Plastic Surgeon Questions Plastic Surgery

How can I heal faster after plastic surgery?

I had nose plastic surgery 3 days ago. How can I heal faster after plastic surgery?

2 Answers

Everyone’s body takes a specific amount of time to heal after any kind of injury or surgery. There is nothing much you can do to make the body heal faster other than follow the instructions or your surgeon as best as you can. Get a lot of rest and drink a lot of fluids.
Great question, although it really depends on a lot of factors! A high protein diet is generally helpful to heal any surgical wounds or in the case of rhinoplasty-healing bones or cartilage. If you are diabetic, having tight blood sugar control is critical, with a Hgb A1C of less than 7.0%. Hopefully, if you underwent rhinoplasty, you're not in this boat! Another thing that helps with early healing is minimizing the risk of edema buildup, which is basically like salt water. That being said, it is very helpful to be on a low or no-added salt diet, as you will retain more water weight, especially in operated-upon areas like the nasal tip.
One thing in my practice that I have virtually everyone take (unless they are allergic) is Arnica and Bromelain by mouth. Both of these medications help greatly with the reduction of edema (swelling) and ecchymosis (bruising). You can consider trying those homeopathic vitamins out but ALWAYS check first with your original surgeon to see if (s)he is ok with these adjuncts.
Perhaps most importantly, follow your surgeon's instructions about physical limitations, which at least in my practice include NO nose blowing for at least six (6) weeks, no bending over or straining, and no heavy lifting with either arm more than, say, 5-10 lbs. To clean the nose since you can't blow it, I often advise folks to use over-the-counter nasal saline spray or else dip Q-tips in hydrogen peroxide to help swab the insides of the nose (or nares). Do NOT try ANY of these things without first consulting your rhinoplasty surgeon directly.
Hopefully, these tips help you with your postoperative recovery! Good luck with everything.