The operation is only half of a rhinoplasty. The other half is the few weeks of healing that follow, and what you do in that time has a real effect on the result. Good hygiene lowers the risk of infection, keeps the nose comfortable and helps the swelling settle in the shape Dr. Teker planned. None of it is difficult, but a few habits need to change for a while.
Inside the nose
After surgery the lining of the nose is swollen and produces crusts, dried blood and mucus. This is normal and it is one reason the nose feels blocked in the first week even when nothing is physically in the way.
Rinse gently with saline. A sterile salt-water spray or a rinse bottle, used several times a day, softens the crusts so they clear on their own. Lean slightly forward over a basin, apply the solution to each side and let it run out. Do not force it in under pressure. If Dr. Teker has prescribed an ointment or a specific spray, use it exactly as instructed.
Do not blow your nose. For at least two weeks the pressure of blowing can disturb the stitches inside, start a nosebleed and push swelling around. If you have to sneeze, sneeze with your mouth open so that the pressure escapes that way.
Do not put anything into the nostrils: no cotton buds, no fingers, no attempts to pick at crusts. They will come away by themselves.
Washing your face
Wash with lukewarm water and a mild cleanser, using your hands rather than a cloth, and keep water away from the splint and the tapes in the first week. Pat the skin around the nose dry rather than rubbing. Make-up can usually be used on the cheeks and eyes from the second week to cover bruising; avoid the nose itself until the tapes are off and the skin is settled.
Showering and washing your hair
You can shower from the day after surgery, but keep the splint dry. A lukewarm, not hot, shower is best, as heat increases swelling. When washing your hair, tilt your head back, as at a hairdresser, so that water runs away from the face, or ask someone to help for the first few days. Avoid baths, saunas and steam rooms for a month.
Tapes and stitches
The tapes over the bridge and tip support the skin and reduce swelling. Leave them alone until Dr. Teker removes or changes them, usually at the day-seven visit. If a tape edge lifts, do not pull it off; press it gently back or leave it. Stitches inside the nose dissolve on their own. If an open technique was used, the fine stitches on the columella are removed at the same visit as the splint, and the small scar can be kept clean with a saline-moistened cotton pad. After removal, a thin layer of the recommended cream keeps the area soft.
Sun
Fresh skin after surgery pigments easily. For the first three months, keep the nose out of direct sun, wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen once the tapes are off, and use a hat outdoors. Sunburn on a healing nose swells and can leave lasting marks.
Sleeping and activity
Sleep on your back with your head raised on two pillows for the first two weeks; it reduces swelling overnight and protects the nose from a careless roll. Avoid bending forward, lifting anything heavy, sports and anything that raises the pulse and blood pressure for two to three weeks, as these increase swelling and bleeding risk. Walking is encouraged from the first day.
Common mistakes
- Touching the nose. Constant checking with the fingers irritates the skin and can shift a healing bridge. Resist the urge.
- Glasses on the bridge. Their weight can leave a dent while the bones are healing. For about six weeks, tape glasses to the forehead or wear contact lenses.
- Blowing or sniffing hard. Both raise pressure inside the nose.
- Hot showers and spicy food. Both dilate blood vessels and increase swelling in the first week.
- Smoking. It reduces blood supply to healing tissue and raises the risk of complications. Stop before surgery and stay off it for at least a month afterwards.
- Skipping the follow-up. The day-seven visit, when the splint comes off and the nose is checked and re-taped, is not optional.
When to contact the clinic
Some blood-stained discharge, a blocked nose and bruising are expected. A nosebleed that does not stop with ten minutes of gentle pressure, a fever, increasing redness or pain, or a sudden change in the shape of the nose after a knock should be reported the same day. Dr. Teker’s clinic answers messages on WhatsApp during working hours, and international patients are followed up the same way after they fly home.
Healing is a matter of patience more than effort. Keep the nose clean and protected, follow the schedule, and let the swelling do its slow work.