What the first seven days actually look like

The splint comes off on day seven. Most patients expect that to be the moment they see their new nose. It is not, and knowing this in advance is the single most useful thing we can tell you.

Days one to three are about rest and elevation. Swelling peaks on the second morning, bruising under the eyes follows the shape of the osteotomies, and breathing through the nose is limited. We ask for very little: head up, cold compresses, no bending.

By day five the bruising turns yellow and the splint begins to feel loose. On day seven we remove it, clean the skin, tape the bridge, and photograph the profile next to the pencil plan. The tip will be round and high; this is expected and temporary.

Week two is when most people return to work. The timeline on the rhinoplasty page shows what follows: swelling settles at thirty days, the result is visible at ninety, and the tip keeps refining for a year.