How Long is Recovery After Cosmetic Surgery?
Most aesthetic patients are back to desk work within 1–2 weeks and to full exercise between weeks 6–8.
Recovery is best thought of in three overlapping windows. The first week is about wound healing, swelling and rest. The second to fourth week is about returning to normal daily life — driving, desk work, social activity. Weeks four to twelve are about returning to full exercise and letting the tissues settle into the final shape.
For rhinoplasty, the external splint usually comes off around day 7, most bruising resolves within two to three weeks, and the fine shape of the nose refines over 6–12 months. For breast augmentation, patients are typically back to desk work within a week and cleared for full upper-body exercise around week 6. For abdominoplasty, expect at least two weeks off work and 6–8 weeks before core exercise.
The single biggest variable is you: sleep, nutrition, no smoking, no alcohol in the first two weeks, and doing exactly what the post-operative sheet says. Recovery is not passive.
Educational content only. Results vary between individuals and all surgery carries risk. Every plan begins with an unhurried consultation and an examination — never a quote over the phone.