Reduce Swelling After Rhinoplasty

Sleep elevated on 2 pillows for 3 weeks. Use cool — not icy — compresses on the cheekbones for the first 72 hours. Cut sodium, drink 2–3 liters of water daily, walk daily, and avoid alcohol, smoking and heat. Bromelain and arnica may modestly help. Following this routine can make the nose look 1–2 weeks further along than it otherwise would.

Sleep Elevated

Keep the head elevated for 3 weeks using 2 pillows or a wedge. Lying flat allows fluid to pool in the face.

Cool, Never Icy

Apply cool compresses to the cheekbones — never directly on the nose — in 20-minute intervals during the first 72 hours.

Watch Your Sodium

Avoid takeaway, processed and salty foods for 3 weeks, as sodium encourages fluid retention.

Stay Hydrated

Drink 2–3 liters of water daily. Dehydration paradoxically triggers the body to retain more fluid.

Take Gentle Walks

Daily walks support circulation, but heart rate should stay under roughly 110bpm for the first 2 weeks.

Skip Alcohol and Smoking

Alcohol is a vasodilator and nicotine is a vasoconstrictor — both work against healthy healing.

Avoid Heat

No hot showers, steam rooms, saunas or sun exposure for 3 weeks.

Be Patient with the Tip

The tip is the last area to deswell and can take up to a year. Self-massage should be avoided unless specifically instructed by the surgeon. This is normal: the bridge and sidewalls typically settle first, while the tip — being the thickest, least mobile skin on the nose — simply needs the most time to catch up, so a firm or slightly full tip at month 3 or 6 is not a sign that anything has gone wrong.

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