Facial Plastic Surgery in Summer: What to Know About Timing and Recovery

Are you considering facial plastic surgery this summer? It’s a popular time of year for cosmetic or medically necessary procedures. Knowing what to expect about the recovery for your selected surgery can help you make an informed decision about timing. 

At SLENT, with locations in Mandeville, Slidell, Covington, and Hammond, Louisiana, our otolaryngology specialists can help you decide when the best time for facial plastic surgery is. Many people prefer to have their surgery during summer break or vacation, so they can heal before going back to school or work. 

Popular facial plastic surgeries for this time of year include rhinoplasty and correction for a deviated septum. Here’s what you should know before booking with a specialist from SLENT for your desired procedure.

Rhinoplasty

A rhinoplasty (known informally as a nose job) is a restructuring of your nose for either cosmetic reasons, medical necessity, or both. A rhinoplasty can make your nose seem smaller or thinner, make the nose turn up, straighten a broken nose, shrink large nostrils, and open up your sinuses.  

Complete recovery from a rhinoplasty can take a year, but the signs of recent surgery and discomfort from the procedure are minimized long before the anniversary of your procedure rolls around. Most people only have visible signs from surgery (swelling, bruising) for two weeks or so, and the discomfort from the surgery should only last a few days or up to a week. 

The main things to remember during recovery are not to exert yourself too much or get overheated. Wear sunscreen, don’t wear sunglasses (or anything else that presses on your nose). Follow your doctor’s directions as per medications and sleeping positions.

If you get your rhinoplasty at the start of August, by the end of the month, nobody should be able to tell if you’ve had recent slight alterations, and even major surgery symptoms will have subsided.

Deviated septum

Surgery for a deviated septum, known medically as septoplasty, is often a minimally invasive surgery. A deviated septum can be mild enough that it only causes a cosmetic concern, or serious enough to impair your breathing or even cause sleep apnea.

Depending on how complex the surgery is, your bruising and swelling should go down within a few days to two weeks. Most people can go back to normal activities after a week of recovery, but bones and cartilage will need to stabilize for three to six months and won’t completely heal for about a year.

During recovery, wear an SPF 30 or stronger sunscreen, sleep on your back with your head slightly elevated if possible, don’t mash on your nose, and refrain from blowing your nose. Avoid highly strenuous activities and don’t get too hot, as it can increase your chance of nosebleeds. 

If you have your surgery for a deviated septum in early August, you should be healed up enough for the signs to be unnoticeable by the month’s end. Only your nearest and dearest confidants need to know you ever had surgery at all.

Need more information about when to book your facial plastic surgery? Schedule a consultation with the team at SLENT by calling the location closest to you or visiting our contact page for more options.