Your questions about rhinoplasty : age, postoperative pain, cost
How old should I be for rhinoplasty ?
Rhinoplasty should not be performed before bone development of the nose is complete, which corresponds, on average, to the age of 17 for women and 18 for men. Furthermore, nose imperfections or defects causing issues during adolescence can be accepted with time, which indicates the necessity to leave room for acceptance.
Older patients have significantly less elastic skin, therefore corrections have to be more subtle, which should be reminded by the surgeon during consultation. In any case, the request for surgery has to arise from the patient, and him alone.
How much does it cost ?
In Europe, rhinoplasty ranges from 4000 to 10000 euros depending on the complexity of the procedure and potential grafts. Nose surgery in Tunisia, on the other hand, offers equivalent surgeons expertise for half the price on average. It is worth noting that rhinoplasty performed for aesthetic purposes isn’t covered by health insurance.
What about postoperative pain ?
Typically, postoperative pain is mild after rhinoplasty and standard painkillers are enough to alleviate any discomfort. The main inconvenience after surgery is having the nose packed with gauze wicks, which forces the patient to breath through his mouth during a couple of days at most.
What to expect from the initial recovery
The face is usually clearly marked by nose surgery, but temporarily. The eyelids are often swollen and bruised during a few days, but improvements are quick. Swelling and bruising go down in 10 days. Wicks are usually removed the day following surgery and the patient can breathe through his nose again. Rhinoplasty patients will have to clean their nose with saline after wicks are removed and avoid smoking, which delays healing, as well as exercising and sun exposure.
