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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.
Cleaning your nose after rhinoplasty is safe—and important—for preventing crusting and infection. You can gently rinse inside your nose 2–5 times daily as soon as the packing is removed, and wash the outside after 7–10 days.
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.
You can begin cleaning the inside of your nose with saline spray 2 to 5 times daily once nasal packing is removed.
Use a cotton bud or Q-tip only at the nostril opening, never deep inside the nose.
Cleaning helps prevent crusting, infection, and discomfort during healing.
The outside of your nose can be gently washed about 7 to 10 days after surgery, once your cast or splint is removed.
Avoid blowing your nose or using harsh cleansers until your surgeon says it’s safe—usually after 3 to 4 weeks.
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:
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.
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 anaesthesia.
Knowing when and how to clean your nose after rhinoplasty is key to a smooth recovery. Here’s a general timeline most surgeons recommend:
During this time, your nose may have internal packing. Leave it undisturbed. Do not attempt to clean inside or outside the nose.
Once packing is removed, you can start cleaning inside your nostrils using:
Saline spray or sterile saltwater 2 to 5 times a day
Cotton swabs (Q-tips) only at the nostril edge—never insert deeply
Avoid touching incision sites or blowing your nose
Once your cast or splint is removed:
Gently clean the outside of your nose and surrounding skin with mild soap and lukewarm water
Pat dry—do not rub or press on your nose
Avoid makeup, retinol, or exfoliants near the nose
Keep up with saline rinses and external washing
Don’t use nasal suction devices or forceful sprays
Be cautious with glasses, sunglasses, and face masks that press on the bridge
You may resume a normal skincare routine, but confirm with your surgeon
Continue internal rinses if crusting or dryness persists
Avoid deep nose-blowing until you get the all-clear
You can clean the inside of your nose 2-5 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.
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 harbour bacteria and can potentially lead to infection.
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 jeopardise the results of your nose surgery.
You can begin gentle internal cleaning 1 to 2 days after surgery, once nasal packing is removed. Your surgeon will let you know when it’s safe to start.
Use a saline spray or sterile saltwater to rinse inside your nose 2 to 5 times per day. You can also use a cotton bud (Q-tip) to gently clean around the nostril edges, but never insert it deep into the nasal cavity.
You can wash the outside of your nose around 7 to 10 days after surgery, once the cast or splint has been removed. Use lukewarm water and a gentle cleanser—avoid scrubbing or pressure.
Yes, but only at the nostril openings. Do not insert it into the nasal passages. Use it gently to remove dried mucus or crusting near the surface.
Most surgeons recommend cleaning the nose 2 to 5 times per day in the first couple of weeks using saline spray. Follow your surgeon’s advice for the ideal frequency based on your healing.
No, hydrogen peroxide is too harsh for healing tissue and can delay recovery. Stick to saline sprays or sterile saltwater unless your surgeon recommends something else.
Yes, it’s very common. Crusting happens as the nose heals and dries out. Saline rinses and gentle cleaning help loosen and remove these buildups safely.
A small amount of bleeding may occur if crusts are dislodged, especially in the first week. If bleeding is heavy, frequent, or doesn’t stop easily, contact your surgeon.
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