The eyes may well be the window to the soul, but they are not the most prominent facial feature. If the human face is divided into thirds, both vertically and horizontally, the nose takes up the middle third of the face in either direction. This makes it the most central feature on the human face. Of course, not everybody has a perfectly centered - or symmetrical - nose. In some cases, a misshapen nose may be due to injury, illness, or simple genetics.
This quest for that perfect nose is what brings many prospective rhinoplasty patients to see Dr. Paul Pin for an initial consultation. Such patients are invariably eager to see the final results from the surgery. Dr. Pin cautions patients to give their body the time it needs to heal in order to get the best possible results from a rhinoplasty procedure. He has found that providing patients with a timeline as to when they might expect to see results can be helpful, as it gives patients something to look forward to. In this blog post, we discuss the timeline of rhinoplasty results, as well as what patients can do to achieve the best possible results.
First Two Weeks after Surgery
This is the most crucial part of the healing phase, as the majority of the healing takes place during these first two weeks. Patients should expect bruising and swelling of the nose, which is actually part of the body's natural defense system, as it attempts to isolate the damage done to cells as a result of surgery. Once the sutures have fully closed over, patients can use cold compresses or cold gel packs to reduce the amount and duration of bruising and swelling. The nose may not look much different at this stage. In fact, the nose will likely appear larger due to the swelling.
Three to Four Weeks after Surgery
By this point, the initial bruising and swelling should be gone, and patients can finally get their first look at what the final shape of their nose may look like. They can also return to their normal schedule of activities, such as driving or attending school or work. Patients can also resume a light exercise routine, such as yoga or walking, by this time.
Although patients may be eager to show off their new nose to friends and family, it may not reach its final size and shape for at least another two to three weeks. However, some people may begin to notice the change and comment upon it by remarking that something about the face looks different, even if they may not know precisely what has been altered.
Six to Eight Weeks after Surgery and Beyond
By this time, the nose should be fully healed and have achieved its final shape. It should be obvious from before and after photographs that the nose has been resculpted to a more aesthetically pleasing shape and size. Patients should be able to resume their normal exercise routine by this time.
Six to eight weeks may seem like a long time to wait to finally have the desired nasal shape and size, but Dr. Pin strongly recommends patients give themselves time to heal. Doing so will not only mean better results from the procedure, but less chance of having to do a revision surgery. To learn more, contact our practice today.