The Rhinoplasty Recovery - What To Expect?

The recovery period is of uttermost importance after any surgery, including rhinoplasty. It’s time and course depend on individual predispositions and following the doctor’s instructions. Nonetheless, we will try to provide you with general information about what the recovery after safe nose job Poland will look like. The first phase of the recovery takes about 7 days. It is recommended that at that time you take time off work or school and just take a good night sleep, rest and relax watching your favorite films or reading books. After the first 1 or 2 weeks, you will observe the first changes in your nose and be more and more eager to leave home.

How much time off work do I need?

People always wonder how much time is needed to recover from rhinoplasty Poland, how long they should stay in the home and when they could return to work or school. Many patients say that the ideal time off work is 2 weeks. By this time, all the bruising and swelling should disappear. Some patients say that they feel confident enough to go back to work after 1 week. If you wonder how you could feel after the surgery, you need to know that the recovery after nose job in Poland is quite short and almost painless. The most common side effect after the procedure is the stuffy feeling in your nose, which might continue for about 1 week. However, you will be prescribed medications, thanks to which you will alleviate the pain and eliminate any feeling of discomfort. The time off work needed depends also on the type of your job. If you work physically, you will have to rest at home for a longer time, but if your job does not involve tiring physical activity, you could, by all means, return to work 1 or 2 weeks after your surgery.

Recovery after rhinoplasty – timeline

The day of the surgery

Your recovery will begin just after the surgery when you will be still asleep and taken to the recovery room. You will gradually regain consciousness after general anesthesia. Many patients do not remember the first hours after they are awake. You will be bandaged with the use of a nasal splint. You might also have packed in the nose because during the first night after rhinoplasty, some minor bleeding can appear. You may feel some pressure on the nose or sinus congestion. Of course, after you leave the clinic, you can take the prescribed medications so that the feeling of pain will ease off. Using ice or frozen peas is also helpful, as it will decrease bruising and swelling. After the dripping stops, you need to start to clean your nasal incisions regularly with hydrogen peroxide. You will also need to use a special ointment, which will prevent the crust from forming under the nostrils. It is important that during especially first 2 weeks after surgery you have the assistance of a friend or family, as you might find it hard to do everyday activities.

2-3 days after surgery

The first 3 days after nose surgery are not as painful as you might expect. Usually, on a scale 1-10, patients rate the pain level as 3-4. You will take painkillers, which will alleviate the pain even more. For that time, you can also feel nauseous and have some problems with breathing. You would need to breathe through your mouth. You should sleep propped or on your wedge supporting your torso, which will minimize the swelling, bruising and bleeding. After you leave the clinic, you can do some light activities, but you need to remember to avoid bending over, blowing the nose, lifting heavy things. What is more, you must not take Aspirin, Advil, Motrin or any other blood-thinning medications.

1 week after surgery

The nasal splint is removed within one week. You might get the impression that your nose looks fat and big, but it is all about swelling and bruising. Nonetheless, if you have the hump removed, you will notice the significant difference in your nose profile. Especially, if you used to have a big hump, the improvement will be amazing. Looking at your face from the front, not only your nose but also cheeks will be swollen, stiff and bruised, so to see the results, you need to wait until the bruising and swelling are gone. 50% of the patients have no bruising at all, 40% of them experience a mild bruising, and 10% have a moderate bruising. The swelling might appear unevenly and cause asymmetry, but there is nothing strange about it. The bruises and swelling should diminish within 10 days, hence to feel confident with returning to work or school, you are advised to take 2 weeks off.

3-4 weeks after surgery

After 3 weeks, you will be able to return to your everyday activities, including moderately tiring physical activity. However, you should still avoid very strenuous and exhausting training or contact sports unless you wear a special protective mask. If you wish to start practicing contact sport or tiring exercises earlier, you ought to consult it with your doctor. You will start noticing many changes in your nose, including nose tip. Any problems with breathing that you might have experienced after the surgery, should disappear.

2-3 months after surgery

2-3 months are said to be the total time of rhinoplasty recovery, so at that time you can observe much change and astonishing results of the surgery. Day after day, your nose and face look will change for better. The swelling should disappear completely by this time. The nose feeling should get back to normality, however, you may still feel that the nose tip is numb. The scars after open rhinoplasty become much less visible and will be gradually fading.

1 year after surgery

One year after safe rhinoplasty Poland, you will forget that you have performed any surgery. None of bruises or swelling will be visible any longer. There will be absolutely no signs that you had the nose surgery. The only visible result will be your new, beautiful and proportional nose. Of course, you need to be aware of the fact that each patient is different and the healing time can be longer or shorter depending on a person. If you still deal with swelling, stiffness or bruising, you should contact the doctor just to make sure that there are no postoperative complications.

Factors of rhinoplasty recovery success

There are various factors which may shorten or extend the recovery time described in the above sections. Below, you will find some examples of thing that may influence the recovery time:

• if you have a thick nose skin, it will prolong the swelling
• the swelling will last longer when you have open rhinoplasty than when you have close rhinoplasty
• if you combine rhinoplasty with other procedures, the healing period will certainly extend
• taking steroid injections also influence the time of recovery.

Rhinoplasty recovery tips

• during the first 2 weeks, you should avoid physical activity
• if you lay down or sleep, try to keep your head elevated (thanks to it, the swelling will decrease)
• try to rest as much as possible and sleep well
• your diet should be low-salt
• if you feel much pain, take the medications regularly
• for 2 first weeks, eat only soft food
• you can start blowing your nose with caution after 2 weeks
• wearing glasses is not recommended for 4 weeks. If you must wear them for seeing, you should tape them to your forehead
• do not expose your face on the sun during the recovery time
• be patient regarding the final results, they will be seen several months after the surgery

If you consider having your cheap rhinoplasty in Poland, you need to realize that the recovery time is as important as the surgery itself. You will be given detailed instructions for the healing time by your surgeon. Also, do not hesitate to ask any questions because it is important that you get any information from your surgeon, not from other sources. Do not hesitate to contact Beauty Poland if you consider having a safe and cheap rhinoplasty abroad. We will explain to you all details of the procedure and the recovery time. Just contact us and change your look with Beauty Poland!

Justyna Zastapilo

Justyna is a very open person and likes to talk to people. That’s why she decided to become a patient adviser. She has comprehensive knowledge about medical procedures performed abroad.
+44 748 315 53 08