The nose job, and a few days afterward
If you’re planning to get a nose job, you should begin preparing now for the days and weeks afterward. They won’t be easy ones, and how you get through them will play a significant role in the success of your rhinoplasty. To begin with, you will be completely unconscious for the procedure and you won’t be in any shape to drive home afterward, so get someone to drive you or call a cab.
The first two to three days after rhinoplasty are the worst. You should have someone to take care of you for at least this long. Be sure to take your pain medication and antibiotics. Holding ice against your skin for too long is a very bad idea, but some surgeons recommend using a cold pack to reduce pain and swelling. Others, however, don’t recommend this.
You may not feel up to eating real food for a while, but you’ll need to burn calories in order to heal. Have some snacks, such as crackers. Also, drink plenty of fluids and get lots of sleep. While you’re sleeping, elevate your head and torso — especially your head. This will reduce the swelling that usually follows rhinoplasty.
The next few weeks
Obviously, you don’t want to bump your nose into anything. In fact, you should avoid pullover sweaters and other garments that could brush against your nose.
Take your temperature often. The one thing you don’t want is to catch a cold or the flu right now — your nose is still much too fragile to sneeze through. Limiting human contact will go a long way toward preventing that. Wash your hands often, just to make sure.
Don’t drink or take any aspirin for the first three weeks. Smoking interferes with blood flow and slows the healing process, so if you’re a smoker, don’t start again until the process is complete. Be sure to go to any post-operative appointments you’ve made.
Don’t do anything that might raise blood pressure in your head, such as bending over, exercising hard or lifting anything heavier than five to seven pounds. Above all, don’t worry too much about your looks until you’re sure the swelling has gone down.
Charlotte’s number-one rhinoplasty surgeon
Dr. Sean Freeman is Charlotte’s best rhinoplasty surgeon. He has been certified by two different surgery boards, the American Board of Otolaryngology (head and neck surgery) and the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Since 1988 he has done only facial plastic surgery, including nose jobs. Many of his patients have already had a rhinoplasty done by other surgeons, and come to him for revision rhinoplasty to get the results they really wanted. If you need rhinoplasty, schedule your appointment or online consultation today.
Contact Dr. Sean Freeman at Only Faces, Charlotte’s most experienced rhinoplasty surgeon and top facial plastic surgeon, to schedule a consultation to find out what procedure is right for you. Call today.