Can you use nasal strips after nose surgery?

Don't put a nasal strip on your nose while it's healing from septoplasty, rhinoplasty, turbinate or sinus surgery. Wait until your surgeon has checked your nose and told you it's fine. Splints, swelling, numb skin and tissue that's still knitting together are all reasons to leave the outside of your nose alone for now.

The good news is that this is usually a pause, not a permanent no. Many of these operations are done to make nasal breathing easier, and once you've healed, a strip can go back to being a simple tool for stuffy nights.

Can you use nasal strips after nose surgery?

You can use nasal strips after nose surgery only once your surgeon clears you. Until then, the safest answer is no.

We looked for research on nasal strips after nose or sinus surgery and found none. No study we could find has tested whether a strip is safe or useful in the weeks after septoplasty, rhinoplasty or endoscopic sinus surgery. That means there's no evidence-based timeline we can give you, and anyone who gives you one without seeing your nose is guessing.

What we do have is good aftercare guidance from ENT surgeons and hospitals. It describes what's happening inside and outside your nose during recovery, and it explains why a strip doesn't belong there yet. Your surgeon knows exactly what was done, whether cartilage or bone was moved, and how your healing looks at each check-up. That makes their answer the one that counts.

Why shouldn't anything go on your nose while it heals?

Nothing should go on your nose while it heals because the outside of a recovering nose is often protected, swollen, numb or all three. A nasal strip works by sticking to the skin on the sides of your nose and pulling outward with a spring. That's harmless on a healed nose. On a healing one, it's an extra force on tissue your surgeon is trying to keep still.

Splints and dressings come first

After rhinoplasty, the NHS says you'll have a dressing on your nose after the operation and a splint held over your nose with tape for 7 days. After septoplasty, ENT UK says a small internal splint may be placed inside the nose to stop the septum moving, usually removed in clinic after seven to ten days.

A strip can't go on over an external splint, and it shouldn't go on the moment a splint comes off either. Removal day is the start of the next stage of healing, not the end of it.

Swelling takes months to settle

Swelling is the part of recovery that lasts longest. Cleveland Clinic says the nose stays swollen for four to six weeks after rhinoplasty, about 90% of the swelling has gone after three months, and minimal swelling can still be present up to a year later. The NHS says it can take up to 6 months for the swelling to completely go.

The structure is still fragile

ENT UK says the nose will be weak for a couple of months after septoplasty, and that bumps to the nose could make the septum move back out of place. Cleveland Clinic says initial septoplasty recovery takes about a week or two, but healing of the bone and cartilage continues for several months. Cleveland Clinic's rhinoplasty advice includes not putting too much pressure on the bridge of the nose when you wear glasses. A strip sits lower than the bridge, on the soft sides of the nose, but it's still a steady pull on tissue that's healing.

Numb skin can't warn you

Numbness is common after nose surgery. ENT UK says you may have some numbness on the tip of the nose, upper teeth or lips after septoplasty, and that it usually settles with time. A 2021 study in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal tested skin sensation in 100 people after a first open rhinoplasty and 34 after a revision. In the first group, feeling returned to normal by 12 months everywhere except the tip and the area just below it. In the revision group, sensation was still reduced at 12 months, most at the tip, the area below it and the base of the columella, the strip of skin between the nostrils.

Skin that can't feel well can't tell you when an adhesive is pulling too hard or irritating it. Our guide to nasal strip skin irritation covers what to watch for once you're back to using strips.

How long does healing take after each type of nose surgery?

Healing time depends on the operation, and the figures below are typical ranges from surgeons' and hospitals' patient information. They are not a schedule for restarting strips. Your own surgeon may give you different timings.

For endoscopic sinus surgery, Cleveland Clinic says the operation is done through the nostrils, so there are no cuts in or around the nose, and you'll have a follow-up a few weeks later so your provider can remove dried mucus or blood. No outside cuts doesn't mean the healing inside is finished, which is why that follow-up visit matters before you add anything to your routine. Our guide to nose surgery for breathing explains what each operation involves.

What if your surgeon tapes your nose after surgery?

If your surgeon tapes your nose after rhinoplasty, that's a medical treatment, and it's a different thing from a nasal strip. Surgeons use tape on purpose to press the skin down onto the new shape and limit swelling.

A 2016 randomized clinical trial in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery followed 57 rhinoplasty patients. After the external packing came off, some had their nose taped for 2 weeks, some for 4 weeks and some weren't taped. Taping reduced swelling compared with no taping, and the effect showed in patients with thicker skin, not in thin-skinned patients. The authors concluded it can be used particularly in thick-skinned patients.

That's worth knowing for two reasons. First, if your surgeon has taped your nose, the tape is part of your treatment, so don't peel it off early or replace it with a strip. Second, a strip works the opposite way. Surgical tape is meant to hold the skin in, while a strip's spring lifts the sides of the nose outward. How nasal strips work explains that spring action in more detail.

How will you know you're ready for a nasal strip?

You'll know you're ready for a nasal strip when your surgeon says so. Bring these questions to your follow-up appointment:

1. Is it OK to put adhesive on the outside of my nose yet?
2. Is it OK for something to pull gently on the sides of my nose?
3. Is any part of my nose still numb enough that I should wait?
4. If my nose still feels blocked, is that normal swelling or something you should look at?

If your surgeon says yes, a gentle restart makes sense. Wear a strip for a short time while you're awake first, so you can feel how your skin and nose respond. Apply it to clean, dry skin, and take it off slowly. Our guides on how to apply nasal strips and how to remove nasal strip residue walk through both. Stop and call your surgeon if you notice pain, new swelling or redness that doesn't settle.

You may also find you need a strip less than before. Cleveland Clinic says septoplasty can improve airflow through the nasal passages so you can breathe better. If a deviated septum was why your nose felt blocked, see how your breathing feels once you've healed before you decide.

What about mouth tape after nose surgery?

Mouth tape needs a clear nose, so it's off the table while you're recovering too. A packed, splinted or swollen nose can't carry all your breathing, and taping your lips would close the other route. Our guide to mouth tape after nose or sinus surgery covers the research on nasal packing and sleep, and when tape may be fine again. We don't recommend mouth tape for children.

When should you call your surgeon or see a doctor?

Call your surgeon straight away if your breathing gets harder, your nose gets more blocked and painful, or you have bleeding that won't stop. Cleveland Clinic lists a heavy, uncontrollable nosebleed, trouble breathing and pain that keeps getting worse among the reasons to call immediately after septoplasty. ENT UK says to see a doctor if your nose gets more and more blocked or is red and painful, because it may be a sign of a collection of blood or infection on the septum.

Snoring is worth mentioning too. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute lists loud snoring, breathing that starts and stops, gasping for air and daytime sleepiness as symptoms of sleep apnea, and suggests talking to a healthcare provider, since you may need a sleep study. A nasal strip doesn't treat sleep apnea, and quieter snoring isn't proof that breathing pauses have stopped. Our list of sleep apnea warning signs can help.

If you're pregnant, or your nose stays blocked months after surgery, check with your clinician before going back to strips.

Read next

• Mouth taping after nose or sinus surgery
• Nose surgery for breathing: which procedure, recovery, risks and results
• How to apply nasal strips

* This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your health.