The procedure of rhinoplasty, also known as a nose job, involves reconstructing the nasal structure with the aid of plastic surgery. Despite the positive effects of rhinoplasty, patients may need to make small changes to their lives after the procedure. The main reason patients choose to have rhinoplasty is to fix their breathing problems or improve their aesthetics. After treatment, the nose needs time to heal unhindered, so it’s essential for us to allow it to rest. When jostled or pressured or any movement occurs, the final results may be impacted, or healing may be delayed; Most patients who need glasses for clear vision find it difficult to wear them following rhinoplasty. The question often arises whether patients should avoid wearing sunglasses after rhinoplasty and, if so, how to use Glasses After Rhinoplasty.

Problems of Wearing Glasses After Rhinoplasty:

Putting on eyeglasses after rhinoplasty is a common problem which both the patients and the surgeons have to deal with. In order to prevent any unwanted deformation of the reconstructed nose, eyeglasses should be restricted for several weeks. During the healing process for osteotomized bones, pressure on the bridge and sides of the nose may impact the aesthetic outcome.

It’s essential to keep the nose in a specific position to heal the bones and tissue. Wearing glasses can cause minor shifts and depressions in the nose cartilage that can detract from the results. Consequently, the bone regeneration process may be altered due to a compromised blood supply. Further, the thin skin over the nasal bridge is prone to pressure and irritation, resulting in swelling and sores.

Compared to elderly individuals, younger individuals have thicker nasal bridge skin. Thus, it is more prone to developing pressure-induced problems and skin damage when the skin is thin. It may therefore be particularly important to remove pressure from eyeglasses to reduce wound healing problems.

 

 

 

When to Wear Glasses After Rhinoplasty?

After surgery, each surgeon has their own recommendation about how long patients should refrain from wearing eyewear. In most cases, they recommend waiting at least two months and even six months in rare cases. The patient can choose from a variety of eyewear options in the interim.

As soon as you have your surgery, if you have light frame glasses, you can actually continue wearing your glasses as usual for a limited period of time; During the week following surgery, patients wear a splint to protect their nose and to set their bones, in this way your nose is protected from the weight of glasses. The healing process isn’t over once the splint comes off, but wearing glasses gets more challenging. When the splint is gone, there is nothing to prevent the weight of the glasses from stifling the healing process.

For six weeks following removal of the splint, patients should avoid wearing glasses or sunglasses, especially those plastic-framed glasses that rest all the way over the top of the nose. While the nasal bones are still healing and soft, the weight of glasses could press on them. As a result, the nose may be deformed.

How to wear Glasses After Rhinoplasty?

 

 

Lots of people need corrective glasses to be able to see. At the same time, there are others who have sensitive eyes and have to use glasses to avoid sun exposure or just to wear them for style. When they realize that they might experience vision problems post-rhinoplasty, they start to worry. Despite this, it is good news that there will be many ways to look forward to. All the options developed to help you manage your vision after a nose surgery are mentioned below:

Using Eyeglass Support

People can easily get through the recovery period thanks to the many glass supports available on the market. Accessories that provide a place for your glasses to rest while supporting them are called “glass holders”. Glass support consists of an adjustable strap that fits around the head and a base that attaches to it. In order to avoid any contact between your eyewear and your nose, as well as to limit weight on your nose, the bridge rests on the base of the frame. This way, patients can drive or go about their daily routines while wearing their eyeglasses.

Contact Lenses

The use of contact lenses allows you to avoid all the bother of having to wear glasses. It may be uncomfortable when lenses are worn by those who have too much swelling around the eyes. For the time being, it would be best to either avoid them or find another solution. It should be noted that contact lenses cannot be inserted into your eyes until at least one day after the surgery.

Post-Surgical Glasses

Specially designed for post-operative use, these eyeglasses feature ultra-lightweight and do not rest on the nasal bridge. Therefore, the nose recovery would not be affected. It is possible to wear post-rhinoplasty glasses instead of lenses if you are not comfortable with lenses or if you have an allergy to them.

Lasik Before Rhinoplasty

Suppose a patient is planning to undergo LASIK surgery and rhinoplasty both at the same time. In that case, the eye correction should be conducted three months before rhinoplasty. So, following surgery, no concerns would remain regarding the vision. In addition, you should consult with your physician and obtain their approval before you undergo a nose operation after LASIK surgery.

Taping Glasses to the Forehead

If you use different eyeglasses for different purposes, you may find this method more accessible and more available. Several experts have suggested suspending eyeglasses’ bridges with the help of adhesive tape on the mid-forehead. Despite its simplicity and availability, this easily replaceable device often comes apart. As well, it can cause skin irritation and inflammation of the skin. If you consider using this method, it is better to use hypoallergenic tapes.

Bridgeless Eyeglass Frames

The device consists of a continuous plastic piece that rests on the hard orbital rims. On these frames, the lenses are suspended and can be rotated up and down. In addition to removing pressure from the nose, this device is expensive, unattractive, and requires special refraction for optimal vision.

Headband Eyeglasses Suspender

The T-shaped plastic device is attached to the forehead by an elastic band that can be adjusted. A hook attached to the base of the frame allows eyeglasses to be suspended. Unfortunately, it compresses hair and has an unattractive appearance.

Rhinoplasty Nasal Splints

As a support for the glasses pedestal, rhinoplasty nasal splints are recommended by some surgeons. In the first postoperative week after rhinoplasty, the dorsum of the nose, or as it is also called the “bridge” of the nose, is splinted to protect the osteotomies.

A plaster of Paris bandage or an adhesive splint (Denver Splint) can be used to achieve this. Due to their bulk, both of them cause eyeglasses to be placed too high on the nose, compromising correct vision. Additionally, this solution does not prevent pressure from being applied to the dorsum of the nose, which may cause deformations on the newly formed bones.

Recovering Faster After Rhinoplasty:

There is a lengthy recovery period for the nose after a complicated surgery for many people to fully grasp. It is possible for swelling to persist for up to a year and, in some people, even more than a year after surgery.

In most cases, the cartilage, bone, and skin of the nose will appear to be recovering after a short time. Still, small changes will continue to occur for many months. Patients are usually back at work in a week or two, but the recovery process is far from over at that point.

After your nose job, this helpful information will help you learn how long the recovery time will take, why you should not wear glasses for the first few weeks, how soon you can start wearing them again, and what other habits you may have to adjust during recovery. For your post-operative recovery to be successful, here are some guidelines:

• Applying ice right after your rhinoplasty to reduce swelling
• Sleeping in a slightly upright position, allowing blood to leak from tissues and prevent additional swelling
• Don’t lift heavy objects or do strenuous exercises
• Inverting your head or bending over is not recommended
• Avoid submerging your nose
• Do not blow your nose
• Wear clothing that does not pull directly over the face
• Keep your nose away from direct pressure
• You should not wear anything on your nasal bridge, including reading glasses, sunglasses, or glasses with lenses
• You should take your medication as prescribed

Finally, if you need to read basic & vital information about rhinoplasty we have a complete article about rhinoplasty.