If you have made the decision to undergo rhinoplasty, a popular facial cosmetic surgery procedure, you likely want to do everything in your power to ensure optimal results and a safe recovery. Although most patients can return to work and resume normal day-to-day activities within one to two weeks of the procedure, physical activities should be restricted for the first four – six weeks post-operatively. While it is best to adhere to your cosmetic surgeon’s advice, in most cases, it will be necessary to avoid getting the nose wet for at least 7-10 days while awaiting splint removal.
Impact Of Physical Activity
For the first 21 days postoperatively, you may be more susceptible to nose bleeds and swelling in the nasal passages. Increasing the heart rate and blood pressure will affect your facial swelling and discomfort. As such, after nose surgery, strenuous physical activity should be avoided for a minimum of 4 weeks.
Thus, while it is safe to casually lounge in a pool roughly two weeks after surgery with healed incisions and splint removed, be sure that your activity does not interfere with your recovery or put unnecessary strain on your nose. In addition, outdoor activities such as swimming in sunny weather may expose your healing tissues to UV rays and generous sun protection is key for 3 months after surgery. You will need to wear a hat, sunblock and avoid tanning your facial skin.
Effect Of Water On Your Incision
Even when treated with chlorine, bodies of water house billions of microorganisms, which can pose a danger to patients recovering from surgery. Incision sites that are exposed to water are more vulnerable to infection, which can slow down your healing process and negatively impact the results of your procedure. Until your incision is completely closed, and your surgeon has cleared you, swimming may unnecessarily increase your risk of infection and chlorine can irritate the nasal tissue or macerate the incision site.
Risk Of Injury
After your rhinoplasty procedure, your nose will be very delicate, and it is therefore necessary to take great care to avoid injury. Swimming, diving, water sports, and water slides can cause the nose to shift in position before it is strong enough to withhold such pressure. In addition, these activities increase the likelihood of bumping or excessive force being applied to your new nose.
Even if you exercise caution, accidents can always happen, so it is best to avoid swimming and other physical activities that put you at risk altogether for the first 4 -6 weeks. Once your surgeon has deemed you ready to resume swimming, it is important to avoid wearing goggles or nose plugs due to the pressure they can place on the nasal bridge.
While limiting physical activities such as swimming postoperatively may be difficult, most patients find that the sacrifice is well worth it when they see the beautiful, final results of their rhinoplasty procedure. For more information about rhinoplasty surgery, feel free to contact our office at 905-764-7799 to schedule your consultation as the Solomon Nasal and Facial Plastic Surgery Centre in Thornhill, just north of Toronto.
Oct 07th 2019