More than two hundred thousand people had rhinoplasty surgery in 2014. Considered a safe procedure with relatively few complications, getting your nose done nevertheless requires a period of recovery. Here’s what you should expect when recuperating from rhinoplasty surgery.

Immediately After

Your nose will be very tender. It will also be packed with gauze, which means you cannot blow your nose until the gauze has been removed. Although covered with a small cast, you should resist the temptation to touch your nose during rhinoplasty recovery. Doing so could cause shooting pains and may even increase swelling.

A Few Days Later

Swelling will occur on both the inside and the outside of your nose. The enlargement of the area often makes patients look markedly different than they did before surgery. As such, most avoid going out in public for several days. Bruising under the eyes is another common side effect of the procedure. While there is no surefire way to avoid or minimize black eyes, they should go away in about two weeks.

One Week

You may not look like your old self by this time, but you should feel like it. All of the pain and discomfort from the surgery should be reduced. You may also feel well enough to go back to work, or at least out in public again.

Two Weeks

Most of the swelling should have subsided by this point in your rhinoplasty recovery. For many patients, this is the time they decide to return to the public eye. They may also be able to return to limited activities.

Six Weeks

Full recovery from rhinoplasty usually takes about a month and a half. Patients may even resume contact sports like volleyball and soccer without worrying about nasal injury. Because about 80 percent of the swelling should have disappeared, they will look like themselves again. Although not noticeable to the average person, the remainder of the swelling can take about a year or more to disappear.

Rhinoplasty recovery may be uncomfortable, but patients can gradually return to their regular life on a consistent schedule.