Nose Surgery | Rhinoplasty in St. Peters, MO

Helping Achieve a Nose that Fits

Nose surgery involves reshaping tissue and cartilage to balance nose shape and size with your other facial features. There are certain characteristics and qualities that beautiful noses have in common. Some are best suited for women while others are better for men. Together with a skilled eye and artistic touch, our plastic surgeons can guide you in deciding which characteristic is balanced to your facial proportions.

Should You Consider Rhinoplasty?

A variety of conditions can be addressed during nose surgery to produce a satisfying result:

  • Large nose
  • Crooked nose
  • Hook nose
  • Nasal hump
  • Bulbous tip
  • Wide nostrils

Dr. Boschert, Dr. Craig, Dr. Mills, and Dr. Alleyne can also change the shape and proportions of your nose with dermal fillers, as well. Renaissance is helping reshape facial contours for balance and proportion for many patients. Call today for more information or to schedule a consultation for your nose surgery procedure.

How Your Rhinoplasty Surgery Is Performed

For your surgery, the incision will typically be made within your nostrils to avoid any unsightly scarring once you are healed. The skin is carefully pealed back to reveal the internal nasal structure. Your surgeon will then surgically reshape the bone and cartilage of your nose to achieve your desired shape and size.

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Once the incisions are closed, a splint will be placed to ensure that your nose maintains its new form. Any swelling and bruising will continue to fade over time. You may not be able to realize the results of your surgery right away, but don’t let that discourage you. Healing from rhinoplasty is a process, but within a week or two, you will begin to notice the changes. Once the nose has fully healed, many patients are thrilled with their results and often find themselves to be more self-confident and comfortable with their appearance.

What Is My Recovery and Aftercare with Nose Surgery?

When your surgery is complete, your nose will be packed, and your Renaissance plastic surgeon will have placed a splint on it. This splint will stay in place for about one week. We’ll provide a cold compress to help minimize swelling, but there will be swelling and bruising. This is inevitable with the degree of tissue trauma involved in rhinoplasty.

For the first week, it will be necessary to keep your head elevated as much as possible, even when sleeping. The area around your eyes and nose will be bruised and swollen usually for 10-14 days. If you wear glasses, they will need to be taped to your forehead for up to seven weeks to keep any pressure off your nose. Any strenuous exercise or heavy lifting that increases blood flow to the face needs to be strictly avoided for several weeks. We will discuss your particular restrictions at length with you, giving you a timeframe to return to your typical exercise and activity routines.

What Are Some Tips for My Recovery?

Your initial recovery will take two weeks or more, although you will have some residual swelling for a few weeks. This swelling can come and go for a few months, especially in the evening. Here are some tips for a successful, speedy recovery from this rewarding cosmetic procedure with Drs. Boschert, Craig, Mills, or Alleyne:

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  • Limit facial muscle movements — This sounds obvious, but during your recovery you need to limit things such as laughing and smiling (only hang out with your more boring friends and only watch somber crime series on Netflix!). Be careful not to open your mouth too wide. Keep your nose from stretching too much or from being hit. Opt for food that is easy to chew; postpone having foods like steak that require more chewing.
  • Protect your nose from the sun — Unprotected sun exposure can cause permanent discoloration in your nose after rhinoplasty. Apply 30+ SPF sunscreen and wear protective clothing. You don’t want “a little sun” — your nose doesn’t want any.
  • Choose the right clothes — During recovery, choose clothes that won’t possibly have physical contact with the nose area. Also, don’t wear sunglasses or reading glasses. If you need regular glasses tape them above your bridge. Avoid tops that must be pulled over your head, such as sweaters, t-shirts, or that Chiefs jersey. Button-up shirts are your best choice as you recover, as they minimize nose movement and possible bumping while dressing.
  • Keep the exercise light — You may be tempted to get back to hardcore exercise soon as a way to help deal with recovery, but you can’t. You need to opt for lighter workouts that restrict up-and-down movement. Also, don’t participate in sports that put you at risk of hitting your nose. Lastly, your nose will feel tender during recovery, which makes swimming, diving, and similar exercise a temporary no-no until you’re fully healed.

How Long Does the Rhinoplasty Procedure Last?

Rhinoplasty with the team at Renaissance usually takes between 1.5 and 3 hours. The variation depends upon the degree of change you seek.

When Can I Expect to See the Full Results of My Rhinoplasty?

Patience is a virtue when recovering from nose surgery. Swelling can linger and can return later in the day and at night for weeks. It can take up to six full months for a patient to fully realize their new nose, although this schedule varies dramatically with individual patient’s healing rates. But your patience will be rewarded — rhinoplasty is a very satisfying procedure, as patients who have always had issues with features of their nose feel as if their whole facial appearance has improved with their new nose.

Is Rhinoplasty Painful?

Rhinoplasty recovery doesn’t involve severe pain in most cases. There is some dull aching and potential headaches for a short time. Most patients take pain medication for the first day or two after surgery, and then can switch to an over-the-counter pain medication.

There will be swelling, bruising, and congestion, but this is not associated with pain. A cold compress will help minimize swelling. You’ll need to keep your head elevated as much as possible, even when sleeping, for about a week. You’ll need to avoid strenuous exercise that increases blood flow to the face for several weeks.

During My Procedure Is It Possible to Correct a Deviated Septum in Addition to Making Cosmetic Changes?

Our four experienced plastic surgeons often change both the appearance and the function of the nose in these surgeries. This is the perfect time to have functional changes as needed, as you’ll only have a single recovery.

Learn More About Nose Surgery

If you feel you are ready to discuss your nose surgery with one of our St. Louis nose surgeons, please contact Renaissance Plastic Surgery at (636) 896-0600 today to find out more about your options.

Book an Appointment

Please fill out the form below or give us a call to schedule your appointment.

What happens in a consultation?

01. Get to know the RPS team of plastic surgeons and aestheticians.

02. Discuss your unique goals and concerns.

03. Receive a personalized procedure plan.

“I had a WONDERFUL experience at Renaissance Plastic Surgery! Dr. Boschert made my husband and I extremely comfortable during the entire process.” - Google Review

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