Boogers After Rhinoplasty

Let’s all admit it, this is the season of sniffles. Colds, flus and sickness all can lead to a runny nose and congestion. This can be an annoyance and make you feel really awful during this season when we’re supposed to be recalling all that we’re thankful for during Thanksgiving.

If you recently had a rhinoplasty procedure, you also may be experiencing a bit of congestion and runny nose. This is normal. It is the result of some residual swelling of the nasal mucosa. This feeling will gradually disappear as swelling diminishes, however as your tissue heals a scar will form inside your nose. This gives you the sensation of nasal blockage and will give you the urge to blow your nose.

Blowing your nose in the weeks following your rhinoplasty procedure can be harmful. You need to resist the urge to blow your nose forcefully because it can make it bleed. We recommend refraining from blowing for 2 to 4 weeks or longer after your procedure. It’s important to wait until Dr. Khosh gives you the go ahead to blow!

In addition to blowing your nose, you will also need to sneeze with caution after your rhinoplasty procedure. However, if you do get the urge to sneeze, try to open your mouth during the sneeze. This will help reduce the forceful impact put on your nose.

After your rhinoplasty procedure, there are many things to take into consideration. It’s most important to follow all of the post-surgery instructions given to you by Dr. Khosh. In addition to following the instructions, it is also important to attend every post-operation appointment so Dr. Khosh can monitor you progress.

You may be wondering if you can clean inside your nose after rhinoplasty and what to expect with mucus plug after rhinoplasty. Read our guide to learn about how long mucus plug after rhinoplasty lasts, best practices for cleaning inside your nose after rhinoplasty, and how long does nasal drainage last after rhinoplasty.

In this guide, we review the aspects of Boogers After Rhinoplasty, when can i clean inside my nose after rhinoplasty, mucus plug after rhinoplasty, and How long does nasal drainage last after rhinoplasty?

Boogers After Rhinoplasty

After your nose job, you might have some boogers that need to be removed. Don’t worry! It’s completely normal and expected after a rhinoplasty procedure.

Your nose will be swollen.

Your nose will be swollen.

As long as your doctor has performed their job correctly and there are no complications with your procedure (which should never happen), then everything should return back to normal eventually.

You’ll have some boogers.

You’ll have some boogers.

Boogers are caused by dryness in your nose as it heals; they may be a little crusty or crumbly, but they’re not a sign of infection. If you’re worried about them, just use an over-the-counter saline spray or artificial tears (like Systane) several times a day to keep things moistened up inside there!

Don’t try to blow your nose, or use a tissue or towel to wipe out your nose.

• Do not try to blow your nose, or use a tissue or towel to wipe out your nose. This will cause more swelling and discomfort.
• Use saline spray to keep your nasal passages moist and clean. This will help prevent crusting of dried mucus in the nose, which can lead to permanent scarring after rhinoplasty surgery.
• Avoid touching your nose with your hands or fingers during recovery from rhinoplasty surgery; keep them away from both sides of the face as much as possible!

Use saline spray to keep your nasal passages moist and clean.

If you’ve had rhinoplasty, it’s important to use saline spray every day to keep your nasal passages moist and clean. The spray helps loosen up any dried mucus or crusty boogers in your nose so that they can be more easily removed. You can also use it if you have a cold or allergies and need extra help with congestion.

In addition to using saline drops from your doctor, it’s recommended that patients use a saline spray every morning before bedtime for about two weeks after surgery. After this time period has passed, most surgeons recommend continuing with daily nasal irrigation using either water or sterile saline solution (the same kind used with babies’ noses).

One thing to keep in mind when using these products is never blow hard through either nostril while trying to remove something from inside–this could cause damage!

Avoid touching your nose with your hands or fingers.

• Avoid touching your nose with your hands or fingers.
• Use a tissue or towel to wipe out your nose, but avoid rubbing it dry as this may cause irritation and redness.
• Do not blow your nose until 4 weeks after surgery, when you are instructed by the surgeon to do so.

You will have some boogers after Rhinoplasty and here’s how to deal with them.

You will have some boogers after Rhinoplasty and here’s how to deal with them.

Don’t try to blow your nose, or use a tissue or towel to wipe out your nose. The best thing you can do is use saline spray on a regular basis (every hour or so) so that your nasal passages stay moist and clean.

when can i clean inside my nose after rhinoplasty

When you are recovering from a nose job, it is important to know how to clean your nose properly in order to avoid infection and maintain a healthy appearance.

If you are unsure what to do with the crust in your nose after rhinoplasty, here are the steps for cleaning it the right way.

Remember that these are just general recommendations, if your surgeon gives you a different set of instructions, follow them as he/she knows best what has been done to your nose.

How to get dried blood out of your nose after surgery?

After the procedure, your nose surgeon will likely recommend keeping the inside of your nose moist by using saline nasal spray 3-5 times a day but it’s still common to have dried blood accumulating around the edges of your nostrils.

This is perfectly normal and you can clean it off with the following steps:

Cleaning your nose with a Q-Tip

Some patients are asking if they can use Q-tips to clean off dried blood from the inside of their nose. You need to be very careful with this.

Using a Q-tip near the edge of your nostrils is OK but you must avoid going any deeper than that. If you stick any object to the inside of your nose while it’s still healing from the surgery you can damage parts of the reconstructed nose structure.

Start by soaking the Q-tip in saline water or dilute hydrogen peroxide. Gently soak the dried blood with the moist Q-tip until it loosens and you can remove it.

Follow the steps outlined above to clean the deeper parts of the inside of your nose.

How long after rhinoplasty can I wash my nose?

You can start washing the outside of your nose after 7-10 days, once the splint covering the surgery area has been removed. Make sure you do this gently until your nose fully heals in 4-6 weeks. At that point, you may wash your nose as normal.

You can start cleaning the inside of your nose with the rinsing method as soon as the nasal packing is removed and you have some blood accumulating that needs to be cleaned.

How long after the procedure that nasal packing is removed depends on your surgeon. There are doctors who leave this in for up to 7 days.

At Berkeley Square Medical, we prefer removing it before you leave the hospital as we have found having the nasal packing in is the single biggest source of discomfort for most patients after rhinoplasty surgery.

We can do this as we pay extra attention to proceed carefully and gently during surgery and your cotton gauze is removed pain-free while still under the effect of local anesthesia.

How often should I clean my nose after rhinoplasty?

You can clean the inside of your nose 2-3 times a day if needed. Following the recommended moistening procedure should keep the crusting of dried blood to the minimum and you might find that cleaning once a day is enough.

As a reminder, your doctor is likely to recommend using a saline nose spray or rinsing with a saline solution 4-6 times a day to keep the inside of your nose moist as it speeds up the healing process.

Using vaseline or other antibiotic cremes after you have rinsed and dried your nose will help to avoid dried blood buildup.

Both nasal solutions and ointment creams are available from a pharmacy over-the-counter.

What comes out of your nose after surgery?

You will likely have a mixture of blood and mucus coming out of your nose for days after a rhinoplasty procedure.

This is normal but it’s important to follow the cleaning recommendation from your surgeon as cleaning this blood and mucus will greatly help the healing process.

Letting dry chunks of this mixture built up can harbor bacteria and can potentially lead to infection.

Cleaning the outside of the nose after rhinoplasty

Cleaning the outside of your nose can begin with the removal of the splint. This usually happens after 7 days during your after-surgery visit with your surgeon.

You can resume your normal daily face cleaning but make sure to be gentle until your nose fully heals in 4-6 weeks.

If you find residue of glue from the removed plasters you can carefully clean it off with a sterile solution or alcohol on a cotton swab or a piece of gauze.

Avoid the use of skin cleansers that require vigorous rubbing to wash them off. Also, hold on with the removal of blackheads by nose strips or similar methods until full recovery from the surgery.

If in doubt, always consult with your surgeon before you do anything that might jeopardize the results of your nose surgery.

mucus plug after rhinoplasty

These instructions are designed to prepare patients for what to expect and answer questions that may arise after rhinoplastic surgery.

Swelling. Every operation, no matter how minor, is accompanied by swelling of the surrounding tissue. The amount of swelling varies from person to person. It may be greater if both the inside and outside of the nose have been operated on, or in patients who are undergoing surgery to improve the breathing function of their nose. To help the swelling subside more quickly, physicians often recommend the following steps.

Discoloration. Most patients undergoing nasal surgery do not experience bruising (or black eyes). In fact, it is rare. However, if there is some discoloration, the patient must be reassured. The condition should resolve within one week to 10 days. It rarely persists beyond this and is never permanent. Measures that help reduce swelling will also help with discoloration. Camouflage makeup may also be applied if there are no open wounds in the area of discoloration.

Hemorrhage. Whenever the nasal passages are blocked (such as when you have a cold or allergies), the nasal glands produce more mucus than normal. After a rhinoplasty, the patient’s nose may be blocked from the swelling; therefore, patients should expect more mucus drainage for several days when the swelling starts to subside. It will be blood-tinged and should cause no concern unless the drainage becomes bloody and flows profusely.

If hemorrhage does occur, the patient should lie down with their head elevated (use pillows or sit in a reclining chair). Cold compresses should be applied on the nose, face and neck. Applying pressure to both sides of the base of the nostrils is helpful. A decongestant spray (Neo-Synephrine or Afrin) may be used in the side that is bleeding. If bleeding continues, call the physician.

Pain. There is usually very little pain following rhinoplasty; however, the individual may experience a tight sensation and pressure as a result of the postoperative swelling that occurs. This may seem worse at night or when in a reclined position. A pain reliever may be prescribed to reduce or eliminate any postoperative pain, though most patients do not usually find this necessary. The patient should be informed not to take aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs including Motrin (ibuprofen), Advil or Nuprin as these products can thin the blood, causing excess bleeding.

Insomnia. A sedative drug also may be prescribed to help the patient sleep at night. It should be remembered that such drugs also tend to make some people feel lightheaded and weak the next day. The patient should not drive or perform tasks that require full mental capacity while taking these medications. Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) and Benadryl (diphenhydramine) are antihistamines with mild sedating properties that can be bought over the counter; these may be taken as well.

Depression. It is not unusual for an individual to go through a period of mild depression after surgery. Inform the patient that if this happens, it is a temporary condition that will subside shortly.

Cleaning the nose. After returning home from the clinic, the nose may be cleaned on the outside with cotton-tipped swabs that have been moistened with hydrogen peroxide, but it is important that the patient not rub too vigorously.

Soon after the bandage has been removed, the nose should be cleaned twice daily to remove the oily material produced by the skin glands. This is important because otherwise swelling will be prolonged. The nose can withstand gentle cleaning at this time. The nose should not be depressed or distorted when cleaning it. Some of the dissolvable sutures inside the nose may work their way out during cleaning; this sometimes occurs as the incisions heal.

Resuming physical activity. Light exercise may be resumed after two weeks. This includes jogging and aerobics. Running and strenuous aerobic exercises should be worked up to over the next four weeks. No gym class or swimming vigorously for three to four weeks. No diving, water-skiing, racquetball or basketball for two months. Lower-body weight lifting may be resumed at 10 days; upper body weight lifting should not be done for three weeks.

Sneezing. The patient should try to avoid sneezing until the bandage is removed. If it happens, they should let it come out like a cough—through the mouth.

Wearing eyeglasses. Eyeglasses may be worn as long as the splint remains on the nose. After the splint is removed, the eyeglasses must be suspended from the forehead or supported on the cheekbones for a period of about six weeks. This is important as the pressure of the glasses may change the new contour of the nose. Contact lenses may be worn the day after surgery.

Dryness of the lips. If the lips become dry from breathing through the mouth, simply apply a moisturizing lip balm regularly.

Body temperature. The body temperature may rise as high as 100°F following rhinoplasty. This rise may result from becoming mildly dehydrated. If there is a persistent fever above 100°F, the physician should be notified.

Weakness. It is not unusual after a person has an anesthetic or any type of operation to feel weak. This gradually clears up in a few days.

Office visits. The first office visit should be one week after surgery. At this appointment, any sutures requiring removal will be taken out and the splint will be removed.

Returning to work or school. The average patient can return to work or school the day after the bandages are removed, seven to eight days after surgery. The patient can go back to work and school within three days of surgery if they do not mind being in public with a splint on their nose. When the patient should return to work depends on the amount of physical activity and public contact that the job involves, in addition to the amount of swelling and discoloration that has developed.

Full recovery. When the bandage is first removed, the nose will appear big and the tip may be turned up a bit. This is due to operative swelling over the nose and upper lip. This swelling will subside to a large extent within one week; however, it will take up to one year for all of the swelling to disappear and for the client’s nose to reach its final contour. Swelling reduces gradually on its own. The thicker and oilier the skin, the longer it takes for the swelling to subside. The upper lip also may appear stiff for a while, and the tip of the nose sometimes feels numb, but this eventually disappears.

How long does nasal drainage last after rhinoplasty

These instructions are designed to prepare patients for what to expect and answer questions that may arise after rhinoplastic surgery.

Swelling. Every operation, no matter how minor, is accompanied by swelling of the surrounding tissue. The amount of swelling varies from person to person. It may be greater if both the inside and outside of the nose have been operated on, or in patients who are undergoing surgery to improve the breathing function of their nose. To help the swelling subside more quickly, physicians often recommend the following steps.

Discoloration. Most patients undergoing nasal surgery do not experience bruising (or black eyes). In fact, it is rare. However, if there is some discoloration, the patient must be reassured. The condition should resolve within one week to 10 days. It rarely persists beyond this and is never permanent. Measures that help reduce swelling will also help with discoloration. Camouflage makeup may also be applied if there are no open wounds in the area of discoloration.

Hemorrhage. Whenever the nasal passages are blocked (such as when you have a cold or allergies), the nasal glands produce more mucus than normal. After a rhinoplasty, the patient’s nose may be blocked from the swelling; therefore, patients should expect more mucus drainage for several days when the swelling starts to subside. It will be blood-tinged and should cause no concern unless the drainage becomes bloody and flows profusely.

If hemorrhage does occur, the patient should lie down with their head elevated (use pillows or sit in a reclining chair). Cold compresses should be applied on the nose, face and neck. Applying pressure to both sides of the base of the nostrils is helpful. A decongestant spray (Neo-Synephrine or Afrin) may be used in the side that is bleeding. If bleeding continues, call the physician.

Pain. There is usually very little pain following rhinoplasty; however, the individual may experience a tight sensation and pressure as a result of the postoperative swelling that occurs. This may seem worse at night or when in a reclined position. A pain reliever may be prescribed to reduce or eliminate any postoperative pain, though most patients do not usually find this necessary. The patient should be informed not to take aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs including Motrin (ibuprofen), Advil or Nuprin as these products can thin the blood, causing excess bleeding.

Insomnia. A sedative drug also may be prescribed to help the patient sleep at night. It should be remembered that such drugs also tend to make some people feel lightheaded and weak the next day. The patient should not drive or perform tasks that require full mental capacity while taking these medications. Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) and Benadryl (diphenhydramine) are antihistamines with mild sedating properties that can be bought over the counter; these may be taken as well.

Depression. It is not unusual for an individual to go through a period of mild depression after surgery. Inform the patient that if this happens, it is a temporary condition that will subside shortly.

Cleaning the nose. After returning home from the clinic, the nose may be cleaned on the outside with cotton-tipped swabs that have been moistened with hydrogen peroxide, but it is important that the patient not rub too vigorously.

Soon after the bandage has been removed, the nose should be cleaned twice daily to remove the oily material produced by the skin glands. This is important because otherwise swelling will be prolonged. The nose can withstand gentle cleaning at this time. The nose should not be depressed or distorted when cleaning it. Some of the dissolvable sutures inside the nose may work their way out during cleaning; this sometimes occurs as the incisions heal.

Resuming physical activity. Light exercise may be resumed after two weeks. This includes jogging and aerobics. Running and strenuous aerobic exercises should be worked up to over the next four weeks. No gym class or swimming vigorously for three to four weeks. No diving, water-skiing, racquetball or basketball for two months. Lower-body weight lifting may be resumed at 10 days; upper body weight lifting should not be done for three weeks.

Sneezing. The patient should try to avoid sneezing until the bandage is removed. If it happens, they should let it come out like a cough—through the mouth.

Wearing eyeglasses. Eyeglasses may be worn as long as the splint remains on the nose. After the splint is removed, the eyeglasses must be suspended from the forehead or supported on the cheekbones for a period of about six weeks. This is important as the pressure of the glasses may change the new contour of the nose. Contact lenses may be worn the day after surgery.

Dryness of the lips. If the lips become dry from breathing through the mouth, simply apply a moisturizing lip balm regularly.

Body temperature. The body temperature may rise as high as 100°F following rhinoplasty. This rise may result from becoming mildly dehydrated. If there is a persistent fever above 100°F, the physician should be notified.

Weakness. It is not unusual after a person has an anesthetic or any type of operation to feel weak. This gradually clears up in a few days.

Office visits. The first office visit should be one week after surgery. At this appointment, any sutures requiring removal will be taken out and the splint will be removed.

Returning to work or school. The average patient can return to work or school the day after the bandages are removed, seven to eight days after surgery. The patient can go back to work and school within three days of surgery if they do not mind being in public with a splint on their nose. When the patient should return to work depends on the amount of physical activity and public contact that the job involves, in addition to the amount of swelling and discoloration that has developed.

Full recovery. When the bandage is first removed, the nose will appear big and the tip may be turned up a bit. This is due to operative swelling over the nose and upper lip. This swelling will subside to a large extent within one week; however, it will take up to one year for all of the swelling to disappear and for the client’s nose to reach its final contour. Swelling reduces gradually on its own. The thicker and oilier the skin, the longer it takes for the swelling to subside. The upper lip also may appear stiff for a while, and the tip of the nose sometimes feels numb, but this eventually disappears.