46 Days After Bulbous Tip Surgery — If It Looks Artificial from Swelling, Should I Think About Revision?
2025. 6. 16.
A month and a half after bulbous tip surgery and the nose still looks artificial — whether the shape can still change at this point, how to tell swelling apart from the result, and why consulting your operating clinic first comes before deciding on revision.
Key points
- Even about 45 days after bulbous tip surgery, swelling and tip shape can still change, so the current appearance alone can't settle the final result or the need for revision.
- However, whether the current look is a 'bad result' depends on what the nose looked like before surgery, so photos alone can't settle it.
- Rather than deciding on revision first, consulting the clinic that operated — about the current state and the desired nose shape — comes first.
"It's exactly 46 days since my bulbous tip surgery, and I can't tell whether this is swelling or a bad surgery. Others say major swelling is mostly gone by one month, but my nose still feels artificial — I'm wondering whether I need a revision."
A question received in an actual consultation. This person had surgery using septal cartilage with the bridge raised about 3mm, and even after a month and a half the shape wasn't to their liking — to the point of thinking it would've been better not to do it. They also asked whether the swelling-reducing injection the clinic recommended was okay to get.
This article organizes the answer to that question.
01
At 45 days after surgery, is it still swelling?
Around 45 days, swelling can decrease from the early stage, but the pace at which remaining swelling and tip firmness resolve differs by surgical scope and tissue condition. So you shouldn't conclude that the current shape is final — nor, conversely, that simply waiting will produce the desired shape.
The changes over the first few weeks versus the state at a month and a half should be viewed separately. What differs by recovery period is organized in the rhinoplasty recovery guide.
02
Then is the surgery a failure?
That's hard to conclude either. What the postoperative appearance means differs by what the nose looked like before surgery.
Based on the photos of the person who asked, it could be organized like this.
| What was checked | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Front & side views | Don't look bad |
| Bulbous feel in frontal view | Still present — identified as the cause of dissatisfaction |
| Changes ahead | Swelling and tip shape can still change; individual variance is large |
The next step differs depending on whether the 'artificial look' is remaining swelling, a remaining bulbous feel, or a gap between the expected and actual shape. This distinction is most accurately made by someone who knows both the pre- and post-surgery states.
03
What should come before revision?
Rather than deciding on revision right away, this order is recommended.
- Consult the operating clinic first — it's better to discuss the current state and desired nose shape fully. The place that knows the pre-surgery state and what was done can explain the current appearance most accurately.
- Specify the point of dissatisfaction — organizing whether the whole front/side view is the problem or a specific part like the frontal bulbous feel makes the consultation concrete.
- Treatments like swelling injections, within the consultation — if the clinic recommended a treatment, its purpose and necessity are best confirmed in the same conversation.
If no improvement direction is sorted out after that, reviewing revision then isn't too late. What to check in revision is covered in the revision rhinoplasty guide.
04
Summary — consultation before conclusion
The appearance at 46 days after bulbous tip surgery alone can't settle the final result or the need for revision. The current state can be explained only by comparing the pre-surgery appearance, surgical scope, and remaining swelling together — and the place best able to explain it is the clinic that operated. Specifying the point of dissatisfaction and consulting fully, then judging revision, is not too late.
If your concerns about postoperative progress aren't sorted out, your current state can be checked directly in a 1:1 video consultation.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to common questions patients ask before a consultation.
Does the shape keep changing as swelling goes down a month and a half after bulbous tip surgery?
If I'm unhappy with the result, should I look into revision right away?
If the front and side look fine but a bulbous feel remains in the frontal view, is it a bad result?
Responses to treatment and recovery progress vary by individual. Outcomes and side effects vary from person to person. Bleeding, infection, swelling and asymmetry may occur. Please consult our medical team before making a decision.