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Ways to Speed Up Your Rhinoplasty Recovery

Dr. Philip Miller

May 29, 2018

stock image of a woman for a blog about ways to speed up your rhinoplasty recovery in NYC, NY

When you’ve waited so long to have changes made to your nose and the day of your surgery finally arrives, it might be frustrating to then wait days or weeks to see your final results and show them off to friends and family. Granted, all good things do take time, including the recovery process following a rhinoplasty in NYC. If you’re hoping to speed it up a little bit, follow these tips to have a smoother, faster road to your rhinoplasty recovery.

Healthy Patients Recover the Fastest

If you want to set yourself up for the easiest, fastest recovery possible, you’ll need to start before your surgery date even arrives. Patients who live a healthy lifestyle and take care of themselves see the best recoveries following any surgery, including rhinoplasty. To have your smoothest recovery, you should be a non-smoker, have a healthy BMI, and have blood work and other tests performed to determine your complete health. It also helps to eat a balanced, healthy diet and get regular exercise to keep your body in good health.

Be Totally Ready for Surgery

A smooth, quick recovery happens when you are able to dedicate yourself to the required amount of rest and relaxation. Get all of your bills paid, your errands run, your housework finished, and your plans for child or pet care arranged. By relieving the stressful aspects of your life ahead of time, you’ll free yourself up for total relaxation. You must spend the recommended amount of time in a comfortable spot, dedicated to following your rhinoplasty post-operative instructions for your recovery. Investing time at the beginning of your recovery can help to keep you on track or even speed up your timeline.

Stay Away from Certain Medications

In order to heal quickly, your blood needs to be able to clot where needed. This means that blood-thinning agents that enhance your bleeding can actually delay your healing. Before and directly after your rhinoplasty, follow the list your plastic surgeon gives you and avoid everything on it. These will most likely include aspirin, vitamin E, herbal treatments, and Motrin, among many others. To ensure your blood platelets are functioning normally at the time of your surgery, avoid these products for two weeks or more prior to your rhinoplasty.

Keep a Calm and Positive Attitude

You might not realize it, but staying calm and thinking positively can greatly enhance your healing experience. Stress and negativity in your life can trigger an excess production of cortisol, a natural hormone in the body. Studies have shown that too much cortisol in the body can have many negative consequences, including delays to the healing process and an increase in the amount of scar tissue that is created. Both of these factors can add up for a terrible recovery from your rhinoplasty procedure, even one that is drawn out for longer than your original timeframe.

Build a Support Network to Help You

By relying on the supportive relationships in your life, you’ll reduce stress, increase positivity, and heal more quickly. Your friends and family can help you to manage the tasks that you aren’t able to do while you heal. They may pick up your groceries, take the kids for a weekend, or even come over to keep you company while you marathon-watch a TV series. Surrounding yourself with people who support and encourage you and your efforts is one of the best ways to let your body properly heal. While you don’t want to overdo it with social time, it might even help you to have a good laugh or too. As they say, it is the best medicine.

Skip Out on Exercise…For a Little While

Yes, exercise is great for your body and can encourage the skin to heal. However, vigorous or strenuous activity during your recovery time after a rhinoplasty is strictly prohibited. The strain that gravity will put on your nose as you do your jumping jacks or run a few miles is too great. You may increase your risk of complications, delay your healing process, or cause nasal damage to your newly renovated nose. Always follow your doctor’s instructions for when and how to reincorporate exercise into your routine once again. The time will come soon enough, so try to get your fill with long walks and other low-impact exercise until you can resume your intense workouts.

Keep Your Head Up

Literally, keeping your head elevated can boost your healing process. Use two or three pillows beneath the head to maintain this position, which will prevent excessive blood flow to the head. Lying down flat will delay healing as the increased blood flow will cause the tender tissues around your nose to swell even more. As you heal, you will gradually become more comfortable lying down flat. Follow your plastic surgeon’s advice to get the timing right and avoid delaying your post-rhinoplasty healing.

Choose the Right Plastic Surgeon in NYC

If you want to get the best rhinoplasty results and the fastest recovery, it’s important to choose the best surgeon possible. Dr. Philip Miller has specialized exclusively in facial plastic surgery, offering over 20 years of experience and knowledge to his patients. A recognized expert in rhinoplasty, Dr. Miller has been frequently invited to share his specific techniques with his peers at various national facial plastic surgery meetings. He has been voted among the Best Doctors in America each year since 2007 and has also been named a Top Doctor of New York. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Miller, contact his office located at 60 East 56th Street, Third Floor in New York City, by calling (646) 791-3025.

Dr. Philip Miller

Focusing exclusively on the face for more than two decades, double-board certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Philip Miller blends art and science with innovation and skill to provide thousands of patients with impeccable results. He is known for pioneering the NatraLook methodology for rhinoplasty, facelifts, neck lifts, and other cosmetic procedures for the face.

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Dr. Philip Miller and his team of New York's top rated facial plastic surgery experts provide custom cosmetic treatment plans that include a combination of minimally-invasive techniques and advanced procedures, to help each patient achieve the Aesthetic Confidence® they desire. Our unique NatraFace™ approach to facial rejuvenation includes the following effective procedures:

Eyelid Plastic Surgery

Dr. Miller provides patients with Manhattan's #1 customized care and treatment for smooth, supple skin that brightens the eyes and revitalizes the face. With our NatraFace™ approach, we utilize a combination of effective aesthetic techniques tailored to suit each patient’s needs. We offer:

Rhinoplasty (Nose Jobs)

Dr. Miller and his staff of NYC's best aesthetic specialists offer the NatraNose® process, which is a comprehensive range of minimally-invasive and advanced techniques to achieve natural-looking rhinoplasty results, improve nasal function, and meet the patient’s aesthetic goals. Dr. Miller specializes in nose jobs, nose reductions, non-surgical nose jobs, and more: Adjust the links in these sections as follows:

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Widely acclaimed for our broad range of flawless skincare solutions, Philip J. Miller, MD, FACS and his team of aesthetic specialists offer customized skincare treatment plans to achieve healthy, natural-looking results. As part of our NatraLook™ process, the following procedures may be performed individually or in combination with more advanced surgical treatments for optimal rejuvenation.

Male Plastic Surgery

Philip J. Miller, MD, FACS, is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon with over 20 years of experience working with male and female patients. He specializes in facial plastic surgery and is recognized as an expert in facial rejuvenation procedures. Utilizing the most advanced surgical techniques, Dr. Miller can maintain or enhance masculine features while producing the most natural-looking results.

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The Plastic Surgery Podcast with Dr. Philip Miller

Tune into The Plastic Surgery Podcast, hosted by facial plastic surgeon Dr. Philip Miller. Dr. Miller is here to answer your questions, de-mystify plastic surgery, and help you feel more knowledgeable and empowered about any procedure performed at our center.

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    Episode 44: My First Time

    8 min
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    Episode 43: Top 10 Reasons Not To Get A Rhinoplasty ( Plastic Surgery)

    20 min
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    Episode 42 : Osteomas & Lipomas

    11 min
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    Episode 41: All Ears Considered!

    8 min
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    Episode 40: Infrared Light Therapy

    6 min
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    Episode 39: Beauty, the Plateau

    6 min
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    Episode 38: Botox and Dermal Fillers

    3 min
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    Episode 37: Cost of Rhinoplasty

    1 min
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    Episode 36: Different Types of Nasal Surgeries

    3 min
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    Episode 35: Do You Have to Break the Nose for Rhinoplasty?

    2 min
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    Episode 34: Do You Have to Stay Overnight After Having a Rhinoplasty?

    2 min
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    Episode 33: Don't Have a Rhinoplasty!

    2 min
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    Episode 32: Endonasal or External

    1 min
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    Episode 31: Are You a Candidate?

    2 min
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    Episode 30: In The Office

    17 min
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    Episode 29: Can My Nose be Made Smaller?

    4 min
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    Episode 28: Can't Breath Through Nose

    3 min
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    Episode 27: Chin Implants - Mentoplasty

    2 min
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    Episode 26: Columellar Struts

    23 sec
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    Episode 25: Common Terms

    5 min
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    Episode 24: Connection Between Facial Resurfacing and Tattooing

    5 min
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    Episode 23: The Sooner, The Better?

    4 min
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Plastic Surgery w/ Dr. Miller

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