During the consultation with your plastic surgeon, you probably discussed how your nose would look after your rhinoplasty surgery is complete. In fact, your doctor probably showed you comparison pictures or used 3D imaging to show you exactly how your nose would appear after your surgery. Don't expect your nose to look like the 3D image as soon as you step out of the operating room. It takes about two weeks to recover from rhinoplasty surgery. The recovery isn't always easy, but it's something that you need to take seriously. Check out these tips to learn how you can make your recovery easier.

Avoid a Dry Mouth and Throat

You don't realize how dry your mouth and throat can actually become until you have to breathe from your mouth for days on end. The problem is worse at night, because you aren't awake to constantly sip water. But, you can alleviate some of your discomfort by placing a humidifier near your bed at night. The humidifier adds moisture to the air that you're breathing, which helps keep your throat from becoming too dry. Also, don't forget to keep a bottle of water by your bed. You're probably going to wake up numerous times throughout the night and you'll need a drink.

Decrease Swelling

It's important to keep your head elevated after your surgery to reduce bleeding, but did you know that keeping your head elevated will also reduce the amount of swelling you incur? During the day, it's fairly simple to keep your head elevated, but you'll need to prop yourself up when you want to sleep. Try sleeping in a recliner or putting multiple pillows under your head. You don't need to be sitting straight up, but your head needs to be higher than your chest.

A few other tips that will help reduce the amount of swelling you have include:

• Avoid bending over or picking things up. You also shouldn't bend over to dry your hair.
• Try your best to avoid sniffing. It only makes the blockage sensation feel worse and increases the swelling.
• Avoid moving the middle part of your face. Try not to move your upper lip too much when you brush your teeth, wear shirts that button in the front instead of ones that you need to pull over your head, and avoid making extreme facial expressions, smiling, and laughing.

The fact is, the better you are about following your doctor's instructions for recovery, the easier your recovery will be. You should expect to be uncomfortable after your surgery, but by using these tips to reduce the swelling and keep your mouth and throat moist, you won't feel as bad. Before you know it, you'll have the nose that you saw when your plastic surgeon did your 3D imaging. To find out more, speak with someone like a Plastic Surgery Innovation PC.