The short answer
After rhinoplasty in Lebanon, as anywhere, the nose is not judged when the splint comes off. The shape is close to final at 6 months, and the tip, which is the last part to settle, finishes its swelling over the second half of the first year. That is why a nose is judged at a year.
When the splint comes off: the stage that alarms patients
The splint comes off between day 6 and day 10. With it off, the nose looks swollen and turned up at the tip. This is expected, and it is not the result: swelling at this point says nothing about the final shape. Bruising under the eyes darkens over the first days, peaks in the first week and begins to fade from day 4; bruising, swelling and redness have faded by 3 weeks (NHS).
Normal to others is not the same as settled
People around you stop noticing between weeks 3 and 8. You will still see it. Facial swelling that others no longer notice is not the same as a nose that has finished changing.
Why the two sides can look different
Swelling does not settle evenly, so one side can look fuller than the other before the result is final. A difference at 2 weeks is not a verdict on whether both sides match. The tip is also numb after the operation, and feeling returns as the nerves recover.
The tip is last
The tip is the most delicate part of the operation and the slowest to settle. At 6 months the shape is close to final; the swelling at the tip finishes over the second half of the first year. Prolonged swelling of the tip is the commonest cause of early disappointment, and the reason six months is the honest milestone rather than six weeks.
Swelling can come and go
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons states that the new nasal contour is fully refined by one year after surgery, and that swelling can still come and go, worsening in the mornings, through that first year (ASPS).
After a revision, the timeline runs longer
A revision rhinoplasty is a second operation on a nose that has already been operated on. Because the baseline of the nose has already been altered, it takes longer to settle than a first rhinoplasty, and the swelling works against scar tissue from the earlier operation (ASPS). The timeline for a specific revision is gone through before surgery. The case is set out in revision rhinoplasty.
What this means for photographs
An after photograph taken minutes, days or weeks after surgery cannot show the final nose. The rhinoplasty photographs on the before and after page were taken minutes after surgery, with the interval stated: they show the shape at the end of the operation, not the settled result. Reading them properly is covered in how to read before and after photographs.
When to call the clinic
Severe pain, or any symptom you did not expect: call the clinic on +961 1 697 739 (NHS).
At this practice
Dr. Vincent ElKhoury, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, operates on every case himself, at Hayek Hospital or Bellevue Medical Center. The timeline for your operation is gone through before surgery. How the operation itself is done is on the rhinoplasty in Lebanon page, and the week-by-week course is in rhinoplasty recovery.
Questions
FAQ
How long until my nose looks final after rhinoplasty?
The shape is close to final at 6 months. The tip is the last part to settle, and its swelling finishes over the second half of the first year, which is why a nose is judged at a year.
Is the swelling after the splint comes off the result?
No. The splint comes off between day 6 and day 10, and the nose looks swollen and turned up at the tip. That is expected at this stage and says nothing about the final shape.
Why does one side of my nose look fuller than the other?
Swelling does not settle evenly, so one side can look fuller than the other before the result is final. A difference early on is not a verdict on whether both sides match.
Does a revision rhinoplasty take longer to settle?
Yes. Because the nose has already been operated on, a revision takes longer to settle than a first rhinoplasty, and swelling works against scar tissue from the earlier operation.