How Much School Will I Have to Miss for Rhinoplasty?

How Much School Will I Have to Miss for Rhinoplasty?

You may be wondering how much school you'll have to miss in order to recover from rhinoplasty surgery. The good news is that with some advance planning, you shouldn't have to miss any school at all—in fact most patients plan their surgery over semester break or summer holidays. Making the decision to have rhinoplasty is a big one and should be taken with the highest level of care and attention. Although you may be eager to have a new nose, this is a time in your life when you should ensure a rhinoplasty specialist performs your procedure and that you start your research process early enough so that no school has to be missed. So, is a semester or summer break sufficient time to recover? While the answer depends on several things, like what you're studying and how self-conscious you are about being seen with a cast on your nose and/or some bruising/swelling, the following timeline can help make the decision easier.

Download Dr. Buonassisi's Free eBook

Before we continue onto the detailed timeline for rhinoplasty recovery, we would like to mention that at 8 West Clinic, we believe at the forefront that educated patients are happy patients, and this is why Dr. Buonassisi has compiled his 20 years experience performing rhinoplasty into a must read eBook. This is an essential tool for anyone considering cosmetic nasal surgery. Download your free copy now.

Have questions? Our team of experts is here to help. Speak to one of our patient care managers today by calling (604) 733-1669 or contact us here.

The Rhinoplasty Recovery Timeline

The First 7 Days

‍In the first week following surgery, expect to:

• wear a cast on your nose for seven days;
• feel congested for three to seven days;
• keep a piece of gauze taped under your nose (to catch any excess fluid/blood) for three days;
• feel some slight discomfort when your swelling reaches its height at around Day 3;
• feel tired/groggy if you choose to take pain medication;
• see some bruising/swelling around your nose and eyes; and
• have your cast removed on Day 7.

TIP: Students who don't mind being seen with some bruising/swelling on their face usually take one week off school – so long as their classes involve light, seated activities rather than anything physical.

‍Day 8 to 14

‍In the second week following surgery, expect to:

• see the dissolvable sutures in your nose start to come out on their own (if you had open rhinoplasty) at around Day 10;
• see your bruising/swelling improve or completely disappear;
• feel comfortable being seen in public, though your nose may still be slightly swollen;
• return to most normal activities (other than strenuous physical activity/exercise); and
• easily hide your incision, which may be red and bumpy, with makeup.

TIP: Students who want to keep their surgery a secret usually take two weeks off school.

‍Day 15 to 21

‍In the third week following surgery, expect to:

• see subtle changes in your nose as any lingering swelling subsides;
• return to all normal activities, including most forms of exercise;
• notice the tip of your nose start to drop if your surgeon purposely over-rotated it; and
• easily hide your incision, which may still be a bit red, with makeup.

Day 22 & Beyond

‍In the fourth week following surgery and beyond, expect to:

• no longer see your incision after two or three months;
• be completely healed, save for a small amount of lingering swelling in the tip of your nose; and
• continue to notice subtle changes in your nose for up to a year.

Comfort Level & School Requirements

‍Again, how much of a break you take largely depends on how comfortable you feel about being seen with certain physical signs of surgery and what activities your teachers require you to do. If you're studying a subject that mainly involves deskwork (i.e., reading, writing and research), you'll probably feel good enough to do some light studying two days after surgery (scheduling a Skype session with your classmates, however, may have to wait until your cast comes off). If you have to do any physical activity in school (e.g., physical education or human kinetics), you'll need to skip those classes for at least two weeks, even if you feel ready to return to them earlier than that. Finally, if you're scheduled to take any outdoor fieldtrips during your recovery, be sure to protect your incision with sunscreen.

‍Can't Take Two Weeks Off?

‍If you can't miss more than a week of school, ask your instructors if you can stick to deskwork during your second week of recovery (you can probably make up any missed physical activities later). If your teacher requires a doctor's note, ask your surgeon to write one for you. If you feel self-conscious about the way you look, try to defer front-of-class presentations and/or groupwork until two weeks have passed; you may also want to decide whether you feel comfortable telling your classmates/teachers about your rhinoplasty. If not, think of an alternative story before heading back to school, in case anyone notices some bruising/swelling on your face.

‍Party Perfect

‍If you have a school event coming up that you want to look your best for, like prom, graduation or class photos, you may want to schedule your rhinoplasty surgery three or more months in advance to ensure you're fully healed.

‍Break Time

‍Most patients who are students schedule their rhinoplasty surgery during school breaks (winter, spring or summer), which give them more time to recover without missing much school. Make sure you get your desired surgery date by planning and booking your rhinoplasty well in advance.

Do you have more questions about rhinoplasty and recovery time? Contact Dr. Buonassisi at 8 West Cosmetic Surgery today!