Winter is a popular time for rhinoplasty surgery, especially after the holiday season is over. With months to go until summer, there’s plenty of time to have the surgery and to recover before the warm weather arrives. And what a great way to start spring!
Of course, surgery is just the first part of the process. Once your rhinoplasty is done, you still need to go through a recovery process when your nose and the surrounding tissues heal. You’ll definitely have swelling and bruising, and it can be difficult to wait until the final results are visible.
So, what to do after rhinoplasty? Here are some rhinoplasty recovery tips you can do to ensure your healing process goes smoothly and with as little discomfort as possible.
1. Leave Your Nose Alone
Here’s a tip on how to recover from rhinoplasty faster: don’t touch your nose.
There’s going to be some drainage after your nose job surgery, along with scab formation. Avoid the urge to pick or clear your nostrils. Follow Dr. Nikolov’s post-surgical rhinoplasty advice and don’t be tempted to use swabs or fingers to remove mucus or other materials. Don’t blow your nose. If you feel the need to sneeze, open your mouth to relieve pressure inside your nose. Dr. Nikolov also may apply a splint. If it’s uncomfortable, don’t move it or attempt to adjust it yourself. The splint helps to hold your nose in the proper position and improves nose job healing.
2. Rest — And Keep Your Head Elevated
After your surgery, you should try to rest as much as possible to allow your body plenty of time to heal and speed up rhinoplasty recovery. Lying down and resting is great, but try to keep your head elevated to reduce swelling around your nose. Use pillows to prop yourself up when you sleep or while you read or watch TV. Do not bend over and don’t lift anything heavy. You’ll also need to avoid any strenuous physical activity until Dr. Nikolov says it’s OK to resume those activities.
3. Stay Out Of The Tub
Here’s rhinoplasty advice you might not want to hear but would definitely help on your nose job healing.
After your surgery, Dr. Nikolov will place bandages and dressings around and inside your nose. These bandages must stay dry. That means you’ll need to avoid taking baths or going for a swim. You will be able to shower as long as you keep your face out of the water spray. Follow instructions for gently cleaning and drying your face, taking care to avoid the nose area.
4. Give Peas A Chance
Bags of frozen peas can be applied to the cheek and eye area to help reduce swelling. Just be very, very sure to keep the bag away from your nose. Any weight, no matter how minimal, can shift the position of the tissues as they heal, making scars visible and marring the results. Swelling is usually worse in the morning after spending a night lying on your back.
How to recover from rhinoplasty faster
5. Avoid Cigarettes And Alcohol
Do you know how to recover from rhinoplasty faster? Stop smoking and drinking.
Healing after any surgery takes a lot of energy from your body, and it also depends on healthy habits. Smoking interferes with your circulation, which makes it a lot harder for oxygen and other nutrients to reach the surgical site. Since wound healing needs lots of oxygen-rich blood, it’s easy to see how smoking can impede the normal recovery process. Alcohol also inhibits healing in many people, so it’s best to avoid drinking alcohol at least during the early stages of your recovery. These are small sacrifices to make if you want to speed up rhinoplasty recovery.
6. Avoid Bending Over
This might sound like one of the unusual rhinoplasty recovery tips you’d hear, but it has a scientific basis.
So, why can’t you bend over after rhinoplasty?
When you bend over, blood will rush to your face, causing swelling and prolonging nasal stuffiness. Keeping your face above your heart reduces the pressure that the blood flow applies to your nose. Lifting heavy objects does the same as your heart pumps more blood throughout your body to increase oxygen circulation.
Avoid bending over or lifting for around two weeks to speed up rhinoplasty recovery. These activities may cause bleeding and aggravate swelling, so it’s best to just stop doing them for a while to hasten the nose job healing process.
Are You Ready To Speed Up Your Rhinoplasty Recovery?
Most people have nose surgery to correct aesthetic issues, like bumps or lumps on the bridge of the nose, nostrils that are irregularly shaped, or a nose that’s too large or otherwise out of proportion with the rest of the facial features. Rhinoplasty can reshape your nose so the symmetry of your entire face is more pleasing. In addition to correcting cosmetic problems, rhinoplasty can also be used to correct some breathing issues.
If you’ve been wondering if rhinoplasty is a good choice for helping you achieve your goals, Dr. Nicholas Nikolov can help you understand all your options. Book your consultation appointment online today.
