Piercings & Rhinoplasty: All information you must know

Rhinoplasty also known as nose job or nose surgery has been very common these days to alter the shape and size of nose or any other structural defects of it.
 There is this possibility that you have already pierced your nose and now you are wondering if you can have rhinoplasty if you have a piercing. The good news is that despite of your nasal piercing you can still undergo a nose surgery.
 But it can affect your procedure in some ways as they should be get out before your nose job that makes it necessary to consult with your plastic surgeon about what you need to do before, during and after rhinoplasty.

Can I have rhinoplasty if I have my nose pierced?

The answer would be "Yes". you still can get a nose job if you have a nasal piercing, no matter which type of nasal piercing you have got because there are different styles of nasal piercing for example you can have pierced your nose on different regions like nostrils or septum.
In all types of piercing styles what is affected is the cartilage of nose which does not interface with your rhinoplasty surgery whether you are going to undergo an open or close rhinoplasty.
In a close rhinoplasty the incision will be done inside your nose so the incision is invisible while in an open rhinoplasty the incision will be placed under nose between nostrils.
 Although in some of the nasal surgeries the surgeon may need change the location of your piercing, in this case you still can have your piercing back in your original place after passing enough time of recovery.

What about other facial piercings?

If regarding to your plastic surgeon's recommendation you will need some other facial cosmetic surgeries in conjunction with rhinoplasty, it may be needed to remove the piercings of their locations if you have them there.
For example if your surgeon wants to do cheek lift in conjunction with nose job and you have cheek piercings you should remove them too.

Before and during rhinoplasty if you have piercings

 There are some of the things you should do before nose job if you already have a facial and especially nasal piercings.

Before consulting with a Surgeon:

Even before consulting with a surgeon which is necessary, you should make sure of completing the healing process of the pierced part if you have your nose pierced recently as it is common to have bleeding, discoloration, erythema or inflammation.
 The required time to heal the piercing part can be different in different people but fortunately it is not that long.
Healing time for septal piercing can be between three to four months and for nostrils it can last between two to four months. It is important to make sure the healing process has been completed even before starting to find a plastic surgeon to undergo a rhinoplasty.

Consultation with your plastic surgeon:

You ought to find an expert plastic surgeon and do a consultation about having a nasal piercing and deciding to undergo a nose surgery.
 It is better to have your consultation after the healing process of the piercing is already completed and there is no swelling in your nose otherwise it can be difficult for your surgeon to be precise to recommend you the best shape and size for your nose.
Some people who have nasal piercings intend to have rhinoplasty to get both goals at the same time it means to have a better nose shape and size and also to have the scar of the piercing fixed by the surgery, so if you are thinking the same, there is good news that it can be simply fixed during nose surgery so you should consult with your surgeon before the surgery.

Should any piercings and nose rings or other jewelry be removed before nose surgery?

It is better to remove the piercings and rings before rhinoplasty. It is not only because they may interface the operation based on their location but they can move during the surgery and get stuck in airway and cause some dangerous complications
One of the other complication happens because the piercings are jewelries made of metal that can produce heat when the surgeon is using a cautery device during the surgery to stop bleeding by burning the small vessels. This induced heat can make dangerous burning.
The other complication can be getting infected. So this is important to remove your piercings before the surgery with your surgeon advice.

After Surgery:

The complications of a rhinoplasty with a nasal piercing done before the surgery can be like a rhinoplasty itself, for example breathing difficulties that if you experience that you should make your surgeon informed about it immediately.
Nasal piercing cannot have any effect on the results of your nose job or the period of healing time of your rhinoplasty.

When can you put your piercings and rings back into the nose or septum after Rhinoplasty?

you should know that after a rhinoplasty the tissue of your nose including cartilage and ligaments are not completely shaped and it is soft and malleable and not strong enough to bare the weight of piercings so if you don’t want the piercings have any effects on your nose job results and you want your piercings back safely you should wait until the recovery period is completed and it is healed enough.
The period of time you need to wait after rhinoplasty to get your piercings back or to be able to get new piercings can differ from one person to another but what is very recommended is the importance of consultation with your plastic surgeon. This time should be at least two months or even more based on your surgeon's idea.