Rhinoplasty recovery: What to expect?

Laura Castillo7 said:Wait, tell me something—did you have to stop smoking for a few days before surgery? I was reading online that it messes with the anesthesia... I really don't want to kick the bucket right on the operating table...

Nah, I didn't quit for a few days beforehand...... my last cigarette was about 13 hours before they put me under....... and honestly, the anesthesia was totally fine.....

A friend of mine smoked her very last cigarette just two hours before she went under for surgery! Nothing bad happened to her, and honestly, nobody should be playing fast and loose like that.
I mean, just ask any surgeon about how long you're supposed to hold off on smoking after a procedure—I don't have the exact timeline memorized. But I'm pretty sure it slows down the healing process. 🤷 I'm not entirely certain, though.

So I finally lit up for the first time since my surgery back on Monday. I took like three drags and just put it out—honestly, it didn't even feel right, which is a huge relief to me🙂 because after having that tampon removed yesterday (literally the worst thing ever), I started craving a cigarette like crazy, but I still couldn't bring myself to do it🙂. And look, if I'm wrong, then I'm wrong, but I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that smoking actually slows down the healing process, not just for nose jobs but for any kind of surgery, right?

jadecrane3, please don't even start with that! This is honestly the perfect moment for you to just drop it, don't you think?
I was actually browsing some American health blog the other day, and they mentioned that while smoking isn't strictly forbidden, it’s definitely not recommended—like, maybe stay clear of it for at least two weeks before or after a procedure like this.
Anyway, how are you feeling about your nose? Are you happy with the results?

Sophia Hill22 said:jadecrane3, seriously, don't even go there. This is the perfect excuse to quit once and for all, right?
I was reading on some American health site that you can smoke, technically, but they say it's a bad idea like two weeks before or after surgery
So, how are you feeling about the nose job?

Yeah, I'm gonna try to quit, really. It's the perfect time, just like you said... I honestly don't know how I feel about the nose yet because they haven't taken the splint off. I guess I just have to wait until Tuesday... I'll let you guys know how it looks then...

jadecrane3 said:I’m gonna try to quit, yeah... definitely the perfect chance to do it like you said... still not sure how happy I am though since they haven't taken my cast off yet. Gotta wait until Tuesday... I'll let you guys know how it goes...

Honestly, smoking's gonna be the last thing on your mind when you're hitting a corner and can't even breathe through your nose...🤷
they took my cast off, looks perfect... just feels a little weird, the cartilage is still soft, you can totally feel where the bone meets the cartilage but I guess that's normal... now we'll see how things go with the functional side of the surgery 🙂

Taylor Swift! An absolute legend!! Seriously, where has she been hiding all this time?? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Your signature is 👍

lonemason10 said:Trust me, smoking is gonna be the absolute last thing on your mind when you're hitting a sharp turn and you can't even catch your breath through your nose.🤷
So, they finally took the cast off. Honestly? It feels perfect. Everything’s looking great, though I’ve got this one super weird sensation... the cartilage is still kind of soft. You can literally feel that exact spot where the bone meets the cartilage, but I guess that’s just how it goes, right? Normal stuff, probably. Now I’m just sitting here waiting to see how things actually hold up once we get into the functional side of the surgery. Fingers crossed. 🙂

Don't even start with me about how smoking is gonna be the last thing on my mind when I'm spinning out in a car wreck. Seriously? I’ve already been there, done that, got the scars to prove it. But honestly, ever since they pulled my tampon out on Friday, I've just been sitting here spiraling and thinking way too much about these stupid cigarettes... ugh. Whatever. That’s probably a conversation for some dedicated quitting subreddit or something. Not here.

They’re taking the cast off tomorrow and I am seriously losing my mind waiting to see how this looks... like, finally. Anyway, glad you're happy with everything! So, does that mean your nose isn't super swollen? Is it actually hurting? Any bruising popping up yet? Also, which surgeon did you end up going with?

jadecrane3 said:You don't have to tell me smoking will be the last thing on my mind while I'm hitting a curve, I've already been there... but since they pulled my tampon out on Friday, I've been thinking about those stupid cigarettes more and more... anyway, maybe save that for a quit-smoking forum...

They're taking the cast off tomorrow and I can't wait to see how it looks... glad you're happy with yours, so it's not super swollen?? Does your nose hurt?? Any bruising?? Which surgeon did you go with??

It's a little swollen, nothing major... hurts if I touch it, a bit more than usual... and I have to massage it a few times a day until it hurts... otherwise, it doesn't really ache. My nose doesn't actually hurt at all, but I'm constantly psyching myself up thinking the pain is gonna hit... but nope, when it's not there, it's just not there...🙏:

I've got bruises, but again, nothing crazy... it passes quick. The worst was day 3 or 4 after surgery, now it's turning greenish instead of blue...

I went to Miami, Dr. Miller, an ENT and facial surgeon, cost me $1,500... it was both cosmetic and functional because I couldn't breathe through my nose. So far, totally thrilled...
It’ll feel weird when they take the cast off, the nose is a bit wider than the final look and everything feels so soft, you can literally feel where the bone ends and the cartilage starts... but she did a great job, it looks natural and not piggish, which I hate... those fake-looking noses are just awful...

lonemason10 said:It’s a little swollen, nothing crazy... it hurts if I touch it, just a bit more intense... and I have to massage it a few times a day until it hurts.. otherwise, it doesn't hurt at all. Like, my nose actually doesn't hurt one bit, zero, yet I'm constantly mentally bracing myself thinking the pain is about to hit.. but honestly, when it isn't there, it just isn't there.🙏:

I’ve got some bruising, but again, nothing major.. it passes quickly. The worst part was day 3 or 4 after the surgery; now it’s turning greenish instead of blue.

I went to a specialist in Miami, Dr. Miller, an ENT and facial surgeon, cost me 1500 bucks.. it was both cosmetic and functional because I couldn't breathe through my nose. So far, I'm beyond happy.
It’ll feel weird when they take the splint off, the nose is a bit wider than how it’ll actually look, and everything is so soft, you can literally feel exactly where the bone ends and the cartilage begins.. but it looks great, it's natural, not "piggy," which I hate. Those pig noses are just awful.

Yeah, mine didn't really hurt either, which blows my mind, especially since I was totally prepping myself for agony just like you were.🙂)

As for the bruising—I don't even know if I'm too wrapped up to see them or if I actually don't have any....... I just have this tiny bruise on the inner corner of my right eye (on the eyelid) and a little yellowing under my eyes, that's literally all I can see right now........

Ugh, that sounds so gross when you say everything is soft and you can feel that transition from bone to cartilage—are you even allowed to touch it at all?? Obviously yes, since you're out here saying you want to massage it....... because I have this feeling like I won't even be allowed to tap my nose, like I'll mess something up.......

Yeah, and I think pig noses are hideous too....... I was terrified mine would look like that because right now it feels kind of pulled upward inside the splint, but they told me that's normal and it'll drop once they take the thing off—did it feel like that for you??

And hey, tell me, can you breathe normally?? They took my packing out on Friday and that day my nose was super clear and I could breathe entirely through my nose.... however, by the second day, it's getting more and more stuffed up every single day, so now I'm breathing through a combo of my mouth and nose.......

@lonemason10/">@@lonemason10 what did your nose actually look like before? What was the goal—just smoothing out a bump or lifting the tip?
Did you show the surgeon any reference photos to explain the look you were going for??

I get that you went in for functional reasons too—to finally breathe properly—but I'm more curious about the aesthetic side. What exactly were they fixing for you 😉

Karen Davis52 said:@lonemason10 what was your nose like before? What were you trying to fix? A bump, or just wanted it straighter or lifted???
Did you show him any photos of how you wanted it to look??

I know you went in for functional reasons too, so you can actually breathe, but I'm more curious about the aesthetics... what did he actually fix 😉

My nose was basically crooked to the left, shaped like an "S"... it wasn't huge or bumpy or anything. He "just" straightened it out (basically rebuilt the whole thing) and made it a bit more defined because he said my bridge needed it... the part between my eyes... it’s not really flatter or higher... he told me he couldn't be sure if he'd need to lift it until he got inside, since he figured the skin at the tip—which had dropped because of the deviation—would just lift on its own once the nose was centered. And that’s exactly what happened. No extra lifting needed...

Didn't bring any photos, didn't ask for a computer simulation either... the doctor told me straight up he could do it and charge me for it, but said it was stupid because he wouldn't know how it'd turn out until he started working... I just wanted it to look natural, not pig-like. Nothing else...

As for breathing, I've been going in every two days for cleaning... and man, that hurts like hell... I'm on a 15-day break now before the next check-up. Still not breathing totally normally, my nose gets stuffed up out of nowhere, and the doc says there'll be a period where it's like that... I have to use saline rinses constantly and massage it... for the first few days I used paraffin oil and some drops. Breathing is better, but not all the time... at night it's great so I can finally sleep normally, which I couldn't do before the surgery...

jadecrane3 said:ugh, that sounds so gross when you say everything feels soft and you can feel the transition from bone to cartilage... wait, am I even allowed to touch any of it?? obviously yes, especially if you want to massage it... because I feel like I can't even graze my nose without breaking something.......

yeah, piggy noses are the worst too... I was terrified mine would look piggish since it feels all pulled up in the mold right now, but they told me it's totally normal and will drop once the cast comes off—did yours feel like that??

and tell me, can you actually breathe normally?? they took my packing out on Friday and my nose was totally clear that day, breathing only through my nose... but by the second day, it started getting more clogged every single day so now I'm stuck doing this mouth-nose combo breathing.......

same here... but you gotta massage it until it hurts.. it gets harder every day. don't sweat it, once the cast is off it'll drop, that's how it worked for me... I asked my doctor five times if my nose was lifting or not.

every time after cleaning with that devilish little tool that goes up into my brain, my nose is super clear, but then it just clogs up on its own. it's all normal, takes a few months for everything to stabilize so you can breathe and run normally again..

otherwise.. like my doctor explained, female noses are done at one angle, guys at another.. piggy noses are done at a much steeper angle than what's natural unless the patient specifically asks for it.. like, a pig nose is more like Taylor Swift's, lifted way higher than it should be.

lonemason10 said:That was my experience too... but you have to massage it until it actually hurts. It gets firmer every single day. Don't freak out; once they take the cast off, everything settles down. That’s how it worked for me... I asked him five different times if it was actually lifting or not.

Every time I finish cleaning with that damn iron device, my breathing feels amazing, but then it just clogs up again on its own. It’s totally normal. You need a few months for things to stabilize so you can breathe and clear your nose properly..

Anyway... my doctor explained it to me: female noses are shaped at a certain angle, and men's are too. "Piggy" noses happen when they're done at a much steeper angle than what's natural, and surgeons won't do that unless the patient specifically asks for it.. for example, Taylor Swift's nose looks way more upturned than it should be.

I agree, her nose looks fake, and honestly, it's too small for her face.🙂

I actually had my nose surgery three weeks ago—did both a septoplasty and a rhinoplasty—and man, when they finally took those tampons out, I was almost in tears. My nostrils looked huge, like, seriously wide, and the tip was all wrapped up and lifted (total pig nose vibes!). But then, things started settling down; the nostrils began to narrow and once the cast came off, the nose finally started to drop back into place.
BUT, I just got my cast removed last week, and I’ve been doing chamomile compresses for about 5 or 6 days now, and my nose is slowly—and I mean SLOWLY—deflating. Is anyone else going through this???🤷
My lip is still a little swollen too (well, specifically the gum area above my front teeth), and obviously, the tip of my nose still looks pretty wide.
Other people don't seem to notice it nearly as much as I do, but since I can feel the swelling going down, it feels absolutely massive to me!🙄

Kimberly Robinson55 said:I had my nose done three weeks ago—septoplasty and rhinoplasty—and when they finally pulled the tampons out, I was basically in tears. My nostrils looked huge, and the tip was all wrapped up and lifted... total pig look. But since then, the nostrils are narrowing and once the cast came off, the nose started settling down.
BUT I just took the cast off last week and I've been doing chamomile compresses for about 5 or 6 days now, and my nose is slowly—and I mean SLOWLY—deflating. Is anyone else going through this??? 🤷
My lip is still a little swollen too (well, the gums above my front teeth), and obviously the tip of my nose looks wide.
Other people don't really notice it, but I feel like because it's not fully drained yet, it looks massive... 🙄

Your nose is still swollen, so of course it’s gonna look wider... honestly, I don't know, is your nose supposed to be lifted or not?? Either way, it won't look like this forever. Plus, you're hyper-focusing on every tiny detail, making everything look way worse than it actually is... 🤷

My lip wasn't swollen at all. I took my cast off 7 days ago, and it's still a tiny bit puffy on the side, but nobody can even tell.

Are you using saline rinses and massaging it?

So I finally went in today to get the molds taken off, but they ended up putting these bandages on me for another two days, so I basically only caught a glimpse of my nose for like a split second from the front... I mean, whatever, I can still see the shape now since the bandages are stuck right onto my nose, so I guess I'm getting my fix. Anyway, I’m kind of tripping out—I really thought the tip would drop once they took the mold off, but nope. They told me they always aim to lift the tip slightly because it naturally settles down after a while... and there I am, just standing there looking like an idiot, not even asking how long "a while" actually is. The top part of my nose looks fine, but the bottom? The tip? It feels way too big and wide right now. But honestly, it’s probably just the swelling, right? Like, how long is this gonna take to go down??

Yeah, okay, so my upper lip isn't actually swollen, nor is the bottom one, but I seriously can't even smile normally right now—mostly because I still can't move my nose at all... I'm just not sure if it’s because of these medical tapes or if it's just gone totally numb.......can you guys even move your noses? Like, do you actually feel them, or can you even manage a normal smile??

As for the "aftercare," they just told me to rinse the inside with some cold chamomile tea using a Q-tip.......but is there any point in doing chamomile compresses on the outside too?? Is that supposed to make the swelling go down faster or something?

My nose is still a little swollen even though I took the cast off 7 days ago... I can finally laugh without feeling like my whole face is pulling tight or like my nose is gonna shift...🤣

It’ll all turn out fine...😉

lonemason10 said:Well, your nose is still swollen—of course it’s going to look wider! Honestly, I don't know... did he actually lift it or not? Either way, it won't look like this forever. Plus, you're hyper-focusing on every tiny detail right now, so everything looks way worse than it actually is.🤷

My lip wasn't even swollen... I took my mold out 7 days ago, and while one side is still slightly puffy, literally nobody else can even tell.

Are you using saline solution to clear your nose and doing the massages?

To be honest, I'm not sure—but I don't think he lifted it much. Before, whenever I talked, my lip would pull upward toward my nose, so he told me he’d bring it down.
I'm constantly staring at myself in the mirror, so everything just looks the same to me all the time.🙂 I really need someone who doesn't see my face every single day to take a look and tell me if there are actually any changes.
I haven't been blowing my nose, but he gave me some drops from the pharmacy that help with it.
And why do you have to massage it? He didn't mention anything about that, but I read somewhere that you're supposed to do it so you don't end up with a bump? Is that why?