Dr. Serhan Derin, born in 1982, is a seasoned ENT specialist who graduated from Ankara University School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Kocaeli University in 2010. Dr. Derin is a highly skilled surgeon specializing in functional and cosmetic nose surgeries, including Primary Rhinoplasty, Revision Rhinoplasty, Ethnic Rhinoplasty, Septoplasty, Septorhinoplasty, Nasal Valve Surgery, and Sinus Surgery.
You woke up from the surgery, but because of nasal splints and nasal packings, waited for a while to see the results. The time for removal came, and you were prepared for it. You knew swelling will be there, but something seemed wrong when you checked your facial profile and asked yourself “Why do I still have a bump after rhinoplasty”.
Suddenly you remember the conversation you had with your plastic surgeon, they told you that, some weeks after surgery the swelling will get better, and only after around a year, you will see the final results.
Now it’s been almost a year, and there is still a bump on your nose. You took the surgery to get rid of the dorsal hump, so you are now rightfully asking “Why do I still have a bump after rhinoplasty?”. Not an actual nose bump, but an illusion of a bump may seem to occur, which turns out to be persistent swelling most of the time. But it does not end here. Let’s dive into the details and see if this is temporary or not.
Understanding the bump after rhinoplasty; is it for good or temporary?
The nasal bump after rhinoplasty occurs due to many different reasons. What rhinoplasty patients consider as a bump on their nose is usually the swelling that confuses them. The swelling on the nose is seen as a part of the healing process and will not be there for good. This is a common concern and nothing to worry about.
The swelling is not permanent, the majority of swelling is gone within the first months and will completely dissolve the first year after your surgery. It would be best if you did not judge the surgery results until then. Especially swelling on the tip tends to stay longer and you should be prepared for that. In certain instances, particularly if it is not your primary rhinoplasty, increased swelling of the nose may occur in revision procedures, and in rare cases, a noticeable bump may develop, as a complication.
What makes your nose still look bumpy a year later?
Your nose might still be healing stage and look swollen after a year if you have:
- Undergone a vigorous operation; like revision surgery
- Thicker skin; which takes longer to heal
- Recovery complication; everyone heals differently
As you can see these are all related to swelling that occurs after rhinoplasty surgery, so let’s first check the stages of rhinoplasty swelling.
The surgery involves lots of incisions and controlled traumatic maneuvers on your nose and your body reacts back in different ways while healing. Swelling means that the tissues inside your nose are healing and finding their healthy places. Often it takes longer to subside all the swelling, including internal swelling, which concerns rhinoplasty patients.
Surgical techniques, nose skin type, and your body’s healing process play a role in swelling. Especially if you had surgery to make your nose smaller, surgeons need to shave down some of your bone and nose cartilage structure with some surgical procedures like osteotome.
How does a bump form on your nose, then?
Not the swelling but a bump might occur on your nose as a result of surgical complications. The healing tissues beneath your skin need time before final judgment, but if you think you have bruising that does not go away even after a couple of months after surgery or a scar tissue formation they might be the signs of an infection or a blood clot.
You should let your surgeon know about these and they can be either treated with medical or surgical intervention. Usually, bumps like these are seen on the nasal bridge after revision, vigorous and huge reconstructive surgeries for broken nose, that may require follow-up corrections.
So far, we’ve covered the issues related to the question of why do I still have a bump after rhinoplasty. Now, it is time to explain how to get rid of it.
How long does it take for bumps to go away after rhinoplasty?
Between 6-12 months after your rhinoplasty surgery you should see a huge improvement and this is the time when your bump should go away. As you can see it might take a long time to see until all that swelling is gone.
The bumpy look goes on its own if the cause is swelling, but if it is an actual dorsal bump, it is not likely to go away after a nose job. We talked about it before but, the bump, not the swelling, either occurs as a result of surgical problems or it might be purely related to your body’s healing process which is almost impossible to guess. In this case, it is time to seek a solution.
What should you do for bumps after rhinoplasty?
First of all, you need to wait. The rhinoplasty recovery process is a long and delicate process, and patience will definitely pay. You might consider getting in touch with your surgeon if you think your nose looks swollen and bumpy even after a year. Your surgeon can tell if you need second rhinoplasty surgery or not.
During this time, some experienced surgeons recommend massaging the nose without too much pressure. It makes your nose swell less and sometimes corrects minor asymmetries.
Still, it is good to keep in mind that massaging your nose without proper instruction might change the shape over time by shifting cartilage grafts and nasal bones.
If you like to take precautions against a bumpy look or to ensure the shape of your nose after surgical rhinoplasty, you can try some methods. Some of them are applicable to you and for others, you might consult your facial plastic surgeon.
Can non-surgical treatments be used? 
Some noninvasive procedures like injecting steroids can help you with your swelling and make your recovery period faster. While these methods are useful in swelling, they will not be the permanent solution for a complication resulting in a nose bump.
There are also nonsurgical options you can benefit from. These techniques have no downtime after the operation and will give you instant results. The commonly used one is liquid rhinoplasty. Besides, for some specific dorsal hump reductions filler injections are also used instead of a huge cosmetic rhinoplasty operation.
These non-surgical options are all temporary options though. Seek guidance from your plastic surgeon before deciding on them.
Can bumps after rhinoplasty be prevented?
The swelling that comes after the surgery is not preventable, and only be eased down with some methods.
- You need to follow a healthy diet.
- You need to get enough rest in the early stages of recovery.
- Some rhinoplasty surgeons also inject steroids to give you a faster recovery time.
The actual bump on the other hand is something unexpected and is hard to anticipate. Surgeons use several techniques during the rhinoplasty procedure like spreader grafts to ensure your nose stays intact and heals nicely. You can also protect your nose after rhinoplasty from physical contact to prevent a bump or any other complication. A well-performed rhinoplasty will give you the desired results.
So far, we answered your “Why do I still have a bump after rhinoplasty” question and provided you with some tips to make sure your recovery. As you can see there is nothing to worry about up to a point, if you still think you have further questions do not hesitate to contact us.
References:
Ghareeb, F. M. (2022). Rhinoplasty in Thick-Skinned Patients. Elsevier, 354-358. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-69775-0.00072-X
Aydın, C, Yücel, Ömer Taşkın, Akçalar, S, et al. Role of steroid injection for skin thickness and edema in rhinoplasty patients. Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology. 2021; 6( 4): 628- 633. https://doi.org/10.1002/lio2.616
