There are many good reasons for getting a nose job, or rhinoplasty. You might want to correct an imperfection or breathe better. You might even want to get the nose of your dreams and the confidence that goes along with it. Whatever your reasons are, you’re probably someone who is concerned with their appearance and their health. So if you’re thinking about rhinoplasty, you’re probably also wondering how quickly you can get back out in the Miami sun and to your fitness routine. The answer may surprise you.
What to Expect at Your Rhinoplasty
There are actually a couple different ways of doing a nose job. The most common is a closed rhinoplasty. This is for minor nose jobs, where not much change is needed. The doctor will make some small incisions inside your nostrils to sculpt the cartilage and tissue, nothing too major. Recovery time is less for this procedure.
An open rhinoplasty, on the other hand, is a much bigger deal. This procedure is for more major changes. This one involves external incisions and tends to take longer to recover from.
Price can vary a lot, depending on where you get the procedure done. The rhinoplasty cost in Miami, FL, is actually pretty reasonable, though.
Your Nose and Exercise
You might think that, since your nose isn’t connected to any major muscle groups, exercise after surgery shouldn’t be a problem. However, it could actually become a problem in several ways. You need to be careful.
For one thing, even light exercise gets your blood pumping. The increased blood pressure could burst your stitches and give you a severe bloody nose. The strain could also lead to extreme bruising all over and around your nose.
Exercising too soon after a nose job could also interfere with the healing process. It could tug apart delicate tissue and skin before it has a chance to close the right way. This could leave your nose looking very different than you had planned. Probably not in a good way.
Also, if the exercise pulls your healing nose out of alignment, one of your nostrils might become pinched. This can make it difficult to breathe. Maybe even difficult enough to require another surgery to correct.
Then there’s the increased risk of scarring. If you keep pulling apart your incisions while they are healing, you’re more likely to develop noticeable scars even after you have fully healed.
How Long Will It Take to Recover?
Rhinoplasty is a relatively minor form of surgery, but it’s still a form of surgery. Your body is going to need a fairly serious chunk of time to fully heal itself. You will probably need a good 6 weeks to get back to something like normal. Full healing could take a year or more. Remember to listen to your doctor, though. He or she will have a much better idea of what to expect in your particular case.
What Exercises Can I Do and When Can I Do Them?
As a general rule, your post-surgery exercise plan should look something like this:
- Week 1: For the first week after your surgery, you should just rest. A little light walking around your house would be fine, but not for very long, and stop if you feel tired or out of breath.
- Weeks 2-5: At some point within this time, your doctor will remove your stitches and splint. After this, you can go on longer walks. If your doctor says it’s OK, you may be able to start some other light to moderate forms of exercise. Weight training is probably not going to be a good idea during this period. Neither is anything else that makes you strain.
- Weeks 6+: You may be able to go back to the gym after six weeks or so of healing. You might be able to get back into strength training at this time as well, though not at full intensity.
Remember, though, that everyone’s case is unique, and you need to do exactly what your doctor tells you to do when it comes to exercise restrictions. Even if you feel like you’re fine and ready to get back into it.
So How Can I Minimize the Wait?
Well, there’s a certain minimum wait you’re just going to have to put up with. However, you can at least make sure you don’t make it longer by following this advice:
- Don’t let anything hit your nose, even lightly. It could really mess up the results and even cause major bleeding.
- Sleep with your head up.
- Sneeze with your mouth.
- Do not blow your nose.
- Don’t lift anything.
- No sunglasses or eyeglasses if it’s at all avoidable.
- Seriously, do NOT let anything hit your nose.
If you want to get back to exercising as soon as possible, remember that you need plenty of rest and gentle treatment first. It may be frustrating, but this is definitely a situation where you need patience and not haste.
