The short answer
Two weeks away from work. Four weeks before glasses rest on the bridge again. Six months for the shape to be close to final, and a year for the last of the swelling at the tip. The rest of this page goes through what happens in between.
These are published ranges for the operation. The timeline for a specific operation is gone through before surgery.
Days 0 to 2: the splint
The operation is done under general anaesthetic, and you go home the same day or the next morning. A splint is taped over the bridge. Breathing through the nose is blocked: the lining inside is swollen, and that is expected. Sleep with the head propped up. Do not blow the nose or pick at crusts until the splint comes off (NHS).
Days 3 to 7: the bruising peaks
Bruising under the eyes darkens over the first days and begins to fade from day 4. The face looks worse this week than at any point after it.
Days 6 to 10: the splint comes off
With the splint off, the nose looks swollen and turned up at the tip. This is the stage that alarms patients, and it is not the result. Swelling at this point says nothing about the final shape.
Week 2: back to work
Plan two clear weeks away from work. Bruising, swelling and redness have faded by 3 weeks (NHS). Leave anything that will be photographed until a month has passed.
Weeks 3 to 8: normal to others
People around you stop noticing between weeks 3 and 8. You will still see it. Glasses stay off the bridge for 4 weeks: tape them to the forehead or wear contact lenses, because pressure on healing bone can move it. Exercise returns from 4 weeks; strenuous exercise and contact sports wait 4 to 6 weeks (NHS).
Months 6 to 12: the tip
At 6 months the shape is close to final. The tip is the last part to settle: its swelling finishes over the second half of the first year. That is why a nose is judged at a year, not on the day the splint comes off.
What recovery will not tell you early
- The final shape at 2 weeks. Swelling hides the line of the bridge and the tip. Judging at this stage is the commonest cause of early disappointment.
- Whether both sides match. Swelling does not settle evenly, so one side can look fuller than the other before the result is final.
- Feeling at the tip. The tip is numb after the operation, and feeling returns as the nerves recover.
When to call the clinic
Severe pain, or any symptom you did not expect: call the clinic on +961 1 697 739 (NHS).
How the operation itself is done is on the rhinoplasty page. The nose cases on the before-and-after page are open revision rhinoplasty, each with its interval stated.
Questions
FAQ
How long is recovery after rhinoplasty?
Two clear weeks away from work. The splint comes off between day 6 and day 10. The shape is close to final at 6 months, and the tip settles by 12 months.
Why does my nose look turned up after the splint comes off?
Swelling at the tip lifts it. It is expected at this stage and it is not the result: the tip is the last part of the nose to settle.
When can I exercise after rhinoplasty?
Exercise returns from 4 weeks. Strenuous exercise and contact sports wait 4 to 6 weeks, according to NHS guidance.
When can I wear glasses after rhinoplasty?
After 4 weeks. Until then, tape them to the forehead or wear contact lenses: pressure on healing bone can move it.