Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Don't hold your breath. You already know that—it’s not something they ask the audience; it's something decided by the conductor.

How long do the swelling and bruising last? I’m talking about everything visible on the surface. Will they clear up within a month? I mean the swelling, the discoloration, all of it.

I need to know for my college schedule—can I plan around this?

Alexander Mendoza21 said:How long do the swelling and bruising last—basically everything you can see right away? Will the swelling and all those marks on my face clear up within a month?

I'm asking because I need to figure out if I can manage my college schedule around it.

Bruising definitely takes some time to break down as the hemoglobin clears out, but it should resolve within a reasonable timeframe. As for the swelling, it tends to be a bit more stubborn, though it does eventually subside. You might have some very mild lingering puffiness, but honestly, everyone heals differently!

How long does it take for the nose to feel stable after surgery? I’m asking because you can't exactly go out to a club or anything, and I don't want someone accidentally bumping into me in a crowd.

I need answers from people who have actually been through this!

How long do you think it'll take before things actually start looking fresh? I’m at the three-week mark post-op today, and honestly—I still look pretty rough due to all this swelling...

By the way... I know I’ve asked this before, but I just have to ask again... for those of you who have been through the surgery, did you deal with hair loss? At this rate, I feel like if I just brush my hair ten more times, it might magically grow back—because right now, it is TERRIBLE!

Alexander Mendoza21 said:So, how long after surgery does the nose stay "tender"? I mean, since you can't exactly go out clubbing or hitting the bars, I'm worried about someone accidentally bumping into me in a crowd!

Looking for some real answers from people who've actually been through this!!!

Interesting... using the word "fresh" to mean "sensitive"... haven't heard that one before, though I guess I see where they're coming from🙂 ... it’ll be tender for maybe two months, then slowly starts to settle down. It can take up to 6 months for that numb feeling to totally vanish

Elizabeth Fox57 said:What do you even mean by "how long will it be fresh"??? It's been 3 weeks since my surgery and I still look absolutely terrible because of the swelling...

Btw... I know I asked this once already but here goes again... for those of you who had the procedure, did your hair fall out? Honestly, if I brush my hair ten more times, maybe it'll just grow back... this is TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

🤷 And you don't believe me when I tell you it's just your body reacting to stress? Between the trauma of the actual surgery and all the different meds you're pumping into your system, it's nothing unusual. I told you not to sweat it too much—not because "it's nothing," but because overthinking it and panicking just adds more mental stress, spikes your cortisol, and ends up dragging out your whole recovery

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Donna Johnson16 said:It’s because excessive worrying and fear cause more psychological stress. That spikes your cortisol levels, which delays your recovery.

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Exactly. If you hadn't been panicking, stressing out, or obsessing over everything 😁, you wouldn't be in this position. Ignoring the recovery process is what caused this. 😁 !

Honestly, I have no idea if I should even go through with the surgery :/. My college semester likely starts October 1st!
I might aim for early September xD

You should have sent a photo so I could see how you look after three weeks. Maybe some makeup can hide it 😁 unless you're swollen!

Alexander Mendoza21 said:See? You’re clearly not stressing out as much anymore. Less worrying, less getting worked up, less obsessing over every little thing... just overall less of that constant anxiety, you know? It's like all that frantic energy just isn't there anymore... 😁 I mean, look... if you hadn't totally ignored the recovery process, things wouldn't have ended up like this... 😁 !

You’re quoting me, but this was actually meant for Elizabeth Fox57, wasn't it? And no, you totally misread that... I didn't say that at all. Look, surgery and all those meds put a massive strain on your body, which can definitely trigger hair loss afterward, but in this specific case, that part is already behind us. She's in recovery mode now. And honestly, dragging out that recovery process with unnecessary mental stress just makes everything take way longer than it needs to...

Swelling isn't some one-size-fits-all thing, you know? It hits everyone differently... so honestly, you're probably better off just looking back at how your body usually handles injuries. It all really comes down to how fast you personally bounce back...

How much does it actually matter to you if you get the surgery done before anyone even lays eyes on you? Like, versus just letting people see you while you're still looking a little... swollen? Honestly, a light facial massage using some Heparin cream might actually help knock that swelling down way faster...

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Mislio sam na nju , ali nisam stavio u tekstu 😁Total disaster!

Thanks!

Alexander Mendoza21 said:I was actually thinking of her, just didn't mention it in the post 😁LOL!

Thanks!

anyway 🙂. if you look on YouTube, there's this video Tanaka face massage (part 1 and 2) that shows an amazing lymphatic drainage technique for your face (sorry, can't drop the link right now, but you'll find it easy enough).

start doing that pretty gently maybe 3 or 4 days after the surgery itself (massage it with some Heparin cream) and it'll speed up your recovery big time. drinking tons of water and staying active (just walking around) helps a lot too

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Donna Johnson16 said:How much does it actually matter if you get the procedure done before anyone notices, versus having people see you while you're still looking a little swollen? A gentle facial massage using Heparin cream might help speed up the reduction of that swelling.

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Come on now, could you please explain the actual mechanism behind how that Heparin cream is supposed to reduce swelling?
😍

@Betty Edwards22/">@@Betty Edwards22 - seriously, just use Google, it’s right there

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I’m sorry—it isn’t that I don't trust you, per se—but I’ve always been a bit of a worrier when it comes to hair health. I was just wondering if anyone else here has gone through something similar... I know I really should try to stay calm about it, but seeing that massive amount of hair CONSTANTLY falling out—it honestly scares me...

Donna Johnson16 said:Staying hydrated and getting enough movement, like walking, helps too.

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Thanks, doll.🙂

Maybe building muscle once I get these nasal tampons out will actually help. It'll definitely have a positive impact.

And I drink plenty of water—about 2 liters—alongside my workouts.

P.S. Is it true that kissing is off-limits for a while?😁 ?

Alexander Mendoza21 said:Maybe hitting the weights will actually help once I finally get those tampons out of my nose, right? Like, it'll definitely have a good effect?

And obviously, I'm drinking plenty of water during training, like 2 liters!

P.S. Is it true that kissing is off-limits for a little while?😁?

Actually, no... lifting heavy during those first two weeks after surgery isn't going to do you any favors. Pushing yourself like that spikes your blood pressure, and trust me, you don't want your capillaries bursting. That's why I mentioned walking—not running, for instance—just enough to get the circulation and lymphatic drainage moving.

As for kissing, it’s gonna feel pretty awkward at first since you'll be breathing through your mouth, plus your nose is going to be super sensitive... but hey, if you can handle it, go for it. 🙂

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Hi everyone. Let me start by saying we’re all different people, and what happens to one of us won't necessarily happen to another. What I’m about to write is strictly my own experience and personal opinion, intended just as a guide for anyone planning to undergo this or who is still debating which surgeon to choose.

A year ago, I had nose surgery performed by Tony Bennett—specifically, Tony Bennett Jr. was the one in charge.
For a week after the operation, I was in absolute heaven (finally!! a new nose, no more hump, etc., etc.), but then the issues started creeping in very quickly.
The nasal passage they operated through was blocked about 90% of the time; I could only breathe through one side. The Doctor kept telling me it would clear up eventually, blah blah blah—yeah, right! On top of that, that same clogged nostril would bleed at even the slightest provocation. I mean, if I so much as touched it with my finger, there was blood (which basically meant bleeding every single day). Generally speaking, I consider myself a tough and resilient person, and I can handle things most people can't, but bleeding every single day? That's something else...
Once the swelling finally went down, an unevenness on the nose became visible, so the job had to be finished, and a revision was scheduled. I laid out all my concerns to Tony Bennett, and he said he’d do whatever he could, so I thought, great.

After the correction, that unevenness was smoothed out, but that wasn't even half as annoying as the bleeding and the inability to use both nostrils. I mean, why else would we be born with two nostrils? And I won't even get started on the bleeding, because I literally just stopped a nosebleed half an hour ago.

Now, let's bring in some outside expert opinions.
Because of these issues, I went to see an ENT specialist over at the Mayo Clinic, where they examined me LI for maybe 15 minutes (though I noticed the average seems to be 3–7 minutes), just to conclude—and I quote, "well, I guess he has to learn from someone too"—but it wasn't that I was unhappy with the look of the nose itself, just those two "minor" issues. Though, they did mention that even the aesthetics weren't quite right since the tip had dropped. (Keep in mind, this visit was before the correction.)
So, after hearing all that and keeping it in mind, this time I told my buddy who came along with me to put a little pressure on the Doctor and make sure he fixes that tip (honestly, if he has to pull cartilage out of an ear, fine, just do it so everything looks right), but nope! Tony Bennett thinks it’s unnecessary, blah blah blah... and let's be honest, it's just easier for him not to do it. It's less work and less hassle. So, once again, I got screwed—or rather, I got "nosed." 🙂

Fast forward a year later: I arrange a meeting with a certain doctor in Chicago. He examined me, gave his professional opinion, and now I have to undergo the exact procedure that Mr. Bennett didn't want to, didn't know how to, or couldn't do. Honestly, man, just be upfront instead of beating around the bush and trying to turn a nose into a pizza. (A little sarcasm won't kill anyone; the nose is nowhere near its original state, but there's always that one thing that bothers you.)

To wrap this up, I want to give a shout-out to all the nurses and the rest of the staff at the Tony Bennett clinic; they were incredibly kind, helpful, ready to assist with anything, and willing to accommodate every request. Hats off to them, and I'm sending my best because I know they'll read this. Unfortunately, I've simply shared my own experience and my own perspective.

Donna Johnson16 said:Hey @Betty Edwards22/">@@Betty Edwards22 - honestly, Google is your best friend here!

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Look, I’m asking you nicely to please explain yourself here publicly. I want to understand what exactly you're trying to achieve with this, because I am honestly convinced that you either haven't realized you made a mistake, or you're just typing things out incorrectly and thinking they mean something else entirely. I’m giving you one more chance to either clarify your position or set the record straight.

So, how exactly does Heparin work to take down that swelling? 🙂
Mechanism.

Donna Johnson16 said:Actually, no. Intense training during those first two weeks post-op is a bad idea. Pushing yourself too hard spikes your blood pressure, and you don't want your capillaries bursting. That’s why I mentioned walking—not running, for instance. It stimulates circulation and lymphatic drainage.

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Then I'll get back to training around November, assuming my nose surgery happens in September.

I need to listen to this before surgery to stay in a good mood instead of being terrified xD 😁
http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL...ailpage#t=100s

Betty Edwards22 said:Look, honey, I am begging you... just lay it out here for everyone to see. What exactly are you trying to pull? Because honestly, I can't tell if you still haven't realized you messed up big time, or if you're just typing total nonsense and thinking it means something else...Look, I’m giving you one more shot here... either clear the air or set the record straight. Your call...

So, anyway... how does Heparin actually tackle the swelling? Like, what's the actual deal with that? 🙂
The mechanism...

😍 Or else...? Anyway, thanks a ton for this opportunity...

Hey mods, sorry for going off-topic here, but I figured some people might actually be curious if Heparin cream actually does anything... if you want to get all nerdy and dive into biochemical or pharmacological PDFs to argue about molecular weights and stuff, there’s plenty of data out there to chew on...

So, I was digging through this massive Review about using topical heparins to deal with vascular issues... basically looking at how effective they actually are for treating those local symptoms and whether they're even safe to use long-term. It’s pretty heavy stuff because if you don't get ahead of peripheral vascular problems, you're looking at much bigger systemic nightmares like Deep Vein Thrombosis. Apparently, over in Europe, everyone seems to swear by topical heparins for managing those localized symptoms... anyway, this whole deep dive was meant to weigh the pros and cons of applying them directly to the skin to see if they actually move the needle on vascular health...
Old C, Frisinghelli A. source
Source
Vascular Rehabilitation Unit at the Passirana Hospital, located over in Garbagnate Milanese, near Milan, Italy... cesarevecchio@fastwebnet.it

Abstract

Dealing with vascular issues in your legs isn't just about stopping the localized aches and pains... it's actually huge for preventing bigger, systemic stuff like deep vein thrombosis from creeping up on you. Over in Europe, they swear by topical heparins to handle those nasty local symptoms tied to vascular disorders. Well, there was this massive review of the literature looking at how safe and actually effective these topical heparins really are for treating vascular issues. They pulled together data from 20 different studies involving over a thousand patients to see how various topical heparin formulas stacked up against placebos, doing nothing at all, or even getting subcutaneous shots. They were looking specifically at superficial thrombophlebitis and venous insufficiency. Turns out, the 1000 IU/g heparin gel (like Lioton or Menaven) beat out the placebo hands down when it came to dialing back the signs and symptoms of superficial thrombophlebitis. Even the heavy hitter—the liposomal heparin gel at 2400 IU/g (LipoHep Forte)—was just as good as getting subcutaneous low-molecular-weight heparin injections for relieving those local symptoms of superficial venous thrombosis. When they did direct head-to-head matchups between different topical brands, most of them worked, but that 1000 IU/g heparin gel really stood out. It was better than the heparinoid mucopolysaccharide creams (like Hirudoid) at actually fixing things like spontaneous pain, pain when touched, swelling, and that heavy feeling in your limbs. Another study even showed that the 1000 IU/g gel crushed a formula containing 100 IU/g heparin mixed with aescinate and phospholipids (Essaven) when it came to clearing up symptoms... Basically, everyone seemed to tolerate the treatments pretty well, with hardly any skin irritation or anything. Long story short? Topical heparin is a solid way to ease vascular symptoms while helping out with microcirculation. There’s some decent evidence that the 1000 IU/g gel might be the MVP compared to other topical options, probably just because the concentration of heparin is higher... though we still need some massive, strictly controlled clinical trials to say for sure...

Here’s the full study right here at the link... Abstract Getting a handle on peripheral vascular issues isn't just about fixing the immediate pain or swelling... it's actually huge for stopping systemic stuff from spiraling out of control, like Deep Vein Thrombosis. In the US, topical heparins are pretty much the go-to standard for managing those local symptoms tied to vascular disorders. This whole review basically takes a deep dive into the existing literature to see if applying heparin topically actually works—checking both the effectiveness and how safe it really is for treating these kinds of vascular problems...

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Donna Johnson16 said:😍 Or else...? Thanks so much for this opportunity!

Hey moderators, sorry if this feels a bit off-topic! I just figured that if anyone here is genuinely curious about whether Heparin cream actually does anything, we could just dive into the biochemistry or pharmacology side of things. If you want to get into the nitty-gritty details like molecular weights and all that technical stuff, there’s plenty of data available in various medical PDFs out there to fuel the discussion!

Topical heparins for treating vascular issues: a deep dive.
Old C, Frisinghelli A. source
Source
The Vascular Rehabilitation Center at Passirana Hospital, located in Garbagnate Milanese within the greater Milan area, Italy. cesarevecchio@fastwebnet.it

Abstract Effective treatment of peripheral vascular disorders is important not only for resolution of local symptoms but also for preventing the development of systemic conditions such as Deep Vein Thrombosis. Topical heparins are widely used in Europe for the prevention and treatment of local symptoms associated with peripheral vascular disorders. This comprehensive review of the literature evaluated the efficacy and safety of topically applied heparins for the treatment of vascular disorders.

When you're dealing with peripheral vascular issues, getting the treatment right isn't just about fixing the immediate discomfort—it’s about playing defense against much bigger systemic problems, like Deep Vein Thrombosis. It turns out that using topical heparins is actually quite common in many parts of the world for managing those localized symptoms. I was recently looking into a comprehensive review of the literature that took a deep dive into how safe and effective these topical applications really are for vascular disorders. The scope of this review was pretty impressive: they looked at 20 different studies involving a total of 1,055 patients. These studies compared various topical heparin formulations against placebos, no treatment at all, subcutaneous injections, or even pitted them against one another to see which worked best for things like superficial thrombophlebitis or venous insufficiency. Here is the breakdown of what they found: First off, when it comes to easing the signs and symptoms of superficial thrombophlebitis, the 1000 IU/g heparin gels (like Lioton 1000 or Menaven 1000) were significantly more effective than a placebo. Interestingly, the liposomal heparin gel at 2400 IU/g (LipoHep Forte) performed just as well as subcutaneous low-molecular-weight heparin when it came to relieving those local symptoms of superficial venous thrombosis. That’s actually quite encouraging! When researchers did head-to-head comparisons between different topical brands, almost all of them showed effectiveness. However, the 1000 IU/g heparin gel really stood out as being superior to heparinoid mucopolysaccharide creams (like Hirudoid) for helping patients deal with spontaneous pain, pain triggered by movement, swelling, and that heavy feeling in the limbs. Another study also pointed out that the 1000 IU/g gel outperformed a formulation containing a lower dose of heparin (100 IU/g) mixed with aescinate and essential phospholipids (like Essaven). On the safety side, everything seemed to go smoothly. The treatments were generally well-tolerated, with very few reports of skin irritation or local reactions. To wrap it all up, topical heparin preparations seem to be a really useful tool for relieving vascular symptoms and helping to improve microcirculation. There is a strong suggestion in the data that the 1000 IU/g heparin gel might have the edge over other topical options, likely because it carries a higher concentration of heparin. Of course, we still need some larger, more strictly controlled clinical trials to confirm these findings definitively, but it looks very promising!

Here's the full study at this link: I was just digging through some medical literature on PubMed and stumbled upon this study regarding how we handle peripheral vascular issues. It’s actually a pretty fascinating read if you're interested in the science behind it! The abstract basically highlights why treating these vascular problems effectively is such a big deal. It isn't just about fixing the immediate, localized symptoms that people feel; it's also a critical step in preventing much more serious systemic complications, like Deep Vein Thrombosis. It also mentions how topical Heparin is a go-to method used across various parts of the world to manage those local symptoms associated with vascular disorders. This particular review was a deep dive into the existing literature to really nail down just how safe and effective applying Heparin topically actually is when you're trying to treat these types of vascular issues. It's always interesting to see how these clinical reviews consolidate everything we know to make sure treatments are actually doing what they claim to do!

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Actually, I’d argue the exact opposite! If you're going to go out of your way to recommend something here, you really ought to back it up with some solid reasoning. Otherwise, it shouldn't be labeled as off-topic material.

That's great!
You still haven't explained the actual mechanism behind it, which tells me you don't quite have a full handle on the subject matter yet.

So, what you're really saying is:
When you see researchers toss out a phrase like "may be" in their conclusions, it’s usually a bit of a red flag in academic circles. It often feels like they're just hoping to eventually prove a point, especially when there isn't a single shred of hard data in the abstract to back it up. Without any actual computer-generated data or solid evidence presented, the whole thing essentially boils down to nothing more than a hypothetical guess that hasn't even been statistically validated.

I don't really feel like listing everything out, but the text clearly explains that it’s meant to treat superficial thrombophlebitis—where the leg swelling is actually a byproduct of poor circulation. At no point does it suggest that Heparin directly reduces swelling caused by other issues stemming from tissue damage rather than thrombophlebitis itself.
The kind of swelling you get after nasal reconstruction isn't what they're talking about here.

Do you think you could just stop nitpicking for a second and realize that Heparin gel is prescribed in rhinological cases exclusively during full septorhinoplasty? In those procedures, the osteotomies performed can lead to hematomas or blood clots that the body eventually breaks down on its own over a longer period—it's used mainly for purely aesthetic reasons. If that doesn't make sense to you, maybe it's best to step back from debating pharmacological recommendations, which are handled by professionals for a very good reason.