Tip rhinoplasty (tip plasty) in Istanbul

Tip rhinoplasty works only on the tip cartilages and leaves the bony bridge alone. If you also have a hump, a wide bony bridge or a crooked nose, changing only the tip can look out of proportion, and a full rhinoplasty is usually advised instead.

It is usually a more limited operation, because the nasal bones are not cut. Recovery is not necessarily quicker, though: swelling at the tip is the slowest to settle anywhere in the nose and can take a year or more to resolve fully.

Sometimes. Some surgeons use local anaesthesia with sedation, but published sources usually describe general anaesthesia for rhinoplasty. The choice depends on how much work is planned and on your health, and your surgeon makes it with you at the consultation.

Months, and sometimes more than a year. Tip swelling rises and falls with salt, heat and activity, so the tip can look different from week to week. Most surgeons judge the result at 12 months or later, and the tip often feels firm in the meantime.

A little, quite often. As swelling resolves the tip settles: in one study, tip projection and the angle between nose and lip fell between months 1 and 12, while staying above pre-operative levels. The nose also changes gradually with age.

Early swelling often makes the tip look rounder or more upturned than it will finally be. Lasting fullness above the tip can be treated first with a steroid injection and taping, an approach supported by a review of six studies covering 1,524 patients.

A closed operation leaves no visible scar. An open operation leaves a fine scar across the skin between the nostrils, which usually fades over 12–18 months. Narrowing the nostrils at the same time adds small scars in the creases where the nostrils meet the cheeks.

Pain after rhinoplasty is usually mild to moderate and eases within a few days to a week, and simple painkillers are often enough. The tip may feel tight and tender at first and firm for months, which is part of normal healing.

The reshaping is long-lasting: stitched and grafted cartilage keeps its new shape. Some settling of tip height is common in the first year, and the nose continues to change slowly with age, so the tip will not stay exactly as it looks at one year.

Plan on about 7–10 days. That covers removal of the tape, splint and stitches at about a week and a check before you leave. ASPS advises waiting 7–10 days after facial surgery before flying home. On a long flight, walk regularly and drink plenty of water.