Changing the shape of your nose is a common procedure for those electing to have cosmetic surgery. If you have decided to change the way that your nose looks, or if you have decided to get nose surgery for medical purposes, then you should know what to expect after the surgery is done. While the procedure will only last for an hour, the recovery is known to be long with some side effects.
During the nose surgery, doctors will put you under an anesthesia to keep you relaxed and asleep. They will also numb the tissue around your nose to prevent pain during the surgery. Immediately after the nose has been reconfigured, doctors will put a splint that is either plastic or medal over your nose. This allows the nose to stay in the same place. There may also be splints or nasal packs that are placed in your nostrils. This is to prevent the nose from slipping back after the surgery and allows the changed shape to stay stable.
After the numbing wears off, you may find there is a great deal of pain from the surgery. There may also be swelling and bruising. This swelling and bruising may move up towards the eyes as well because of the added pressures put on your nose. Several may also get bloody noses from the surgery, as the blood vessels in this area have also been moved and may be under extra tension. You will need to keep your head raised as well as keep ice packs on this area of your face as long as possible to help slow the swelling and stress that is happening in this area. After two weeks, the swelling and bruising should be gone.
After one or two weeks, the packing, splints, and other surgery tools that were used to change the shape of your nose will be removed. After this time, most are feeling better and ready to get back to normal activity. However, strenuous work, such as physical activities that raise the blood pressure, should be avoided for three weeks. It is also recommended to avoid rubbing, bumping, or putting the nose under extra pressures, as it takes at least six weeks to heal from the procedure.
You should use extra caution for eight weeks following the surgery. Sun exposure will add an extra strain on the nose and should be avoided. If you wear glasses, you will need to tape them so they don’t add extra pressure to the nose area. This should be done for the first six weeks after the surgery. It can be expected that some swelling will occur for several months, however, it is usually not noticeable.
When deciding to get cosmetic surgery for your nose, you should also look into the side effects that you will need to deal with for the first two weeks. Several levels of pain may be experienced during this time. By knowing what to expect after the surgery, you can go in prepared and ready to deal with the side effects from readjusting your nose.