Silver Nitrate Used for Granulated Tissue After Rhinoplasty Burned my Nostril and Turned It Black, Will This Go Away??

Hi SG,   I once treated a 13 year old with a nose bleed on a Thursday.  Silver Nitrate cauterization was used inside the nose on the nasal septum where the bleeding was coming from.  The next day I recieved a call of panic from his mother who told me that he had a black moustache ("like Adolph Hitler"), and that his Bar Mitzvah was the next day.  I learned from that experience that using Clorox bleach can remove the blackness of silver nitrate on the skin (some have used ammonia).  The black skin from the silver nitrate would have eventually faded away without any treatment.   I would not recommend that it be used inside the nose or around any incisions, and I would definitely speak with your rhinoplasty surgeon before doing anything....as long as your Bar Mitzvah is not tomorrow!   Good luck and be well.   Dr. P

Dear Sg1522,


If is continues to be painful, you should see your surgeon

The black skin will flake off when it heals over, usually lasts a few days

Be careful with those sticks, the silver nitrate can run over the lip and cause a burn


Best regards,

Nima Shemirani
 

            Granulation tissue once treated may appear stained for several days.

 

 

 

Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA