Nose

Post-surgery timeline

Day 1 to 3
Might be some blood-coloured watery fluid coming from your nose.

You might feel a bit down and will feel like you have a heavy cold.

Important that you do not blow your nose.

May have slight nose bleeds.

Day 4 to 7
Should begin to feel a lot brighter.

Bruising and swelling beginning to go down now.

Should be able to wear your contact lenses but continue to sleep sitting up.

Make sure that you keep the nasal splint dry.

Any external stiches will be removed.

Day 7 to 10
OK to blow your nose now (gently) and sleep lying down.

Check your outpatient appointment time - you can soon have that splint removed.

Eyes may still be black but the bruising is beginning to fade.

At two weeks
Much of the bruising and swelling is gone.

Most patients are ready to go back to work or at least feel they can go out and about.

Any remaining bruising can be covered up with make up.

Three weeks after
Most of the swelling has gone down now.

At the end of this week, you can return to more vigorous exercise if you like.

Two months after
You will still feel some numbness and stiffness at the end of your nose - this will continue to improve with time.

It will be fine to return to any form of contact sport.

Apply high factor sunscreen until at least the six month stage.

Six months after
Swelling continues to reduce. The shape of your nose will
continue to refine.

12 months after
Nearly all healing complete. Any refinement needed
will be done at this time.

What is Nose Re-Shaping?

Nose re-shaping (rhinoplasty) is a surgical procedure on the nose (sometimes called a nose job) and is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures performed. The aim of surgery is to make your nose look more natural and ensure that it is in true harmony with the rest of your face.

The procedure takes between one to two hours to perform. At the end of the procedure, a splint is put on the outside of the nose and this is left in place for about a week.

This procedure is usually performed under a general anaesthetic.

Operations on the nose are not particularly painful which surprises most people. However, expect to be swollen, bruised around the eyes and cheek region and feeling “bunged up” for the first few days to two weeks (your nose may feel bunged up for longer than this).

Providing all is well, you can expect to go home the morning after surgery. Sometimes, you can go home on the same day.

What are the risks and side effects of surgery?

Having cosmetic surgery can be a very positive experience. Complications are infrequent and usually minor. However, no surgery is without risk.

Bruising and swelling will occur and you will have black eyes for a while. Unpredictable results are possible. Rarely, a second operation may be required to refine your results.
Other risks include bleeding, wound infection, chest infection and blood clots in the leg (known as a deep vein thrombosis) although these are uncommon.

You should be able to return to work after two weeks and can start to exercise again within three weeks although contact sports should be avoided for at least six weeks.

The general shape of your new nose can be seen when the dressings are removed. However the final result cannot be checked until at least a year following surgery.

For more information on Nose Surgery, click here to view the PDF