Nose Surgery - Rhinoplasty

Any properly performed nasal surgery aims to maintain or improve nasal breathing. All patients will experience that their breathing feels somewhat different after surgery, as the airflow must adapt to the new internal anatomy. Impaired breathing is a potential risk following nasal surgery, but the key is that the surgeon anticipates this and takes preventive measures. At Cosmo Clinic, all nasal surgeries are performed with focus on both aesthetics and functional breathing.

You may shower your face and hair once the bandage has been removed after one week. Makeup should be avoided on the nose for two weeks, and on the rest of the face for one week.

There is limited scientific evidence on this topic, but following nasal surgery, both the nose and the mucous membranes are swollen, which increases the risk of bleeding in dry cabin air. For this reason, most nasal surgeons recommend avoiding air travel for several days after surgery. Changes in air pressure may also cause discomfort because the nose feels congested. If you have special circumstances that need consideration, your surgeon will advise you during consultation or at the time of surgery.

It is uncommon to receive sick leave after a cosmetic rhinoplasty. If the procedure also involves improvement of nasal breathing, a medical leave may be considered, but this is not standard. Most patients are able to return to work within 1–2 weeks after surgery, depending on their occupation.

After surgery, there will be swelling of the nose, and the nasal bones are often repositioned during narrowing. For this reason, we recommend that you avoid wearing glasses for the first 6 weeks. If you cannot use contact lenses and must wear glasses, you may purchase a device called RhinoShield — silicone protectors that rest over the nose where the glasses normally sit. This allows you to wear glasses safely after the bandage is removed one week postoperatively.

It is quite common to develop bruising around the eyes after nasal surgery, particularly if the nasal bones have been repositioned. These bruises typically resolve within about 14 days.

We recommend complete rest for the first two days after surgery. Light physical activity may be resumed after that, but intensive exercise should be avoided for two weeks. Gradually increase your activity level, returning to full exercise after about six weeks. If you participate in ball sports, martial arts, show jumping, or other activities where impact to the nose could occur, you should wait at least twelve weeks before resuming these activities.

After rhinoplasty, a nasal splint is usually worn over the bridge of the nose for about one week. If silicone plates have been placed to support the septum, these are also removed after approximately one week.