Will a rhinoplasty scar fade?

UsefulRhinoplastyInformation.com is intended as a helpful resource for people considering nose surgery, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.

There are several reasons why people might be concerned about scarring from rhinoplasty operations. If you are only at the stage of considering a nose job then the prospect of being left with a visible scar might make the idea of having cosmetic surgery to improve your looks less appealing. Or if you have already had nose surgery then it is normal to feel some anxiety as to whether the scars you have been left with will eventually fade.

Scarring almost always results from open rhinoplasty, as there is no external incision in the closed rhinoplasty procedure unless the base of the nasal tip is being narrowed. If only minimal work is being done with the open technique, for instance if greater definition is being given to the nasal tip, then there will only be a small, almost unperceivable scar which will quickly fade. This is because all that is required is a very small incision at the bottom of the columella (the fleshy column between the two nostrils).

If a rhinoplasty patient is left with a visible scar, it is usually because they have had surgery to reduce the size of their nostrils. In this form of surgery it is not possible for the plastic surgeon to hide incisions in the natural creases of the nose. For most patients the best thing to do to reduce the scarring is simply to wait. It can take 9 to 12 months for swelling to subside and the skin and tissue of the nose to fully settle into its new shape, and it can take almost as long for the surgical scars to fade until they can barely be seen. Patients need to give the scar ample time to heal so that it can be assessed whether the scarring is normal and will fade on its own, or whether it is going to require corrective measures.

There are sometimes things that you can do to improve the appearance of a scar, but they can take some time to have an effect. If the scar is slightly thickened and raised then massaging it gently every day can help by maintaining the blood circulation through the area and keeping the scar soft. You can further help by using cocoa butter or bio oil while you are massaging. Silicone sheeting or dimethicone silicone gel can also improve a scar’s appearance. It is believed that the silicone can decrease the production of substances which can contribute to inflammation. Neither of these approaches are a magic cure and how they work for a rhinoplasty patient will depend on highly individual factors such as the type of scarring and tissue response. Dermabrasion can also camouflage a scar but is not a cheap option.

If a rhinoplasty scar has healed badly or is excessively visible because the surgery was not performed as meticulously as it could have been, then revision surgery can sometimes be done to reduce the scarring. This is something which needs to be discussed with your surgeon as there are some factors to take into account, such as whether revising the scar would also mean reducing the nostrils further, which might make operating on the scar impractical.