Can you wear glasses when recovering from rhinoplasty?

In beautiful sunny Beverly Hills, glasses and sunglasses are as much a fashion statement as they are a necessity for many people.  Because of this, a frequent question to Dr. Hovsepian from his Beverly Hills clients is about wearing glasses after a rhinoplasty.  How long should a patient wait to wear glasses or sunglasses, and can it hurt the nose and all the work done if the patient wears glasses too soon?

This is a good consideration, and a practical one as well for patients discussing their rhinoplasty surgery.  It’s important to account for glasses when planning for recovery time.  During your consultation with Dr. Hovsepian, he will discuss the details and make a formal recommendation, but a general guideline to plan for is 2-4 weeks without glasses. When you do wear glasses, they are encouraged to be a lightweight frame that won’t put pressure on the bridge.

The type of rhinoplasty you are having will also change the amount of time you need to wait before wearing glasses.  A tip reshaping where the cartilage on the front of the nose was altered will support glasses much sooner than a rhinoplasty involving bone reshaping or work on the bridge of the nose. The pressure of the glasses can cause a shift in that newly repaired bone or cartilage and change the effect of the surgery.

As with all plastic surgery procedures, be very self-aware and frank with your physician during the consultation.  A good idea might be to note your patterns for wearing glasses or sunglasses for a couple weeks prior to your consultation.  When you know the patterns and habits you can effectively plan a work around just as you’ll be planning on other ways to follow the recommendations for post-operative healing.  Contact Dr. Hovsepian’s Beverly Hills office to schedule your consultation and discuss your concerns in detail.