I have a hard lump inside my nostrils. Will this go away on its own, need to be treated, or require additional surgery? (Photo)

Question

I am 3 weeks post-op, and I have developed very pronounced swelling on the interior of my nostrils near the tip. It is pretty tender, but so is the tip of my nose. The lump itself is quite hard. In the past Piercings have formed keloids, so I asked my surgeon if this is a possibility. He said that keloids don’t form on mucus membranes and to just keep using aquaphor to keep the the skin moist. I spent so much money to improve air flow and I am concerned that the lump is reducing it again.

Farhad Ardesh, MD · Answer

You are still early in the healing process after your rhinoplasty. Give it time and everything will get better. Continue following up with your surgeon to guide you through the process. Lumps can be felt from just the healing process, grafts that your surgeon place, knots from sutures, or perhaps scar tissue from your past piercings. You will want to follow up with surgeon to make sure there is no infection. Most likely the answer will be just giving your nose time to heal. Every few months your will see more and more improvement and the lumps will soften. Your surgeon may want to treat with some steroid injections in a few months. I wish you the best and hope this helps, Dr. Ardeshirpour

I have a hard lump inside my nostrils. Will this go away on its own, need to be treated, or require additional surgery? (Photo)

Answers (1)