Most patients describe rhinoplasty as more uncomfortable than painful, especially in the first few days after surgery when swelling and congestion are at their peak. Pain is well-managed with prescription medications made available to you and gradually subsides within the first week. A feeling of pressure or fullness in the nose is common but usually improves as healing progresses.

Your rhinoplasty journey involves several appointments, starting with an in-depth consultation to discuss your goals and examine your nasal structure. You’ll have a pre-operative appointment to go over surgical instructions, followed by the surgery itself. After the procedure, expect to attend a series of follow-up visits, usually one within the first week to remove any splints or sutures, and others over the following months to monitor healing. While the exact number may vary, most patients can expect around 4–6 total visits from start to finish.

Rhinoplasty results are permanent. However, the nose can still change over time (especially if rhinoplasty is performed when you’re young) or be subject to injury, requiring another procedure.

In most cases, rhinoplasty leaves an inconspicuous scar at the bottom of your nose, sometimes outside the nostrils when alar base reductions were necessary. For open rhinoplasty, a small incision is made across the columella (the strip of skin between the nostrils), which heals to a barely noticeable fine line. With proper aftercare and sun protection, this scar fades significantly over time.

Generally, patients can begin working out 1 month after their procedure. However, for contact sports, patients should generally wait 3 months.

Absolutely! There are many other procedures that patients have done simultaneously, such as chin implant, eyelid surgery, facelift, neck liposuction, buccal fat removal, otoplasty, etc.

Yes, many clients choose to combine their rhinoplasty with other procedures such as facelift, blepharoplasty, lip lift, brow lift, and more. If you are interested in adding procedures in combination with your rhinoplasty, you can discuss this with Dr. Walker during your consultation. The limiting factor is time and surgery duration.

As with any surgery, rhinoplasty carries potential risks, including infection, bleeding, or reactions to anesthesia. Specific to the procedure, complications may include difficulty breathing through the nose, asymmetry, or dissatisfaction with the cosmetic outcome. In rare cases, a secondary (revision) surgery may be needed to fine-tune the results. Choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon with rhinoplasty expertise significantly reduces these risks and supports the safest, most successful experience.

Finding the right rhinoplasty surgeon begins with researching board-certified Facial Plastic Surgeons who specialize in facial procedures and have extensive experience specifically in rhinoplasty. Look for surgeons who showcase before-and-after photos of real patients with consistent lighting (not selfies), offer personalized consultations, and have strong patient reviews that speak to both results and bedside manner. It’s also important to ensure your surgeon listens to your goals, provides honest feedback, and uses advanced techniques tailored to your facial structure.

After rhinoplasty, it’s normal to have some discomfort for a few days. Most patients take some prescription pain medications for the first 1-3 days at most, followed by Tylenol as needed. Although rare, infections could occur, and Dr. Walker always prescribes prophylactic antibiotics. Bruising around the eyes is not unusual for the first 7-10 days, although usually not significant.

Good candidates for rhinoplasty are patients who seek changes in their nasal shape, have realistic expectations, and are candidates for general anesthesia. Expectations and goals are discussed with you during your consultation with Dr. Walker, who will also review your health history to determine if rhinoplasty is right for you.

This is determined on a case-by-case basis. Some patients need medical clearance for general anesthesia. Some may need to discontinue or continue certain medications. Since many dietary supplements have blood-thinning properties, it is generally advisable to stop all over-the-counter medications for 1 week before and 2 weeks after surgery.

Avoid sweating, strenuous activities, and salt. Patients also need to avoid contact sports.

This greatly varies from patient to patient and is based on many factors such as the extent of surgery, skin color and texture, the propensity to bruise, as some people just bruise more easily than others, etc. Dr. Walker uses the least traumatic techniques and instruments, including ultrasonic rhinoplasty tools, where appropriate and indicated to minimize bruising and swelling,, leading to the fastest recovery with minimal downtime.

Yes. A rhinoplasty can change many different aspects of the nose, including the bridge, tip, nostrils, and more. With the help of an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon, you can make your nose smaller through surgery.

Head elevation is recommended for the first 24 hours, possibly up to 3 days. Sleeping on the side is no problem, although the side facing down may appear more swollen when waking up in the morning.

No. Rhinoplasty is a surgery that changes the shape of the nose and simultaneously restores or maintains nasal breathing. Sinus surgery is required to address sinus problems. Such sinus surgery can be done in conjunction with rhinoplasty in many but not all cases.

Yes, but minor changes, especially in the first few months, are expected. General changes with aging occur to the nose, and rhinoplasty does not stop the clock. That said, a structural rhinoplasty is the most powerful technique to lead to predictable and permanent results.

The main difference between an open (external) and closed (endonasal) rhinoplasty is the tiny incision at the bottom of the nose between the two nostrils. This tiny incision, though, if properly designed and carefully closed, will become inconspicuous. The exposure afforded in an open rhinoplasty is far superior to the closed rhinoplasty approach, and essentially every nasal problem can be corrected with the open approach. There are some patients, though, who are candidates for closed rhinoplasty where an open approach is possible but unnecessary. The avoidance of the tiny incision at the bottom of the nose typically does not offset the sacrifice of other nasal aesthetic changes, which are much more noticeable than the small incision between the nostrils. The decision whether an open or closed approach is most appropriate for you should not be based on the incision itself but rather the goal of your rhinoplasty. Either procedure can lead to a beautiful result, albeit a closed approach is much more limited and limiting. Dr. Walker will discuss more details with you during your consultation if you wish.   

• Open Rhinoplasty (External Rhinoplasty): Open Rhinoplasty uses a small incision that is placed on your columella, between the two nostril openings, hidden at the bottom of your nose. This incision is approximately 5-6 mm in length and is designed in an upside-down V-shape to allow for contraction forces to be more even for an inconspicuous healing.  This access incision allows the skin and soft tissue of the nose to be lifted off the underlying nasal framework, opening the nose. This approach is appropriate for the majority of rhinoplasty operations and those that require significant nasal tip work, as it offers a complete view of all of the structures that will be modified during the operation. It also allows the surgeon to very precisely place and secure cartilage grafts for a consistent, predictable, safe, and long-lasting result. This is the preferred technique that Dr. Walker uses in most of his rhinoplasty surgeries, as it offers the best exposure for precise work and very low risk of errors that will require correction later on. While some patients may have a concern about the scar from an external incision, proper placement and closure of the incision typically result in a scar that is essentially unnoticeable. You can review the results in the after photo gallery to see for yourself how unnoticeable the scar is (plus, who looks at the bottom of your nose anyway?).  
• Closed Rhinoplasty (Endonasal Rhinoplasty): Closed rhinoplasty (aka endonasal rhinoplasty) is a bit of a misnomer, as no surgery can be done “closed.” This operation refers to a rhinoplasty technique where all incisions are hidden inside the nostrils without the tiny incision at the bottom of your nose. At the same time, this technique may be appropriate for minor rhinoplasty surgeries where only a small hump reduction is needed or very minor nasal tip work. The closed technique does limit visibility, and cartilage grafts cannot be placed as precisely as in an open rhinoplasty operation, nor easily secured in place.

There are entire books dedicated to the topic of Structural Rhinoplasty. In brief, Dr. Walker performs structural rhinoplasty, which is a surgical procedure based on repositioning and strengthening the nasal supporting framework and thereby altering the nasal shape in a safe, long-lasting, and predictable fashion. Cartilage is typically utilized in this surgery (usually from your own septum) to achieve the desired cosmetic changes and improve the nasal breathing. In non-structural rhinoplasty, cartilage and tissue are resected, and the nose is weakened, resulting in long-term outcomes that are less predictable. Furthermore, non-structural rhinoplasty with reductive maneuvers leads to worse nasal breathing than prior to surgery, often resulting in pinching of the nose, nasal valve collapse, a droopy nasal tip, or even an over-rotated nasal tip. For the most part, this technique is no longer utilized by contemporary rhinoplasty surgeons, as we have learned through long-term follow-up that non-structural rhinoplasty techniques lead to aesthetic and functional problems in the long run.

Rhinoplasty is typically performed using general anesthesia on an outpatient basis, i.e., going home the same day.

Follow your surgeon’s instructions! Avoid sodium, salt, and sweating for 4-6 weeks. Avoid contact sports for 1-3 months. Avoid glasses or sunglasses for 1-3 months. There are many instructions Dr. Walker will give you to get the best possible result.

Your plastic surgeon will give you detailed instructions to follow before your surgery. This includes filling prescriptions, obtaining recovery materials, and fasting before surgery after 10 pm. If you have any questions, make sure to reach out to our team.

Rhinoplasty is considered a cosmetic procedure, and therefore, insurance will not cover that surgery. If you have functional problems with nasal obstruction associated with structural issues such as a deviated septum, those portions of the procedure may be covered by your insurance if deemed medically necessary.

A rhinoplasty produces permanent results. Although the satisfaction rate is extremely high, revision surgeries are done on rare occasions (less than 1% for Dr. Walker) for minor imperfections.

Downtime is generally 1 week, but if a patient is working from home, they may resume sooner. If your job is physically demanding and strenuous, you may need to take 2 weeks off, possibly longer.

Yes. A family member or friend must pick you up from surgery because of the anesthesia.

This greatly depends on the skin thickness and activity level. Thin skin swells less and lasts a shorter period of time than thick skin. In general, the swelling from the nose lasts about 4-6 weeks.

Downtime from work is 1 week with recommended activity restrictions, including avoidance of strenuous activities, to minimize swelling for 1 month. You will be ready for photo studio shoots or wedding photos after 3 months, oftentimes sooner. You’ll be given a more detailed idea of what to expect from your rhinoplasty recovery during your consultation.

No! Rhinoplasty is considered an airway surgery, and for safety and comfort reasons, general anesthesia is strongly recommended. There are a few surgeons who do this under sedation, but structural rhinoplasty with predictable and long-lasting results requires general anesthesia.