Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

My doctors have given me the same rundown: lymphatic drainage is essentially optional. It’s a choice. If you’re looking to aggressively flush out those swollen areas as fast as possible, then sure, go for it. Otherwise, the standard approach is just to leave it alone for two or three months. In most cases, the swelling tends to subside on its own during that window without any intervention whatsoever.

Hey guys, quick question—I had my mold removed this past Thursday, and the surgery was actually the Thursday before that. My tip is still moderately swollen, I don't know... it’s still pretty numb at the top too. The bruising has mostly cleared up, just two little purple spots under my eyes left. But here's the thing: I've been working on moving the hump on my nose, and when I took the mold out, everything looked totally flat. Then, over the last two or three days, I noticed that when I look at my right profile, it looks fine, but from the left side, it’s like the hump is back. It’s not super obvious or anything, but I can see it. Technically, there's a little fatty area there where the bone was broken, but still, it's bugging me—how can the bump be back already? Is this just temporary or what? Has anyone else dealt with something like this? 😢

brightangler18 said:Hey everyone, I have a question. I had my splint removed this past Thursday, and the surgery was the Thursday before last. My tip is moderately swollen—I don't know how else to put it—and the very top still feels numb. The bruising has mostly cleared up, leaving just two purple spots under my eyes. But here’s the real issue: while I was adjusting the bump on my nose during recovery, everything looked perfectly flat once the splint came off. However, over the last two or three days, I’ve noticed that when I look at my right profile, it’s smooth, but from the left side, it looks like the bump is back. It's not super obvious, but I can definitely see it. Technically, there's a fatty deposit there because that's where the bone was broken, but it still worries me—how can the bump be back? Is this just temporary or what? Has anyone else dealt with this? 😢

I really hope things work out for you, because I went through the exact same thing. Once the splint came off, everything looked straight, but now, four months later, I have a revision scheduled... I have to go back under the knife because I’m left with a bump that is way too visible, and now I actually have a crooked nose 🙂 but since you mentioned there's a fatty deposit there and the bone was fractured, I honestly think you should just hang in there and wait it out. 🙂

brightangler18 said:Hey everyone, I have a question. I had my cast removed this past Thursday, and the surgery was two weeks ago. My tip is moderately swollen, and the very top still feels numb. The bruising has mostly cleared up, leaving just two purple spots under my eyes. The real issue is that while I was adjusting the bump on my nose, everything looked perfectly straight once the cast came off. However, over the last two or three days, I’ve noticed that when I look at myself from the right profile, it looks flat, but from the left, there's a slight bump again—not super obvious, but I can definitely see it. Technically, where the bump is, there's just some fatty tissue because that's where the bone was broken, but it's still worrying me. How is it possible for the bump to "come back"? Is this temporary or what? Has anyone else dealt with this? 😢

I went through the exact same thing—one side looked totally flat while the other was bumpy. As it turns out, the "bumpy" side is actually flat now; it was clearly just swelling. Meanwhile, the "flat" side looks like a slide because it created this massive asymmetry at the tip, making one side of my tip much thicker than the other. It all became apparent as time went on. Everything is still incredibly fresh, so just hang in there for a few months. It might end up being perfectly fine.

briskmason42 said:I really hope things go smoothly for you—honestly, I can totally relate to how you're feeling. Right after they took the mold off, everything looked perfectly straight, but now that I'm four months out, I've got a follow-up revision scheduled... It turns out I’m headed back into surgery because I ended up with this noticeable hump that sticks out, and now my nose looks all crooked too. Just one of those things, I guess! 🙂 But hey, since you mentioned that there’s a bruise there and your nose is actually broken—I mean, honestly—I really think you should just sit this one out. 🙂

So, are you actually planning on going back under the knife for another surgery?? I’m curious—how does that whole process even work in reality? Like, if the surgeon totally misses the mark—you know, if your nose doesn't end up looking exactly how it was supposed to—do they just give you a free redo or what? Just wondering how that works out...

Has anyone here had surgery with Tony lately? I’m specifically looking into his work with older patients. I would truly appreciate it if someone who has undergone a procedure with him could reach out and share their experience.
I'll likely be heading in for a consultation with him next week.
I recently saw Zambelli, and honestly, I walked away with such a negative impression. 😢

analogbison15 said:So, what, you end up paying for a redo operation? And how does that actually work—do you get a free fix if the surgeon messes up and your nose doesn't turn out the way it was supposed to?

No, you don't. Besides, would you honestly want to go back to the same doctor who screwed you over in the first place?

Alright, here’s my saga. I spent 24 years dreaming of having a dainty little nose like Angie Jolie because mine was way too big and crooked. So, I finally bit the bullet and went to a famous plastic surgeon. The result? It was barely smaller, still huge, and even more crooked—the nostrils were totally out of proportion. After ten months of staring at it, I decided on a second surgery with a doctor who wasn't nearly as famous. He actually fixed what the "celebrity" doc messed up; it was smaller and straighter, but the tip was a disaster. One side looked dented because I was missing cartilage, and the other side had this massive bump from excess cartilage. Sure, it looked "cute" and smaller at first glance, but that tip was driving me insane. Between the unevenness and the fact that it looked obviously "fake" and operated on, I just couldn't live with it. So, a week ago, I pulled the trigger on a third surgery abroad. I didn't want to gamble again, so I did my homework and didn't care about the price tag. But the result is 😢 Basically, the bridge is straight, the nostrils and the tip are proportional without any bumps or dents, and it looks natural—not fake. BUT IT IS DAMN BIG!!! This guy basically remodeled the whole thing from the inside out. I know I need to wait for the swelling to go down since it's so early, but still... 😢 😢 I have a huge nose again, and I am absolutely losing it!!! 😢 So, all I'm trying to say is there's no magic rule for which doctor to pick. Whether they're a big name, some local guy, or someone overseas, it really just comes down to how well you communicate with them and, honestly, just damn luck!!!

briskmason42 said:I really hope things turn out okay for you—honestly, that’s exactly how it went for me. Right after they removed the mold, everything looked totally flat, but now—four months later—I’ve got a revision scheduled... I have to go back under the knife because I ended up with this hump that's super noticeable, and now my nose looks crooked too. 🙂 Look, since you’re saying there's a bruise there and your nose is actually broken—I mean, seriously—I think you should probably just back off. Maybe sit this one out? Just my two cents. 🙂

Did they break your nose too? Like, what kind of surgery did you actually end up having? And what was the doctor's take on that bump—is there even an explanation for it?

Charles Fox8 said:I had one side totally flat and the other kind of bumpy too—honestly. But that bumpy side looks pretty even today; I guess it was just swollen before. The flat side feels like a slide now, which ended up giving me this massive asymmetry at the tip... like, my nose tip is way thicker on one side. It’s all just showing up over time, though. Everything is still super fresh, so maybe just hang tight for a few months. It might turn out completely fine.

Ugh, I honestly have no clue—my little fatty pad slipped a bit. It’s not super obvious or anything, but still... after everything I went through to fix that hunchback, I’d seriously lose my mind if it just popped back out. What a nightmare. Anyway, how long did it take before yours started receding? And did they actually have to break any bones for you?

Is Dr. Tony any good with sinus issues?

brightangler18 said:Did they break your nose too? I'm curious about what kind of surgery you actually had done. What was the doctor's official explanation for that bump?

I honestly have no clue what’s going on. My fat pad shifted—it's not super obvious or anything, but still. After everything I went through just to fix that hump on my back, I would absolutely lose my mind if this area started looking uneven again. It's so frustrating. How long did it take for your bump to flatten out? And did they actually have to break any bone for your procedure?

They really did a number on him. Honestly, I can't say exactly how long it took for the swelling to go down, but it definitely should have been at least two months. It just takes time for everything to settle back to normal. Personally, my reaction was pretty intense—I ended up with burst capillaries in my eyes and looked bruised or purple for at least three weeks. Because of that, the inflammation probably lingered much longer than usual for me.

The doctor’s explanation was basically a shrug and a "don't worry about it." He just told me, "It's all just swollen, it'll settle down eventually"—and he used that exact same dismissive line to cover up both the lump and the asymmetrical tip. 🤷 I didn't even bother going back later. I watched the rest of my nose shrink, but the tip just ended up looking worse and more obvious over time. As for those bumps you're describing, I don't have them anymore. I have this tiny little ridge right at the bridge, but you can't really see it unless you're staring intensely in the mirror—you mostly just feel it if you touch it. That part showed up about a week or two after the surgery.

crimsonpanther said:So, here’s how my saga goes. For twenty-four years, I was obsessed with having a small nose—something like Angie Jolie’s—because mine was too big and crooked. I finally bit the bullet and went for surgery with this famous surgeon in Seattle, but the result? It was barely any smaller, actually looked bigger, and was even more crooked. The bridge was totally out of proportion. After that disaster, I decided to go for a second surgery. I waited ten months and then picked a doctor who wasn't nearly as famous, hoping he could fix the mess the "celebrity" surgeon made. He actually succeeded in making the bridge smaller and straighter, but the second surgery created a whole new headache at the tip. One side looked completely dented because of missing cartilage, while the other side had this huge, unsightly bump from excess cartilage. On the surface, it looked cute and smaller, but that tip was driving me insane. Between the asymmetry and the fact that it still looked slightly crooked, it just looked "fake"—like an obvious surgery—and I couldn't get any peace of mind. A week ago, I finally pulled the trigger on a third surgery. This time, I went abroad because I absolutely refused to take any more risks locally. I did my homework, researched everything thoroughly, and honestly, I didn't care about the price tag; I just wanted it done right. But the result...😢 So, look—the nose is straight, the bridge and the tip are perfectly proportional, and there aren't any weird bumps or lumps. It actually looks natural, not fake at all. But the problem is, it’s freaking HUGE. I know he had the whole thing reconstructed from the inside out, and I get that you need time to heal and that swelling makes everything look worse early on, but still... it's just massive. 😢 😢 I'm staring at my nose again, and honestly? I am losing my mind. It feels huge, and I am just completely desperate. 😢 Look, I just want to tell you all one thing: there’s no magic rule about which doctor you should see. It doesn't matter if they're some big-name specialist in New York, a local practitioner in a small town, or someone halfway across the world. At the end of the day, it all boils down to two things: whether you actually click with the doctor, and a damn lot of luck.

I don't have nearly as much experience under my belt as you do, but honestly, my nose felt like a literal ball during that first week—just zero shape or definition whatsoever. 🤷 If you're saying they reshaped the whole thing, then yeah, you can bet the swelling is going to be even more intense. There's a massive difference between just fixing a small bump and undergoing a full reconstruction.

So, what has everyone’s experience been like with BREATHING AFTER (SETO) RHINOPLASTY?
Roughly how many weeks did it take before you actually started breathing better?
For me, it's been about two weeks now—and honestly, since the very beginning (well, except for that intense "breathing all the way to my brain" feeling right after they took the packing out), it's been pretty rough... I can't really feel any scabbing, but I still have stitches, and I've been cleaning everything regularly with saline (maybe I started too late once those initial scabs had already formed? It was day 5 after the packing came out...), and I'm using Neutrogena drops too.
I'm really curious to hear your stories—I've read online that breathing can stay difficult for several months after the surgery... maybe up to 3 or 4 months?
Has anyone else dealt with poor airflow at first, only to have it eventually improve until you were actually breathing "better than before the surgery"?

rapidbadger7 said:What kind of experience have you all had with BREATHING AFTER (SEOTO)RHINOPLASTY?
How many weeks did it take before you actually felt like you could breathe properly?
For me, it’s been two weeks and it’s still rough—aside from that initial moment where I could finally draw air "all the way to my brain" right after they took the packing out, it’s just been bad. I can’t feel any scabs, but I have stitches, and I’ve been cleaning everything regularly with saline (maybe I started too late once those initial scabs already formed? Around day 5 after the packing came out?). I’m also using Neutrogena drops.
I’m curious about your experiences; I read somewhere that breathing might stay difficult for several months following the surgery... maybe up to 3 or 4.
Has anyone here dealt with poor airflow at first, only to have it improve over time until you were eventually breathing "better than before the surgery"?

My surgeon told me I wouldn't be breathing normally until next year (I had my surgery in July), and here I am, still waiting.

Charles Fox8 said:He told me I wouldn't be breathing normally until next year—I had my surgery back in July, and I'm still just sitting here waiting...

Wait, so you've been waiting almost an entire year now? 😕
I mean, honestly, I'd imagine a three-to-four month window is more realistic—though, of course, that really depends on what kind of procedure we're talking about and if there were any complications afterward, right?
Have you been back for a follow-up checkup recently?

rapidbadger7 said:So, you've been waiting almost a full year now? 😕
I’d say a 3 to 4 month window is usually pretty realistic (though obviously, that depends on the specific surgery and if there are any follow-up complications)
Have you gone back for a check-up lately?

Yeah, I'm still waiting, but it's pretty obvious he messed up my nose—both how it looks and how I breathe. 😁 I haven't gone back to see him; it's too far away and honestly, it feels pointless. I don't have the energy to get into an argument about it.

Anonymous said:I'm planning on getting nose surgery and I'm looking for some specifics... hoping you guys can help me out.
1. Does it hurt, and how long do you have to stay in the hospital afterward?
2. How much does it cost?
3. Is there a minimum age requirement for the procedure?

I actually had my nose busted up during a kickboxing match. My cartilage got shifted, so I went in just to fix that specific issue—not a full cosmetic reconstruction where they reshape everything from scratch.

1. You'll probably run a fever and feel a ton of pressure in your head right after, since everything is so fresh, but you usually start feeling better after two or three days. If I remember right, you stay in the hospital for about a week.
2. It didn't cost me a dime; I was at a general hospital because it was an injury, not a plastic surgery job, so my insurance covered it.
3. Is there even an age limit?

There's a limit, obviously. Bones only develop up to a certain age. I went in for a consultation at 14 because of a deviated septum, and they just told me to come back and talk about surgery once I turned 16. 🤷

As a general rule of thumb, you really shouldn't consider osteotomy if you're under 18.

I mean, there's just no point in undergoing surgery on a nose that’s still going to be constantly at risk from bumps, breaks, and all sorts of impact.

Hi everyone! I'm new here, so this is my very first post :-) I’m looking to hear about your experiences with Dr. Glumičić. About four years ago, I had nose surgery at Salus in San Francisco, but honestly, I'm not happy with the results at all—it isn't even close to what I actually wanted. My goal was to have an overall smaller, slimmer nose. Instead, they did a job where you can barely even see a difference. I still have that Greek profile starting from my forehead that I hate, plus a bulbous tip; it's wide, high, and the tip feels too prominent and slightly drooping. I really want to refine the bridge, narrow it, and shorten it a bit. So, I've decided to go to Dr. Glumičić to get everything fixed. I feel like he'll actually listen to me, and if nothing else, at least he'll give me a great profile :-)) I can't stand a high nose, and since I also have a bump, it ends up looking a bit like a boxer's nose:-) Please let me know what your experiences have been with him. Thanks!😛

Charles Fox8 said:They really did a number on him—honestly, I can't say how long it took for the swelling to actually go down, but it was definitely at least two months. It just takes time to settle, you know? But man, I had a pretty intense reaction... my eye capillaries actually burst, and I was looking purple for at least three weeks. So maybe my swelling lasted way longer than average.

The doctor's whole explanation was basically "don't worry about it" and "it's all still swollen, it'll calm down" (that was his take on both the bump and the asymmetrical tip) 🤷—I didn't even bother going back after that. As the rest of my nose slimmed down, the collapsed tip actually ended up looking even worse and more obvious over time. Though, I don't have those bumps you're talking about anymore. I’ve got this tiny little thing at the bridge, but you can't see it unless you're staring super closely, and you can only feel it if you touch it. That popped up maybe a week or two after the surgery.

Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I honestly don't know what to think—this slow recovery is driving me crazy.

By the way, what's the deal with bumps or hits? I'm two weeks out from surgery, one week since they took the splint off, and I already managed to drop my phone right on the tip of my nose—plus I bumped it against a coworker's shoulder while trying to give her a hug. Now I'm low-key terrified it might mess up the final shape.