What is the After Care for Rhinoplasty?


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There are a number of things you should follow once you have had Rhinoplasty; it is important that you follow the instructions given to you by your surgeon or doctor as they are given to help aid the healing. Below is a short list of the general dos and do not's of Rhinoplasty aftercare.

  1. DO NOT SMOKE – it is imperative that you do not smoke after the operation. It is believed that you should not smoke for at least two weeks after you have had the operation. This is because smoking lowers circulation and this can slow recovery and cause complications such as necrosis (death of skin), scarring and skin loss.
  2. For the first two weeks after your surgery you should refrain from partaking in strenuous exercise as this will tire you and will affect the healing process, slowing it.
  3. You should also avoid bending over too much as this can increase blood flow and can lead to excess bleeding which is something that you obviously do not want to happen.
  4. For the first few weeks you should also sleep with your head slightly elevated above the rest of your body, keeping your nose propped up at a 45 degree angle
  5. Wait for a day before you have a shower because your face will still be sore and tender. When you do wash, at first use cool water and only soap – DO NOT use any scrubs or exfoliating creams as this can be painful and will also harm the healing process. It is also important to remember that it is unlikely that you will be able to get all of the blood off in one go as you will not be able to scrub as hard as will be required. However, do not be tempted to attempt to scrub hard as this will not help your surgery to heal and the blood will wash off eventually any way.
  6. If you have been given gauze to cover your upper lip to catch any dripping or fluids then you should change this regularly to keep good hygiene and to stop the possibility of infection.

There are also a number of other precautions that you can take that will help your nose to heal. It is important that you do not sunbath for the first six weeks after you have had Rhinoplasty (this includes natural sunlight as well as sunbeds etc.), and if you are aware that you will have to be in the sun for a long period of time you should use ample suntan lotion to protect your nose. The reason you should not sunbath for such a long period of time is that sunbathing soon after the operation can result in a permanent change in the pigmentation in your nose. This means that even after the rest of your face has returned to its natural colour, your nose will not and will remain its suntanned colour. It is advisable, therefore, that for the first few days at least (as it is during this time that your nose is at its most vulnerable) that you avoid the sun altogether to allow it time to heal.

Over all it is important that you give yourself time to rest and recover after the operation as the healing process, as mentioned above, is long and by sticking to the do's and don'ts above you will be giving yourself the best possible change of a quick healing time.

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