At Boulder Plastic Surgery in Boulder, CO, we know that different factors can affect the appearance of your nose. Whether genetics, an injury, or a previous cosmetic surgery has left you with a nose that you don’t love, we can help transform the nose that you don’t love into one that you do with rhinoplasty. This procedure effectively addresses functional and aesthetic concerns so you can finally live with a nose that you love.
What Should You Avoid After Getting Rhinoplasty?
Rhinoplasty provides men and women with the opportunity to improve the appearance of their noses for both cosmetic reasons and functional concerns. Once the procedure is over, you’ll have a new nose that you will get to enjoy forever.
However, before you can fully enjoy your new nose, you will need to walk through the recovery process. There are some ways that you can ensure a quick and healthy recovery, and it begins with knowing what you should avoid after your procedure is complete.
Strenuous Workouts
It’s important that once you begin the recovery process, you avoid strenuous workouts. You will be advised to perform some specific exercises like light to moderate walking to help promote blood flow and avoid blood clotting post-op.
However, you will also be advised to avoid strenuous gym workouts for several weeks after your procedure. Your surgeon will provide you with a timeline for how long you should avoid working out and when you can resume your normal workout routine.
Alcohol Consumption
Another thing that you’ll be asked to avoid after your procedure is alcohol consumption. It’s important that your body can effectively clot as needed so that you can experience ultimate healing. One of the effects of alcohol consumption is that it leads to thinner blood.
In order to help your body heal quickly and clot successfully, it’s important that you avoid alcohol for a few weeks after your procedure is over. Your surgeon will provide you with more details on how long you should avoid alcohol, so you know exactly what to expect and how to prepare.
Smoking
Just like you will be asked to avoid alcohol, you must also avoid smoking. You should try to quit if you are a smoker before your procedure even begins for the best results so that you will be able to ensure a healthy recovery with no setbacks. Smoking limits your body’s ability to effectively heal after a surgical procedure because of the way that it restricts oxygen to the surgical site, in this case, your nose.
Smoking effectively slows the healing process, which can lead to other negative results. If you cannot quit, you must avoid smoking for several weeks after your procedure, as well as several weeks leading up to it. However, you should know that nicotine consumption of any kind will negatively affect not only your results but your overall health, so if possible, try to remove this substance from your life altogether.
Showering
After your procedure is complete, you will need to keep your nose dry until the dressings are removed, which typically happens a week after the surgical procedure. You will get more directions from the surgeon on the day of your scheduled rhinoplasty.
You won’t have to avoid showering altogether, but it’s important that you do not get your nose wet until the cast has been removed. Using a damp cloth to wash your face and avoiding direct contact with the water is one way to promote the best possible results after your procedure.
Sun Exposure
You’ll also be asked to avoid sun exposure after your procedure, and it’s important that any time you are exposed to the sun after your cast has been removed, you protect your skin by wearing a high-quality, high SPF sunscreen. You should also wear a hat to give your nose extra protection to be safe. Unprotected or excess sun exposure can lead to skin discoloration on the nose.
To avoid this, all you have to do is follow your surgeon’s directives and avoid direct, unprotected sun exposure. If you have never been one to care much about your skin and the way that the sun affects it, this is the time to start developing healthy habits. By taking extra precautions regarding your nose, you’ll also be protecting your skin which can help ward off sun damage, and the signs of aging and protect against potential skin cancer.
Cosmetics
As your nose heals during the week following your treatment procedure, it’s important that you avoid applying cosmetics to your nose. Your skin will need extra TLC while healing, and applying foundation or other types of makeup to your nose or around any incision can lead to potential infection.
As long as you avoid direct application of makeup to or around your nose, you can ensure that your nose will heal quickly, and you’ll be able to enjoy your results as soon as possible.
Nose Blowing
During a rhinoplasty, your nose will be restructured to help you achieve your aesthetic goals. While this procedure affects the external appearance of your nose, it also affects the internal structure of your nose. For that reason, it’s important that you avoid blowing your nose after your procedure since that type of pressure could slow the healing process.
You’ll be provided with tips and techniques regarding how to deal with congestion after your procedure. However, you can help reduce the risk of developing a cold or sinus infection by increasing your vitamin C intake and immunity-boosting supplements in the days leading up to your procedure. We will provide you with details as to how you can best prepare yourself for this post-operative instruction.
Contact Sports
Many patients who schedule a nose job do so to improve the appearance of their nose that has been affected by a contact sports injury. For that reason, it’s important that you avoid contact sports for at least six weeks after your procedure is complete. You will need to let your nose heal and take the necessary steps to protect it during the months following your procedure so that you do not injure it again.
How To Have a Quick and Healthy Recovery
After your procedure, you’ll probably be anxious to not just see your new nose but to heal as quickly so that you can enjoy it. There are some steps that you can take to have the healthiest recovery possible so that you can heal quickly and enjoy your beautiful new nose as soon as possible.
Follow Your Surgeon’s Post-Operative Directives
The number one way to promote a quick and healthy recovery is to follow your surgeon’s post-operative directives. These directives are put in place for your benefit and, when followed, will help you avoid adverse reactions or delayed healing. If at any point you have any questions about the post-operative directives, you can simply reach out to our office, and one of our surgical team members will help answer any questions you may have.
Increase Your Water Intake
Drinking more water seems to be the answer for everything, and when it comes to your rhinoplasty recovery, increasing your water intake will help promote healing. Water will help flush toxins from your system and help your body stay hydrated so that it can work on healing and repairing your nose tissues.
Eat the Right Foods
Another way to promote a quick and healthy recovery is to focus on eating the healthiest diet possible during your recovery. You will want to focus on eating vitamin and antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables to give your body all the vitamins and minerals that it needs not only to maintain optimal health but to aid in your healing and recovery.
You will want to also avoid some specific foods, including foods that are high in salt, sugars, or chemicals. When your body has to work to eliminate excess or unhealthy fats, sugars, or toxins from the system, it won’t be able to focus full attention on helping your nose heal. You can assist your body in the recovery process by giving it everything it needs to thrive so it won’t have to process and eliminate foods that don’t promote optimal health.
Schedule Your Consultation Today
Rhinoplasty provides men and women alike with the perfect way to address and improve the appearance of the nose that they don’t love. Whether you want to address aesthetic or functional concerns, we can devise a treatment plan that helps you achieve the nose you’ve always wanted. Contact us today at Boulder Plastic Surgery in Boulder, CO, to schedule your initial consultation.