery is an adjustment, but for most people, the roughest part lasts a week or less. During this time, there are bandages and a splint on the nose.
Sometimes, the nostrils will drip blood, but keeping your head elevated will help with that as well as swelling. You are meant to be home and resting during this time, so this isn’t the image you will be sharing with the world, unless you want to.
The Follow-Up Office Visit
Somewhere between five and seven days, you will need to come into the office for a follow-up visit. The splint will be removed, as well as any stitches. Swelling and bruising will likely still be present around the nose and under the eyes, but makeup can typically hide it. After this visit, most clients are cleared to go back to work.
Final Results
Compared to other body parts, the nose can hold onto swelling for a long time. While the majority of swelling should be gone within weeks of surgery, the last little bit may not clear up for a full year. Luckily, the residual swelling is so minor that most people don’t even notice it is there.
For the vast majority of rhinoplasty patients, recovery is more than worth the results. If you want to see what surgery can do to improve your nose, schedule a consultation with Dr. Stephen M. Davis. Call us at 615-327-7407 or head over to our contact page.
