Congratulations on your rhinoplasty procedure! The hard work has already been done by our cosmetic experts. Now all you need to do is sit back, relax, and let your body’s natural healing process take over.
Of course, you’ll have to take note of a few things during your rhinoplasty recovery. For example, smoking after rhinoplasty is strictly prohibited. You also might get a recommendation of what to eat after rhinoplasty from your cosmetic surgeon. Proper nutrition and eating after nose surgery can go a long way toward helping speed up the recovery process.
But what about the things you shouldn’t eat after a rhinoplasty? What foods should you avoid? Here we’ll go over some of the kinds of snacks and meals you might want to go a little easy on.
#1 Alcohol
Just like smoking after rhinoplasty isn’t a good idea, neither is drinking alcohol after your nose job. Unfortunately, it’s going to be a good idea to go gentle on the vices until you’ve had time to recover.
Alcohol is a problem for a few reasons. It can cause greater swelling, something you want to try to decrease during a rhinoplasty recovery period, not increase. Alcohol can also interact poorly with any remaining anesthetic in your system. You might want to celebrate after your rhinoplasty surgery, but it’s a good idea to lay off the alcohol until your recovery time is over.
#2 High sodium foods
Speaking of swelling, another kind of food that can increase swelling is those high in sodium. If you get too much salt in your diet in the post-operative stage, then you’re likely to have a much more uncomfortable recovery period.
Some salty foods are fairly easy to spot and avoid. We know salted nuts and cured meat, for example, tend to be high in sodium. However, you have to be particularly wary when buying frozen or canned foods. These can have shockingly high amounts of sodium in them. Make sure to check those labels!
#3 Highly caffeinated foods
There’s a chance that over-caffeinating yourself could lead to issues with swelling, or bad reactions with the remains of anesthetic lingering in your system. Honestly, we recommend avoiding caffeine mostly because you should be doing your best to relax.
#4 Spicy foods
Normally, spicy foods are a good thing for your nose, helping clear out blockages and letting you breathe more easily. However, in the days after surgery, spicy foods are more likely to cause nausea rather than make you feel better. Their nose-clearing powers are probably not appreciated either when your nasal passages are still a little sensitive.
#5 Hard foods
Hard candy, or anything you really need to chew hard, is probably going to be checked off your list as well. Soft foods like soups and yogurt are going to be much more appropriate. During the first few days of your recovery, chewing intensively may be uncomfortable. It’s going to be much more pleasant for you to eat soft foods than struggle with the harder ones.
Have more rhinoplasty recovery questions?
Need more recommendations on food to avoid after rhinoplasty? Or maybe you want to know what to eat after a rhinoplasty instead? From healthy foods to general rhinoplasty recovery advice, we’re always happy to help. Feel free to contact us at any time or book a consultation with Dr. Rival at one of his 3 Toronto cosmetic surgery offices.