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Rhinoplasty recovery?
I have a little over a week for my spring break, about 10 days. Is this enough time to recover from rhinoplasty surgery and go back to school? When will the swelling and bruising subside? Because I already have dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep (college….ugh) and I know after surgery there will be bruising under both my eyes but I don’t know for how long. Thanks thanks for all your help and adive guys, but when you say it takes a year for my nose to fully heal, does that mean it will also take a year for me to see the results?
Public Comments
- I had a nose job back in 93. I was back to normal with in a week. Understand that even though most of the swelling should be gone by then, it may take up to a year for your nose to properly heal. But a week should be fine. Just make sure you keep ice on it to help with the swelling. Edit- It COULD take up to a year for you to see the complete result.You will immediately notice the difference but the complete finished result could take up to a year. it depends on how fast you heal
- Well I'm not going to even pretend I know anything about his subject, so this may help you-good luck. I certainly don't see why you would need it, you look magnificient. Good luck. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinoplasty
- I REALLY don't think you need your nose done!
- Recovery after rhinoplasty surgery is not comfortable. You won’t be in huge amounts of pain, or at least you shouldn’t be, but there will be bruising and swelling as well as a stuffed up feeling for at least the first few days. If your surgeon has given you prescriptions for pain relievers and antibiotics, get the prescriptions filled in advance so that you have them ready when you get home. Take the antibiotics on time and take them for as many days as you are instructed to. Don’t try to tough it out by not taking pain relievers. If you need them, take them. You will use less pain medication if you take it when the pain starts rather than waiting for the pain to be unbearable. You may or may not have nasal packing, which is stuffed up your nose to help reduce swelling and bleeding. Packing will make you feel like your whole head is stuffed up and sometimes it can make you feel as if you were smothering. Some people feel overwhelmed a bit by having the packing in their nose. The swelling in your nose may feel like a lot of pressure in that area and can also be a bit upsetting. Some surgeons place a tube or straw in the middle of the nasal packing to help you breathe a bit easier. Your packing, if you have it, will be removed in a few days at your first postoperative appointment. Some surgeons do not recommend using cold compresses, so check with your surgeon first. However, swelling and pressure can be relieved by icing and many surgeons strongly recommend this. Some patients report that the best things to ice it down with are bags of frozen peas or frozen raspberries. Just be careful you don't puncture the bag from freezing and thawing. It can be a real mess. Another good trick is to mix one part rubbing alcohol with three parts water. Put a cup of this mixture into a Ziploc bag and seal it and then put that bag inside another Ziploc bag and seal it and place it in the freezer for a few hours. This freezes into a slushy mixture that can mold to your face. Make two or three of these bags so that one is always ready. You can also purchase cold packs that are specially designed for rhinoplasty recovery. Remember you will be bruised so don’t get too frightened when you look at yourself in the mirror. Most people get two black eyes after nose surgery, so count yourself lucky if you don’t. These bruises may increase or darken as they heal, just like any other bruise, and may go through some lovely shades of purple, green and yellow before they face completely. It usually takes about 10 days for the bruising to disappear completely. However, in smokers it can take up to 3 to 5 weeks. So, quit smoking now for a better chance at a smoother and faster recovery. Take a look at my recovery photos. By the way, not everyone will get a yellow cast, that was a joke and I didn't mind the color at all. A few days after surgery, I went out shopping to the mall, with the bruises, neon cast and all! The evening or next day after your surgery, you may feel very nauseous and may vomit. The vomit may look black in color. This is normal. You swallow a bit of blood during a rhinoplasty and it can make you sick later. Usually, after you throw up, you feel better.If your nausea does not let up, call your surgeon. For the first week after your rhinoplasty surgery, you should sleep with your head and shoulders raised. If you have a recliner, you can try sleeping there. Your head should be at a 30 degree angle or at least two fluffy pillows worth. Keeping your head raised helps keep the swelling and bruising to a minimum. It can also help ward off postoperative bleeding. Until your surgeon says it is okay, do not take anything with aspirin or ibuprofen in it. Ask your surgeon about taking arnica, bromelain, or vitamin C. Avoid alcohol for at least 3 weeks postoperatively, as well. The cast is usually removed 5 to 7 days after surgery. Removal may hurt a little bit. If your sutures are being removed, this may also be slightly uncomfortable.
