Ah, the New Year! Lots of new resolutions and a chance for some peace and quiet after the rush and bustle of the busy holiday season. Cosmetic plastic surgeons like the break, too!
There are several good reasons for having any nasal surgery during the winter and some easy precautions you can take if you schedule a nose job during winter.
Many of our patients come to us from the East and North where Ol’ Man Winter rules. Thus, the household heating systems can dry the air to a zero humidity level worthy of a desert. That can be bad for any nasal surgery, including:
- Rhinoplasty (“nose job”) for a better looking nose
- Nasal septoplasty to correct a deviated septum
- Turbinate resection to reduce swollen turbinates and clear blocked breathing channels.
Dry air causes the inside of the nose work harder to producing enough moisture in the form of mucous. Reduced nasal fluids can cause the patient to have an uncomfortable dry mouth, nasal interior and perhaps even some crusting inside the nose, adding to the discomfort.
________________________________________________________________________
The patient below and left shows a nose that was left long and droopy from previous nasal surgery done elsewhere. On the right, revision rhinoplasty has lifted her tip into proper proportion with the rest of her profile. (Robert Kotler, M.D., photo.)
________________________________________________________________________
To cope — even during the milder winters of Southern California – just squirt some saline spray into the nose every hour or so after the rhinoplasty or other nose surgery. Vitamin A or D ointment also works as will Vaseline. Keeping the dissolvable stitches inside the nose moist helps the stitches dissolve sooner. Or, you can pick up a basic household humidifier or open your bedroom windows to let in some cooler, more humid air.
Yet another good reason for having surgery in winter: nasal surgery cost. Due to the looming tax deadline and a still unknown tax bill due in April, most cosmetic plastic surgeons see fewer patients during the first months of a new year. During that time of slow business, asking for a discount on surgery may find very receptive ears indeed among plastic surgeons who are anxious to fill surgical schedules.