Rhinoplasty Q&A
80%
WORTH IT RATING
"Worth It Rating" shows the % of consumer reviewers that stated the procedure was "Worth It" or not. See more RealSelf Worth It Ratings or Add Your Review
1,003 Reviews
Rhinoplastybefore & after photos
View Before and Afters

Average Rhinoplasty Cost: $5,975

Learn about Rhinoplasty

5,053 people and 803 doctors are talking about Rhinoplasty

Get Free Email Updates

Have I Ruined the Results of my Rhinoplasty by Picking at my Nose?

asked 1 year ago by Chicago IL5347 in Chicago IL
Latest answer by Kevin Sadati, DO
Question viewed 1,172 times
Tags: damage, picking, ruin, scab

I had an open rhinoplasty and my cast and sutures came out 5 days later. Starting day 6, I began to retape my nose and touch it. I have also picked at it to ease in breathing by removing scabbing. I guess I didn't think about it at the time, but could this ruin the results of the procedure?

4 answers to Have I Ruined the Results of my Rhinoplasty by Picking at my Nose?

+2

Nose picking after rhinoplasty

Dear rhinoplasty patient from Chicago, IL It is unlikely that one time picking your scab after rhinoplasty can cause any long term damage. You should not manipulate you nose during healing process. However cleaning it with hydrogen peroxide soaked Q-tip and then application of antibiotic ointment is recommended. Good luck and good healing  
Kevin Sadati, DO

Orange County Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.galleryofcosmeticsurgery.com

+1

Not to worry

It is very unlikely that you have hurt anything. But you should be careful. The best way to clean your nose is as follows:   1. Rinse the nose gently with nasal saline 2. Apply peroxide to the areas with stitches o help clean them 3. Then apply an antibiotic ointment to the suture line   When your surgeon says it it is OK (1-2 weeks usually) you can start to blow your nose
Benjamin C. Marcus, MD

Madison Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.uwhealth.org

+1

Is it okay to touch your nose after rhinoplasty?

It's unlikely that you ruined anything by picking at the crusts in your nose, but I would caution you to be careful during the first couple weeks after surgery. Crusts often develop on the dissolvable sutures used to close the incisions inside the nose so picking at them can disrupt the suture line. To tackle the problem of the crusts blocking breathing, I recommend to my patients that they apply dilute peroxide (50/50 with water) to the crusts two to three times a daily followed... more
Thomas A Lamperti, MD

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Avoid Nasal Manipulation After Rhinoplasty

Although the likelihood is that you have not done any damage, you certainly can.  I recommend that my patients only barely touch the nose for two weeks after the cast comes off.  If you have crusting, the application of an ointment can be quite beneficial.  Under no circumstance should you pick at the nose.  Disastrous consequences that I have seen include infections, bleeding and perforations. Any questions or concerns should be directed to your surgeon. ... more
Joseph Campanelli, MD

Minneapolis Facial Plastic Surgeon

Ask a question