How to Take Care of Yourself During Rhinoplasty Recovery
If you’re considering getting a rhinoplasty, then it’s important that you think about the steps that you’ll take immediately after the procedure. While most people only focus on the surgery itself, recovery is also a huge part of the process. The better you take care of yourself after your rhinoplasty, the faster you’ll be able to heal. Nose surgery doesn’t end after you’ve left the operating room. They end once you’ve completed the recovery process. To ensure that the process is quick and easy, there are several steps that you need to take. Dr. Anthony Bared, a qualified rhinoplasty expert in Miami, details how the recovery stages go for this type of procedure, as well as some tips to ensure it goes well.
- Don’t Touch Your Nose
After the procedure, you’ll notice drainage as well as scab formations. There’s also a chance that your doctor could add a splint to your nose. While this may be a little uncomfortable, you should do your best to avoid touching your nose after the surgery. Specifically, you need to resist the urge to clear or pick your nostrils.
It can be tempting to try to remove mucus or other materials with your fingers or swabs. You may even want to blow your nose. However, it’s best not to do this. If your splint needs adjustment or you feel particularly uncomfortable, allow your doctor to make the adjustments for you.
- Rest and Elevate Your Head
One of the best ways to ensure a fast recovery is to get as much rest as possible. When lying down, you need to make sure that your head is elevated. This elevation will help you to reduce the swelling.
Whenever you’re sleeping, watching the television or reading a book, you should always use pillows to prop up your head. It’s also best to avoid any strenuous exercises. This is especially the case when it comes to activities that require bending and heavy lifting.
- Stay Away From Bathtubs
Once the procedure is complete, the doctor will dress your face with bandages on both the outside and inside of your nose. These bandages must remain as dry as possible. This means that you should avoid any activities that would get them wet–specifically baths. It’s best to only use the shower as it may be easier to control the stream of water.
- Keep an Ice Pack On Hand
If you want to control the swelling around your eyes and cheeks, then you should make sure that you ice these areas. This will help to significantly reduce it. However, you need to make sure that the bag doesn’t come in contact with your nose.
Not only could the moisture affect the bandages, but when you add pressure and weight to your nose it can cause a shift in the healing tissues. This will ultimately make your scars more visible and could ruin the overall results. You’ll likely require an ice pack after a night of resting on your back as the swelling will be most evident in the mornings.
- Stay Away from Alcohol and Cigarettes
The best way to speed up the recovery process is to live a healthy lifestyle. This means that you need to work to make sure that you’re getting all of the nutrients that your body needs. Smoking tends to interfere with circulation, which can make it difficult for nutrients to reach the affected area. Also, the wound needs oxygen to properly heal and smoking can get in the way. So it’s a good idea to give up smoking.
You should also give up alcohol. Alcohol tends to get in the way of the healing process. Research shows that patients who are heavy drinkers are more likely to contract infections after operations.
- Have a Meal Plan
The recovery process can be quite challenging. And in many cases, patients choose to make their lives easier by ordering takeout so that they don’t have to cook. However, it’s important that you consider the types of foods that you eat during recovery. While takeout meals may be easier, they can also contain a lot of sugar and salt. And this can slow down your healing process.
During recovery, you need to eat nutritious foods–ones that encourage cellular renewal. In most instances, it’s best that you prepare your meals ahead of time so that you don’t have to stress out about cooking or worry about nutrition. Place your meals in the freezer so that they have a longer shelf life and won’t spoil.
- Allow Yourself Recovery Time
If you’re in good shape it’s easy to assume that you’ll recover quickly. The recommendation that the doctor gives you for a two week recovery period may seem like too much. However, it’s best to take as much time as you need and more. Even if you feel great the first few days after your surgery, you need to take time to rest and heal.
Even after you’ve resumed your regular activities, you should incorporate them slowly into your life. This ensures that you don’t take on too much too quickly. This is a huge part of making sure that there are no setbacks in the healing process. The more time you take to rest, the easier it will be to jump back into your normal routine.
- Follow the Doctor’s Orders
Perhaps the most important part of making sure that your recovery goes as smoothly as possible is to follow the doctor’s instructions. Make sure that you thoroughly understand what they require of you during the recovery process. If you’re not sure about something, it’s a good idea to ask questions. Keep in mind that the doctor is familiar with your condition and is knowledgeable about this procedure. By following their advice, you can ensure that you heal as quickly as possible.