This is because during this time the nose is undergoing changes. The major change that is occurring is swelling or oedema is resolving. During surgery, the soft tissue covering of the nose is traumatised. Although this is controlled surgical trauma it is nevertheless trauma.
Swelling After Surgery
Generally, swelling is the most common reason why your nose looks bigger after rhinoplasty, which is completely normal. As a general rule, half of the swelling in the nasal tip will be gone after a month, but it will take at least a year for the tip to reach its final shape.
When you undergo a Rhinoplasty procedure, post-operative swelling is to be expected and may last for up to a year following your surgery. This isn't to say your nose will look appear swollen, but your tissue and cartilage are still going through the healing process and necessary changes.
An asymmetrical nose tip after rhinoplasty is perfectly normal. Patients should expect and understand that swelling won't be the same on each side of their nose, thus causing the asymmetry. Other factors such as scar tissue formation, taping, sutures, and splints can also cause uneven nostrils.
A: Rhinoplasty usually takes about a year to heal. It's a traumatic operation that affects many of the tissues in your nose. Looking swollen and bulbous at 7 months is perfectly normal.
Usually, the swelling dissipates by 12-14 months after your rhinoplasty. Now remember, this is swelling at the tip of your nose. Usually things look great, but the final result is often hidden by some of this swelling. This is often the hardest part of the surgery: waiting for the swelling to go away.
Permanent crookedness after rhinoplasty may be due to flexible cartilage warping, contracture of healing, asymmetry of bone location, differences in cartilage shape and position, or differences in skin thickness between right and left sides.
Q: How soon can you get a revision rhinoplasty? A: It's best to wait until your rhinoplasty has fully healed and all swelling has subsided. Revision surgery is rarely considered before 12 months, but consultations can be useful after 6 months.
It is normal to have edema (swelling) of the nose after rhinoplasty. This can last for up to several months. I recommend that you discuss your concerns with your surgeon.
9-18 Months
In most cases, the final 25% of the swelling resolves itself typically 12 months following your rhinoplasty procedure. While residual swelling may be evident to the patient, it is extremely subtle and is therefore typically undetectable to others.
Bulbous Tip Rhinoplasty Recovery
The nose will still be swollen, but not noticeable. Swelling will decline as the months pass — three weeks after the procedure, 20-30 percent of the swelling will be down. Six weeks following the procedure, 50-60 percent of swelling will be down.
Four to six weeks after rhinoplasty, we observe occasional dropping of the nasal tip due to several causes [5]. Such causes may include scar contractures, weight of the nose, and the action of the depressor septi nasi muscle [5].
It may even grow a bit during early adulthood. But after that, any changes you notice are not related to nose growth. Instead, they're the result of changes to your skin and cartilage that alter the shape of the nose. These changes are a natural part of aging.
I made sure the patient knew this before surgery, but many times my words are forgotten during the excitement of a patient seeing their new nose for the first time, but it's important to remember that the nose will continue to get smaller over time.
Fortunately, a great deal of rhinoplasty swelling will subside within just 2 – 3 weeks. By about two months after surgery, virtually all swelling will have resolved.
With so many nose jobs performed each year, there are bound to be a certain number that requires revision. The national average for procedures that require rhinoplasty revision is approximately 15%, whereas ours is less than 5%. This means every year about 36,500 patients undergo corrective rhinoplasty.
How long should I tape my nose after rhinoplasty? Nose taping is often recommended for 1-3 months after a rhinoplasty procedure. Dr. Miller provides patients with clear instructions for recovery care and taping.
Every patient is different, so recovery times vary, but generally speaking, most patients can expect to look “normal” after about three to four weeks, with a small amount of residual swelling and tenderness lasting about three months — though it is usually only noticeable to the patient themselves.
The soft tissues contain collagen, and collagen breaks down over time. This means that any nose will eventually droop, stretch, and change shape. These alterations may appear more significant on a nose that has previously undergone rhinoplasty, as the internal structure of the nose has already been compromised.
The reality is that many rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty patients can appear wider at 3 weeks out than they did before surgery. This can be especially noted if grafting was performed as part of your nasal reshaping process. Stay calm and allow the healing process to unfold.
Rhinoplasty swelling lasts for several months, even up to a year or longer. Fortunately, a majority of the swelling resolves soon after surgery. The nose may swell a little bit before shrinking back down after the nasal cast comes off one week after surgery.
On average, patients are encouraged to wait about 12 months after rhinoplasty surgery before undergoing revision rhinoplasty, though this can vary slightly from person to person.
Furthermore, the surgery often will require greater disruption of the affected tissues, including bones and cartilage, which usually will cause more intense swelling and for longer periods. In most cases, swelling will continue for at least six months to over a year and may last as long as two years.
Swelling can persist for a year, and sometimes longer. This is especially true of the tip of the nose. Fortunately, most swelling will subside within two months, and you should be ready to present your new facial profile to the world in about two weeks.