10 Things To Remember After Your Rhinoplasty

If you’ve already had the procedure done, you can breathe – literally! However, sometimes the time after the surgery can be even more stressful than the time before. Read this guide to get some tips on how to handle the aftermath, and your new nose.

1. Eat soft foods for your first week or two post-surgery. Our noses and mouths are often more connected than we think, and crunchy foods can put undue pressure on your nose – which can be painful, if you’ve just had surgery. Keep your diet soft until your nose has fully recovered.
2. If your nose needs blowing, keep your type of surgery in mind. A rhinoplasty without septoplasty can blow their nose two weeks post-surgery, with care. With septoplasty, four weeks. Septal perforation repair will take you a full twelve weeks before you’ll be able to blow your nose.
3. Any pain? After surgery of any kind, that’s an unfortunate normality, although most patients feel little to no pain after rhinoplasty. Make sure you’re taking your prescribed medication at your scheduled times.
4. During your recovery period, refrain from eating salty foods. Salt promotes water retention, which can affect your sinuses. Your goal is to make things as easy on your nose as possible, which means anything that could irritate your sinuses is right out.
5. While sleeping, be sure to elevate your head. This will prevent your nose from swelling, and will allow fluid to move normally through your head.
6. This may be the most obvious one of all, but you’ll want to make sure you don’t bump your nose on anything. Sleep with your head facing out, away from your pillow, and take care that you don’t irritate it with any pets or wide movements.
7. This one operates on a bit longer timeframe: while you should be wearing sunscreen during outdoor excursions as it is, take extra care to wear sunscreen and hats while your nose is still healing. This may take several months, but can prevent extra damage to your nose. On top of that, it’s a great way to prevent swelling.
8. If you’re experiencing dissatisfaction with your appearance immediately after your surgery, remember to give it time! After surgery, it’s likely that your nose will be swollen and a bit off, and it will stay like that until it heals. The healing process is different for everybody. For some, it takes a week, and for some, it takes much longer. Give your nose time to heal before making your final judgment call.
9. Listen to what your body is telling you! After surgery, regardless of what it’s for, it’s normal to be tired. If you need to sleep, do so! It’s your recovery period, and there’s no shame in doing what you need for your body to heal. Enjoy the downtime!
10. Of course, if you have any questions, don’t be afraid to call your surgeon. As the person performing the surgery, they’ll know your problem and your nose best, and be happy to answer any questions you may have.