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If you’re considering rhinoplasty surgery, you may be wondering what you can and can’t do afterwards. Some of the most common questions are involving strong facial expressions. Can you ruin the results with these?
It’s very unlikely that smiling, laughing, yawning, or crying will ruin your rhinoplasty—especially in moderation. However, in the first 1–2 weeks after surgery, these expressions can stress healing tissues or incisions, so it’s best to soften them and follow your surgeon’s guidance.
Natural actions like smiling or laughing usually won’t ruin your rhinoplasty, but excessive force during early healing should be avoided.
Gentle yawning is safe, but wide or forceful yawns can strain healing tissues in the first 1–2 weeks.
Crying may cause swelling due to increased blood pressure and tear flow—keep head elevated and use cold compresses if needed.
Take it easy with facial expressions for the first 2 weeks, then gradually resume normal activities.
Use simple techniques (e.g., hand over mouth, deep breathing) to suppress intense expressions early in recovery.
Related: our award-winning UK rhinoplasty surgeon
The simple answer is no, laughing or smiling is not likely to ruin your rhinoplasty if you do it in moderation.
However, if you laugh or smile too hard, it can put unnecessary strain on your incisions and cause them to open up. It’s important to be mindful of this and take it easy for the first few weeks after surgery.
Taking a few precautions is probably wise, such as asking your friends and family to refrain from jokes around you, taking a break from watching your favourite comedy show on TV, etc.
If you run into a situation that makes you laugh, you can try to stifle it by holding your hand over your mouth.
Yawning is another activity that can put a strain on your freshly operated nasal area so try not to yawn too much for the first few weeks after surgery.
However, it is a natural reflex and you shouldn’t have to hold back every time you feel the urge. A little bit of yawning here and there is not likely to cause any problems.
You can try to stifle a yawn by holding your hand over your mouth or by taking slow, deep breaths.
The same precautions we discussed with laughing are recommended here as well. Yawning is often a mirror reflex, triggered by seeing someone else doing it in front of us. If this is the case, ask your tired family member to try and hold back in your company or, if this fails, you might consider leaving their company for a while.
If you find yourself yawning a lot, it could be a sign that you’re not getting enough rest. Make sure to get plenty of sleep during your recovery period to avoid yawning excessively. This is also recommended for optimal recovery after any surgical procedure.
Related: sleeping after rhinoplasty
While crying cannot physically ruin your results, it can cause some temporary swelling and bruising. This is because the act of crying causes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate.
It also triggers a mucus release, which can further contribute to swelling. For these reasons, it’s best to avoid crying as much as possible for the first two weeks after surgery.
Read more: how to clean your nose after rhinoplasty.
Of course, this is not always possible or realistic. If you do find yourself crying, try to do so with your head elevated and apply a cold compress to your face afterward. Also, try not to cry for extended periods of time as this can cause more irritation.
In summary, crying, laughing, and yawning are all activities that you should avoid or take caution with for the first few weeks after rhinoplasty surgery. While they will not physically ruin your results, they can cause temporary swelling and bruising.
Feeling emotional after surgery is completely normal. Pain, anesthesia, sleep changes, or just seeing your face swollen can make you feel anxious, frustrated, or even tearful. But strong emotions like crying or deep laughing can put extra pressure on your healing nose—so it’s best to keep things calm during the first couple of weeks.
Here are a few simple ways to stay relaxed and avoid emotional strain during recovery:
Take short naps if you feel overwhelmed—sleep can help calm your mind and reduce swelling.
Use cold compresses if you feel tears coming on, and keep your head elevated to prevent swelling.
Watch calming videos or listen to soft music instead of emotional shows or movies.
Ask friends and family to help keep things light or avoid making you laugh too hard too soon.
Practice deep breathing or short meditation sessions to stay calm and reduce tension in your face.
If you find yourself feeling very emotional or down for more than a few days, it’s okay to talk to your surgeon or GP—they can offer support and check that everything is healing well.
No, moderate smiling or laughter won’t ruin your results—but very forceful expressions could strain incisions or swelling in the first 1–2 weeks.
Gentle yawns are usually fine, but wide or deep yawning can pull on healing tissues. If it feels uncomfortable, try taking slow, shallow breaths instead.
Laughing won’t ruin your smile, though intense laughing early on may tug at sutures or dressings. Light laughter is typically safe once the nose splint is off (around 1 week after surgery).
Crying can increase swelling and mucus, which might put pressure on your nose. If you need to cry, keep your head elevated and apply a cold compress to reduce inflammation.
You can usually resume normal expressions like laughing, yawning, crying, and smiling after the first 2 weeks. Until then, be gentle and avoid extreme facial movements.
Yes, it’s completely normal to feel a bit sad, anxious, or emotional after rhinoplasty. This can be caused by swelling, anaesthesia effects, discomfort, or changes in appearance during healing. These feelings usually improve within a week or two.
Yawning more than usual after surgery can happen if your body is tired, low on oxygen, or reacting to medication. It’s also a natural response to reduced activity. If yawning is frequent but not painful, it’s usually nothing to worry about.
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