Question: What’s the recovery like after a typical nose job? How much swelling occurs, how much downtime is there, etc.?
Answer: The recovery period following a typical nose job is as follows. You will feel moderate pain and pressure a day or two following your nose job. This is well treated with pain medications. Swelling and bruising can be dramatic if your nose job involves breaking the bone. The most significant swelling and bruising will be present for about a week after your nose job. I tell my patients that they should be able to return to work about 10 days following their nose job. You can engage in mild activity such as walking immediately following your nose job. Heavy exercise is discouraged for about 3 weeks following your nose job to prevent prolonged swelling of the nose.