How Long Does a Nose Job Take?

Not every nose is perfect – or at least, not everybody feels like their nose is perfect for their face. Sometimes, a nose that is too large can throw off your facial proportions or make you feel self-conscious about your appearance. Fortunately, surgical procedures such as a nose job can alter the shape and size of your nose or even fix certain nose deformities. Learn more about this surgical procedure before you schedule a consultation at DrYoungForever in San Antonio, TX.

How Long Does a Nose Job Take?

Overall, the surgical procedure for rhinoplasty will take between two and five hours for most people. The length of your surgery time will depend on the complexity of your treatment plan. For example, if you only want to shave down a bump on the outside of the nose, your surgery will be shorter than someone who wants to correct a deviated septum.

After your surgery, you may or may not need to stay overnight at a hospital. Ultimately, this decision will come down to the preferences of your surgeon and your schedule. Sometimes, it is a good idea to have an overnight stay just to make your immediate recovery easier.

How Should You Prepare for the Procedure?

To prepare for any plastic surgery, you will need to make a few lifestyle adjustments about one week before your appointment. The biggest change you will need to make is abstaining from tobacco products and alcohol, both of which can interfere with how your body heals wounds. For example, alcohol causes blood thinning and tobacco slows down your natural healing processes.

You may also be instructed to stop using blood thinning medications and certain heart medications a few days before your procedure. It’s important to provide your surgeon with a full list of all the vitamins and supplements you’re taking as well, since some of these supplements may also cause blood thinning.

What Is Your Recovery Like?

In general, your recovery after a nose job will usually be about two to four weeks. Although most people take the first one to two weeks off from work, the vast majority of people can return to their normal daily routine after three to four weeks, including work and some forms of exercise. Your recovery time will be split into several stages, including your initial recovery and your follow-up appointments.

During your initial recovery, your nose may be dressed with a cast or other casing to protect the surgery site. After two weeks, you will usually attend your first follow-up appointment to assess how well your nose is healing after the procedure. You may have additional follow-up appointments to track your recovery process for the next six to 12 weeks.

Tips During Your Recovery

If you want to recover quickly, then it’s a good idea to follow all of your aftercare instructions closely. Your aftercare instructions are there to ensure you do not experience any complications during your recovery that may prolong your healing. Some of the best tips to follow include:

Keep Head Elevated

You must sleep with your head elevated during the first one to two weeks after a nose job. Elevating your head can reduce inflammation, which will allow your nose to heal more quickly. You can sleep elevated by stacking two pillows behind you or using a towel to prop up your regular pillow. You don’t need to sleep totally sitting up, but your head does need to be above the level of your heart.

Eat Plenty of Protein

Having the right diet after a surgical procedure can do wonders to speed up your recovery time. Your body will heal more quickly when it has certain nutrient resources that strengthen the immune system and make it easier for the body to produce collagen, elastin, fibrin, and other healing cells. Protein is especially important to consume after surgery.

Additionally, you should be sure to take a multivitamin to ensure your body is receiving the full amount of nutrients it needs. Even if you have a balanced, healthy diet, using a multivitamin after surgery can benefit your overall recovery.

Avoid Heat and Sunlight

Activities that can cause inflammation or skin irritation should be avoided after your rhinoplasty. In particular, you will need to avoid direct sunlight, steam, hot showers, saunas, and even hot tubs for at least two to three weeks. Even though these activities are relaxing, they can cause inflammation and swelling in the body, which can slow down your recovery.

Don’t Smoke

You will need to avoid smoking for at least two weeks after your procedure. Tobacco directly interferes with the functionality of the immune system, so by avoiding tobacco-based products, you can strengthen your immune response and recover more quickly.

Pause Your Exercise Routine

Finally, you may also need to pause or alter your normal exercise routine. Strenuous and vigorous exercise can disrupt your healing by increasing stress on the body or even causing unnecessary bleeding. After the first two weeks, you can resume light exercises such as walking, yoga, or Tai Chi.

Are Results Permanent?

The results of a rhinoplasty procedure are generally permanent. Unless something happens to damage your nose, your results should last a lifetime. That said, as people reach their golden years, the shape and structure of the nose often change as a result of aging. For this reason, the results of your rhinoplasty may alter in later life.

Why Do People Get Nose Jobs?

There are plenty of reasons why people get nose jobs. After all, rhinoplasty is one of the most requested plastic surgery procedures in the world. Some of the top reasons to schedule a consultation for rhinoplasty can include:

Repair Injuries or Defects

Injuries and defects to the nose can cause a host of problems, including breathing difficulties and aesthetic concerns. For example, a broken nose can alter the septum and make it difficult to breathe, as well as create external bumps that you may feel so conscious about. Other defects to the nose, such as humps or bumps on the bridge of the nose, may also be a motivation to have this procedure.

Correct Breathing Difficulty

Some people have a deviated septum or another structural issue within the nose that makes it difficult to breathe, particularly at night. If you are someone who snores or you have trouble breathing through your nose because it frequently feels stuffy, a rhinoplasty may be able to alter the internal structures of the nose to make it easier for you to get air.

Alter Nose Appearance

Finally, many people request rhinoplasty simply for the sake of aesthetics. If you feel like your nose is too large for your face or you aren’t happy with the overall shape of your nose, this procedure can alter your appearance. Some people want to have a more narrow nose or lift the tip of the nose, while others want to change the slope of the nose bridge.

Although dermal fillers can sometimes be used to temporarily correct the appearance of the nose, the results of a filler will last for less than a year or may not develop as desired, so a surgical solution can sometimes be best.

Is There a Best Age for This Treatment?

In general, as long as you are an adult, you are eligible for this treatment at any time in your life. Many people use this treatment in their 30s to correct breathing problems, while others may use this treatment in their 20s to correct the aesthetics of the nose.

One of the reasons plastic surgeons recommend waiting until the patient is at least older than 18 to 20 is because the cartilage of the nose doesn’t fully develop until then. Having a rhinoplasty too early could mean a revision surgery down the line.

Is There a Best Time for This Treatment?

Because the immediate recovery time for this treatment takes about a month, it’s usually a good idea to schedule your rhinoplasty procedure at least one to two months before any major events in your life.

Improve the Proportions of Your Face With Rhinoplasty

If you are self-conscious about the size or shape of your nose, you may want to consider a rhinoplasty procedure to alter your nose appearance. A rhinoplasty can also be used to repair injuries, defects, or even breathing difficulties you may have. If you believe this procedure is ideal for your nose concerns, contact DrYoungForever in San Antonio, TX to schedule your consultation today.