Is It Wrong to Clean the Nose with Cotton Stick Few Days After Nose Operation?

The advice regarding nose cleaning may differ slightly amongst surgeons but it is unlikely that you have damaged your nose. I recommend for my patients that moist cotton tip be used very gently around the sides of nasal openings but not at the suture line if any ... this is kept covered in a clear ointment for first few days ... if in doubt contact your surgeon

Not to worry.  Often the inside of the nose gets crusty after rhinoplasty and can be irritating and  impair your breathing.  GENTLE cleaning of the nostrils with a Q-tip soaked with hydrogen peroxide will loosen the crusts and you can very carefully and gently moisten the crust.  It will often melt away or become soft enough that it falls out painlessly.  I have my patients coat the inside of the nostrils with bacitracin after the perioxide cleaning. 

Once the crusts are removed, after 10 - 14 days, there  should be no more crusts and therefore, no more need to clean. 

First it does not seem that you did anything wrong, yet.  Letting the water run off the outside of your nose while in the shower is one thing.  Taking a Q tip into the nostril is another thing.  Most rhinoplasty surgeons would not like the idea of poking inside the nose.  You may cause bleeding, infection or a tear in the suture line.  Always good to ask your surgeon what you can and cannot do, as he knows how he dd the operation. 

Relax. Don't panic. You're fine. I think it's fine to clean gently just on the inside of the nostril with a slight wet Qtip. It's just to clean the dry blood. I would not push the Qtip in any further than the actual cotton tip. I'm sure you didn't do any damage.

Usually I recommend that patients use a moist Qtip to clean up around the rim of the nostril so that dried blood and mucous doesn't build up. However, there are incisions inside the nose so patients should be careful to be too rough or to put the Qtip up too high in the nose. After about a week patients can be more aggressive in cleaning the nose.

Some surgeons actually request that their patients gently clean the entrance of their nostrils with a cotton-tipped applicator, while others strictly forbid it. In general, most surgeons recommend against inserting anything deep in the nose. I think the best thing to do in your case would be to discontinue doing it until you discuss it further with your surgeon and seek his/her opinion on the matter. Letting your surgeon know your concerns will also allow him/her to examine you and make sure that you haven’t disrupted anything inside the nose. Hope this helps!

HI Mari,

Most likely you will be fine.  Discuss your concerns with your rhinoplasty surgeon.  I sometimes have my post rhinoplasty patients clean their external nostrils with a Q-Tip soaked in hydrogen peroxide solution to loosen the dried crusts of blood that can accumulate around the outer nostril.  It is not wise to pass the Q-tip deep into the nose.  Good luck and be well.

Dr. P

I would definitely ask your surgeon if it is okay to clean your nose with a cotton tip applicator. He or she may have specific concerns in your case.

With my patients I tell them to use one to gently clean the inside of their nostril area using dilute peroxide followed by some vaseline. This helps loosen the dry blood and dissolve the dissolveable sutures that are there. I tell my patients to be gentle and not probe too far. I have not had any problem with this regimen in any of my patients.

Also, something else that helps remove the crusts is to use salt water lavage or sprays.

 

I routinely instruct patienst to clean their nostrils with a q tip and dilute peroxide. I then have them place some Bacitracin or Bactroban ointment as well. There are usually dissolvable sutures which can get caked with dried blood or mucus and become uncomfortable or cause blockage. This helps treat and prevent that problem.

T he nose is an amazing organ. Leavr it alone. You probably did no harm or you would have had more pain doing it.The natural mucus will clean the nose