One potential cause for bulbous appearance of the nose is the development of scar tissue at the nasal tip. This does not occur right away, but rather may develop over time. Sometimes injection of steroid may be of benefit. You may wish to consider consulting with your original surgeon.
A: It is very common for a nose not only to look big after rhinoplasty but even to look bigger than your original nose. This is because of the swelling. It can be frustrating to go through rhinoplastic surgery and still have a “big” nose, but it is not a permanent condition.
Sometimes, the tip of the nose either has too much cartilage or a thick skin layer. This can make it look too rounded, boxy, or bulbous. As a result, your nose may look too wide or too big and out of proportion with the rest of your face.
By 1 month, most of the cheek and lip swelling has resolved, and the nasal tip shape and position are much more natural. Swelling of the tip continues to improve, and is really fading by the 3.5 month photo. Things look even better at 6 months, and will continue to improve or 1-2 years after surgery.
An open rhinoplasty requires more time to heal. 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.
In some cases, particularly if patients have thicker skin or if significant tip work is performed, it may take 18-24 months for swelling in the tip to completely resolve itself. This means that while it may be difficult, it is important to be patient and avoid judging the results until all swelling has resolved.
Cold compresses are most effective in the first 48 hours following surgery and you should alternate between 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off. Ice should never be applied directly to your skin, as this can affect blood flow and cause tissue damage.
First of all, let's answer this: "Can the nose tip drop after rhinoplasty?" Yes, it can. When the nose tip positions a little lower than the level of the nasal ridge after rhinoplasty surgery, this is called a drooping nose tip. A nose tip that is too low will cause an aesthetically undesirable appearance.
Dr. Ronald Schuster, a board-certified plastic surgeon and experienced rhinoplasty provider in Baltimore, recommends nasal massage to his rhinoplasty patients because it effectively decreases swelling. It will not cause damage or negatively impact your results if performed properly.
A dropped tip happens because the nose surgeon did not allow for the drop and set the tip to the nose's profile, including the bridge. But highly experienced nasal surgeons know the nose tip will undergo some downward contraction because their incisions tend to contract while healing.
Treating the bulbous tip with rhinoplasty is done by removing small edges of the cartilage to refine them and using suturing techniques to create a sharper but yet natural nasal tip. Sometimes, cartilage grafts are necessary to create a more refined nasal tip in patients.
Treating the bulbous nasal tip with rhinoplasty involves refining and reconfiguring small cartilage edges, along with suturing techniques to create a sharper yet natural nasal tip. For thicker skinned patients, thinning of the nasal tip skin may be necessary.
Reshaping the nasal tip, especially a bulbous nose tip, can be one of the more challenging types of rhinoplasty. There are many different techniques used to reshape a bulbous nose, and your individual case will determine which techniques will be applied.
Tip of the Nose Is Too High
Your surgeon may have removed an excessive amount of tissue from your nose tip in an attempt to raise your entire nose. The resulting image is a “pig snout.” You may experience this temporarily as a result of post-surgery swelling. It usually disappears after a few weeks.
Downtime following a bulbous tip rhinoplasty is about two weeks. During this period, you must rest with your head in an elevated position as often as possible. Ensure you have plenty of pillows prepared for your recovery before surgery day.
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.
Nasal massage and digital compressions after nose surgery can help to reduce swelling and make you more comfortable during your recovery. However, not all plastic surgeons will recommend that you massage your nose after rhinoplasty, so it is crucial that you follow his or her specific recovery guidelines.
While by 3-6 months the rhinoplasty “healing” is considered complete, there is even further maturation and improvement up to the one-year mark. Typically the tip of the nose becomes even more refined until 12 months after surgery.
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.
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.
If you have concerns, contact your surgeon. And, if the swelling doesn't subside after a few months, ask your surgeon if a steroid shot would help. If you've had an open rhinoplasty, where there is an incision at the base of the nose, it usually takes longer to heal than a closed rhinoplasty.
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.
Revision surgeries are far more complex than the initial nose job, which is why they should only be trusted to a top rhinoplasty surgeon. Due to scar tissue and changes in the bone and cartilage from the first procedure, revision surgery takes longer to perform and the nose remains swollen for a longer period of time.
Correcting a bulbous nose is one of the most challenging procedures in the already difficult field of rhinoplasty. Refining a bulbous nose requires an experienced surgeon with both artistic sense and technical precision.
The glands within the nose skin, especially at the tip, may enlarge, causing a wider, heavier nose appearance. While there is debate if the cartilage itself grows, it can look that way. During the teenage years, the nose experiences shape and structural changes.