At the office of Dr. Gregory E. Rauscher, M.D. in Hackensack, NJ, we understand how frustrating it is to be dissatisfied with the appearance of your nose. For this reason, we are glad to be able to offer a nose job to help our clients increase their self-confidence. After all, the nose is one of the first features about someone that others notice. Today, we’re looking at how long the recovery is after this procedure to help you determine whether it is right for you.
What Is the Recovery Time After a Nose Job?
After a nose job, known in the medical community as rhinoplasty, you will probably need to take a week or two off from work. However, your recovery will not be over at this point. Typically, it takes the skin a total of six months to heal from surgery. The rate of your recovery depends on several factors, including the techniques used to perform the surgery, the scope of the surgery, and how well you care for yourself during your recovery.
What Can I Do To Improve My Recovery Experience?
Take Care of Your Incision Sites
One of the most important steps you can take to improve your recovery experience is to take very good care of your incision sites. It is important that you protect your nose from an excessive amount of pressure. Therefore, you need to sleep on your back during the first part of your recovery. You should also wear glasses as little as possible and refrain from blowing your nose for the first couple of weeks post-op.
It is also very important that you keep your incision sites clean and dry. You should not shower within the first 48 hours following surgery. After this point, when you shower, use plastic wrap to keep the protective covering over your nose dry. During the first two weeks post-op, make sure you only bathe or shower in tepid water.
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is another one of the most important steps you can take to ensure your recovery goes as smoothly as possible. Typically, women can maintain adequate hydration by drinking around six cups of water per day. Typically, men can maintain adequate hydration by drinking around eight cups of water per day. We recommend following this guideline as closely as you can and checking your hydration status every once in a while.
For instance, you may want to check your urine in the afternoon to verify that your urine is pale. If you notice your urine is dark, drink an extra cup of water, coffee, or tea. If you don’t feel like drinking anything, snack on some water-dense veggies or fruits and consider eating a broth-based soup for dinner.
Eat Nutritiously
You can also speed up your recovery by ensuring your skin has all of the ingredients it needs to produce healing substances. For example, collagen is a protein that is found throughout your body, including your skin. This mesh-like protein plays a major role in directing your skin to heal itself from injuries, like surgical incisions. Make sure your skin can fuel its existing collagen and make more by eating and drinking lots of protein, vitamin C, and water.
Get Plenty of Rest
It is also very important that you dedicate a lot of time to rest to recover from surgery as quickly as possible. Aim to get nine consecutive hours of sleep per night for the first two weeks of your recovery, and don’t fight the urge to take a nap if you feel groggy after surgery.
Ideally, you should fall asleep whenever you feel tired enough to do so and allow your body to wake you up naturally. If you wake up regularly in the middle of the night, a melatonin supplement, meditation session, or fan may help you sleep. If your bladder wakes you up at night, stop drinking a few hours before bed.
Exercise
Exercise is another important part of the nose job recovery process. Ideally, you should aim to get 2.5 hours of moderate cardio weekly during the first two weeks of your recovery. Just be careful to not overexercise. You should avoid vigorous exercise during the first six to eight weeks following surgery. If you notice during your workout session that you are getting out of breath, take a break. You should be able to sing or talk easily during your workouts.
It is also very important that you do not lift or push anything weighing 10 pounds or more. For instance, you should have someone vacuum your home for you, and you should not take heavy containers out of cabinets above your head.
Get the Nose You Want
Recovery after a nose job can take several months, but you should only need to take a week or two off from work. To heal as quickly as possible, take care of your incision sites, stay hydrated, eat nutritiously, exercise, and get plenty of rest. If you’re in New Jersey and self-conscious about the appearance of your nose, contact us today at the office of Dr. Gregory E. Rauscher, M.D. in Hackensack, NJ to schedule your initial rhinoplasty consultation.
