A rhinoplasty patient's post-operative experience can vary, but there is a general pattern of recovery you can expect to follow. Most patients feel they are more or less back to their normal selves around a week after surgery, but some side effects can last several weeks or even months. However, these longer lasting effects should not cause a great deal of discomfort. Following rhinoplasty surgery, your doctor should provide you with a list of contact numbers for emergencies - if you believe your side effects are beyond the normal range, do not hesitate to call these numbers straight away.

As would be expected from any surgery, you will experience some discomfort following your nose job. The level of pain is dependent on the work you had done and your own personal pain threshold. For most people the pain is more uncomfortable than unbearable, and your surgeon will provide you with medication to help manage the pain which you should take for between 5-10 days.

After surgery a splint will be applied to help keep the nose in position while it heals properly. The splint will usually be removed by the surgeon about a week after the rhinoplasty operation, at your post-operative check up. There will also be some swelling, especially if open rhinoplasty was used or the nasal bones have been broken and reset. For the first couple of days your eyes may also be a little puffy and swollen and your doctor may recommend you apply a cold compress to reduce the swelling. A majority of the swelling and bruising will have disappeared after a couple of weeks. Some puffiness may still be apparent to you for several months if the swelling was more severe, but will not be noticeable to other people. It can take as long as 9-12 months for the nose to settle into its final shape.

During the recovery period, your nose may look crooked or asymmetrical. This irregular appearance should only last until the nose has healed. However, in a minority of cases revision rhinoplasty may be required to make minor corrections. In these instances, the abnormal shape of the nose is generally due to patients not keeping their heads sufficiently elevated during the rhinoplasty recovery period, patients having a bias to sleeping on one side causing the nose to heal with a lean, or the newly operated nose receiving a bump. Rhinoplasty surgeons recommend keeping your head raised at all times, particularly while sleeping, and it is advisable to try to sleep on your back until your nose has healed.

Nose bleeds are common following rhinoplasty surgery. Your nose will also feel very congested and this sensation can last several weeks. Although you may feel very like you have a cold, it is best to avoid blowing your nose for around 4 weeks after surgery, as this can aggravate both the bleeding and the healing process.

The skin on the nose may feel a little tender or sensitive during the weeks (possibly months) following surgery so it is imperative to wear sun block if you are going to be outdoors. You may also experience some numbness around the nasal tip but this should not be cause for concern as the numbness will subside after a few weeks.

Rhinoplasty patients should be fit enough to return to work between 1 and 3 weeks after surgery. Vigorous exercise will need to be avoided for around 6 weeks, even if you feel well. This is because strenuous activities increase the likelihood of damaging the nose before proper healing has occurred, and may lead to revision rhinoplasty being necessary. Should anything disrupt the healing of the nose, and it becomes necessary to undergo further work, most surgeons require you to leave at least 12 months between rhinoplasty procedures.

Individual rhinoplasty patients may have different post-operative requirements. To optimise your chances of recovering from rhinoplasty surgery quickly, always adhere to the instructions given to you by your doctor.