The holidays are here for many of our readers – a time of cheer, fun, and, most importantly, great food. However, if you are getting a holiday rhinoplasty, you should be aware that what you eat or drink can actually have a major impact on your rhinoplasty recovery times. No matter if you’re getting a rhinoplasty in Toronto with us, or elsewhere, it’s important to take this factor into account during your rhinoplasty recovery. Here we’ll go over some things to consider when planning out your holiday meals post-rhinoplasty.
Avoid The Hot Stuff
The holidays are often associated with piping hot food and drink, to better help us beat the cold and chill. From hot chocolate to steamy soup, warm meals are considered a key ingredient to staying cozy in the fall and winter months. However, if you are in the process of recovering from a rhinoplasty procedure, then you might want to consider cutting back on hot food and drinks.
There are two major reasons for this. Most important is the effect that heat can have on your blood vessels. As a general rule, cold makes things contract, while heat makes things expand. After you’ve had nose surgery, the blood vessels in your nose can often be in a sensitive state. Too much heat at this point can cause the weaker blood vessels to expand to the point that they burst, causing nose bleeds, and potentially extending rhinoplasty recovery times.
There’s also the fact to consider that immediately after getting surgical rhinoplasty, you may be under the lingering effects of anesthetics, which can cause numbness. In this state, you might have difficulty judging the temperatures of foods. If you aren’t careful, this means that you might end up burning your tongue and mouth without even realizing it! The first week is most important to take care with food temperature.
Cut Back on Alcohol
Another substance to be particularly wary of this holiday season is alcohol. From wine to eggnog, some holiday spirits are commonly used to warm us up. However, alcohol consumption can cause many rhinoplasty patients to experience swelling and increased rhinoplasty recovery times. At the very least, it is a good idea to avoid alcohol for the first week or so of the recovery period.
Mind the Spices
Eating spicy food is normally good for the health of your nose, helping you clear out your sinuses if they are plugged up. However, in the vital week after cosmetic rhinoplasties, it can be beneficial to cut back on very spicy foods. This is because you might still be suffering from the effects of anesthesia – in this case, spicy foods can cause you to feel nauseous.
Another spice to watch out for during this period is actually one of the most common – salt. If you eat too much high sodium foods during the healing process, this can result in the prolonging of the swelling and bruising you might experience after facial cosmetic surgery.
What to Eat in the Week After Rhinoplasty
As you can tell, during the first week after getting rhinoplasty there are plenty of things that you need to consider when it comes to diet. For some, this can be a little bit overwhelming – plastic surgery recovery involves plenty to consider on its own! So what sort of foods should you be looking for?
In general, try to treat your rhinoplasty recovery period like any other surgical recovery period, or time of illness. You want foods that are easy to chew and unlikely to cause nausea. Things like oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, or scrambled eggs are all great options. It’s also very important to stay hydrated, so keep plenty of water on hand during the recovery period.
Have more questions about Rhinoplasty recovery? Looking to book a consultation for rhinoplasty in Toronto or Newmarket? Then don’t hesitate to contact us – we’re always happy to answer any questions you might have!