Crusts in Nose Post Rhinoplasty

Question

i am 8 months post op from rhinoplasty and i still have crusts....i cant see my doctor too often so these accumulate and become hard and my nose becomes stuffier, i use nasal rinse but this only helps moderately, will these crusts turn into scar tissue and deform the nose or will they simply eventually leave

Jason Lichtenberger, MD · Answer

Crusting in the nose after rhinoplasty can be treated with saline, ointment, and extra humidity.  Be sure that your surgeon checks to make sure everything is healing well from your incisions in the nose, and if that is the case, some extra cleaning should help - often a dilute hydrogen peroxide solution works well.

	Dryness in the nose is the enemy of good healing, so when it comes to saline and ointment application - more is better than less!

	Hope this helps.

Michael L. Schwartz, MD · Answer

Early dryness and crusting after surgery is common. Sometimes it does last for a prolonged period which is annoying and frustrating for both patient and surgeon. It's likely due to slow maturing incision which disrupt the lubricant effect of the inner membrane along with change in airflow which can be drying. It almost always goes away in time and is best treated with saline ointment and spray. One note of caution is that occasionally you can have a bacterial colonization in the hair roots which causes this. That needs antibiotics and antibiotic ointment so check with your surgeon about a culture of the area.

Richard W. Fleming, MD (retired) · Answer

It is not normal to have persistent nasal crusts 8 months after rhinoplasty. Saline nasal sprays and ointment should not be necessary at this time. If you cannot see your surgeon, consult with another rhinoplasty specialist for an examination.

Crusts in Nose Post Rhinoplasty

Answers (3)