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Written and reviewed by Mr David Whitehead, Consultant ENT & Facial Plastic Surgeon, GMC 4372358. Last updated .

Rhinoplasty Recovery and Swelling: A Week-by-Week Guide

This is the recovery plan I give my own patients after rhinoplasty and septorhinoplasty. The short version: the splint comes off at one week, most people are back at a desk at two weeks, and the swelling then fades slowly over months, with the tip last of all. How long that takes depends mostly on your skin.

Recovery at a glance

WhenWhat is happeningWhat you can do
Day of surgeryGeneral anaesthetic, usually two to three hours (up to four for septorhinoplasty). Most people go home the same evening.Rest at home with someone with you for the first night.
Days 1 to 3The inside of the nose is at its most swollen in the first 48 hours. You will breathe mainly through your mouth.Sleep on two pillows. Paracetamol is usually enough. No hot drinks, hot showers or saunas for 48 hours.
Days 3 to 7Bruising around the eyes peaks at 48 to 72 hours, then fades.Start saline rinses on day 3, twice a day. Keep the splint dry. Do not blow your nose.
Day 7Splint and Steri-Strips come off at your one-week review.You will see the early shape. It will look swollen and that is expected.
Week 2Most bruising and visible swelling has gone.Back to office work. Gentle exercise such as walking. Nose-blowing allowed after two weeks.
Weeks 4 to 8The nose looks natural to other people, though it still feels firm.Cardio from week 4. Glasses back on the bridge after week 6. No contact sport until 6 to 8 weeks.
Months 3 to 6Internal stuffiness usually peaks around 3 months, then eases. The tip keeps refining.Review with photographs and 3D imaging at 3 and 6 months. Daily sunscreen on the nose.
Months 12 to 24Thin skin: final result by about 12 months. Thick skin: changes continue for 18 to 24 months.Reviews at 12 and 18 months. Judge the final result only after this point.

The day of surgery

You arrive fasted: no food for six hours and clear fluids only until two hours before. You will meet the nurse, your consultant anaesthetist and me, and I will go through the plan again before we start. The operation usually takes two to three hours, or up to four for septorhinoplasty, under general anaesthetic at Weymouth Street Hospital. You recover in a private room for a few hours. Most people go home the same evening; some stay overnight, depending on the operation, how far they live and what they prefer.

The first week: splint, bruising and a blocked nose

You leave with a thermoplastic splint on the outside of the nose and Steri-Strips underneath. The stitches dissolve. I don't routinely use packing that has to be pulled out. The inside of the nose swells most in the first 24 to 48 hours, so expect to breathe through your mouth. Bruising around the eyes is at its worst at 48 to 72 hours and then turns yellow and fades.

  • Sleep with your head raised on two pillows.
  • Paracetamol, with codeine if needed, is usually enough for pain.
  • Avoid hot showers, saunas and hot drinks for 48 hours.
  • Start saline rinses (NeilMed or Sterimar) on day 3, twice a day, and keep going for at least six weeks.
  • Don't blow your nose for two weeks. If you sneeze, sneeze with your mouth open.
  • Keep the splint dry. Wash your face around it with a damp cloth.

Day 7: the splint comes off

I see you at about one week to take off the splint and Steri-Strips. This is the first time you see the new shape, and it will look swollen, often a little turned up and wider at the tip than it will end up. That is normal at this stage and tells you nothing about the final result.

Weeks 2 to 8: back to normal life

By two weeks most of the visible bruising and swelling has gone, and most people go back to office work. Gentle exercise is fine from two weeks and cardiovascular exercise from four. Glasses should not rest on the bridge for six weeks: wear contact lenses or tape your glasses to your forehead. Avoid contact sport for six to eight weeks, because a knock in the first eight weeks can move the healing bones. Keep up the saline rinses.

Months 3 to 24: the slow part

From here the changes are gradual: the tip becomes more defined and the whole nose refines. I review you with photographs and 3D imaging at 3, 6, 12 and 18 months, so we compare like with like instead of relying on the mirror. Put sunscreen on your nose every day for the first six months, because sun on healing skin can leave lasting discolouration.

Swelling after rhinoplasty: what is normal

Swelling settles from the top of the nose downwards. The bridge settles first. The tip settles last, because the skin there is thicker and has more soft tissue under it. It is common for the nose to look fuller first thing in the morning and better by the afternoon, and for one side to settle a little faster than the other.

Thin skin

Most of the final result shows by six months, and the final result by about 12 months. The framework shows through sooner, which also means any small irregularity shows sooner.

Thick skin

Only part of the change shows at six months. The soft tissue keeps remodelling for 18 to 24 months, occasionally longer, and tip definition comes last. Please don't judge your result before 18 months.

I tell you at your first consultation which group you are in, so you know your timeline before you decide on surgery.

Why the nose can feel blocked for months

Separate from the visible swelling, the lining inside the nose swells after surgery. This stuffiness usually peaks around three months, then settles, and for most people it is largely gone by 12 months. Saline rinses make the biggest difference. If it persists I may add a steroid nasal spray between three and twelve months. A small number of people, more often those with hay fever or rhinitis before surgery, have stuffiness that lasts longer.

Numbness, stiffness and smell

A numb, firm tip is common for the first months and usually recovers. Smell is often reduced early on while the nose is swollen and nearly always comes back.

When to get help

Go to A&E or call 999 if you have bleeding that will not stop, any change in your vision, difficulty breathing, or a temperature with feeling unwell.

Contact me the same day for new or one-sided swelling with redness, heat or increasing pain, or anything that worries you. Call 020 7183 0220. It is always better to ask early.

Your aftercare with me

I see you myself at every stage: splint removal at one week, then reviews at 3, 6, 12 and 18 months with standardised photographs and 3D imaging. Twelve months of follow-up is included in the surgery fee. If you are having a septorhinoplasty for breathing as well as shape, the same plan applies, and the saline rinses matter even more.

Rhinoplasty Recovery Questions

Why is my nose still swollen six months after rhinoplasty?
Because the tip is the last part to settle, and six months is still mid-way for many people. With thin skin most of the final result shows by six months. With thick skin the soft tissue keeps remodelling for 18 to 24 months, so a full or slightly undefined tip at six months is normal. Swelling that is worse in the morning, or a little uneven from side to side, is also normal. What is not normal is new swelling with redness, heat, pain or a temperature: contact me the same day.
Why does my nose feel blocked after rhinoplasty?
Surgery makes the lining of the nose swell, and that swelling often peaks around three months before it eases. It is called post-rhinoplasty rhinitis. For most people it is largely gone by 12 months. Twice-daily saline rinses help, and if it lasts I may add a steroid nasal spray between three and twelve months. In a small number of people, more often those with hay fever or rhinitis before surgery, some stuffiness lasts longer, which is why I ask about it at the consultation.
How long does swelling last after rhinoplasty?
Visible swelling and bruising mostly go within two weeks. The swelling you notice after that is subtle and settles over months: the bridge first, the tip last. With thin skin, expect most of the final shape by six months and the final result by about 12 months. With thick skin, allow 18 to 24 months and do not judge the result before 18 months.
How long until I look normal after rhinoplasty?
Most people are comfortable being seen in public at about two weeks, once the splint is off and bruising has faded. Other people rarely notice anything by six weeks. You will notice the remaining swelling for longer than anyone else will.
When can I go back to work after rhinoplasty?
Office work at two weeks. If your job is physical, involves lifting, or carries a risk of a knock to the face, allow longer and we will agree a date at your review.
When can I exercise after rhinoplasty?
Walking and gentle exercise from two weeks, cardiovascular exercise from four weeks, and no contact sport for six to eight weeks. A knock to the nose in the first eight weeks can move the healing bones.
When can I wear glasses after rhinoplasty?
Not resting on the bridge for six weeks. Use contact lenses, or tape the glasses to your forehead so they sit clear of the nose.
When can I fly after rhinoplasty?
Most people can fly from two weeks, once the splint is off and the early swelling has settled. Use saline spray on a long flight. If you need to fly sooner, tell me before surgery so we can plan around it.
Is it normal for the tip of my nose to feel numb or stiff?
Yes. Numbness of the tip is common in the first months and usually recovers as the small nerves regrow. The tip also feels firm for a long time because of swelling under the skin. Your sense of smell is often reduced at first while the nose is swollen, and it nearly always returns.
How should I prepare for rhinoplasty recovery?
Stop smoking at least six weeks before surgery. Stop aspirin, anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen, fish oil, garlic, ginkgo, ginseng and vitamin E supplements at least ten days before, unless a doctor has told you to take aspirin, in which case ask me first. Buy paracetamol and a saline rinse kit (NeilMed or Sterimar), have two pillows ready, and arrange two weeks off work.

Related pages

Rhinoplasty London →Septorhinoplasty →Revision Rhinoplasty →Rhinoplasty Before & After →Rhinoplasty Cost London →

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