A little blood after a nose operation is normal. A nosebleed that will not stop is not. The difficulty is knowing which is which when you are tired, swollen and, if you travelled for surgery, far from your surgeon. This guide sets out what several UK hospital leaflets say about expected bleeding, how long to avoid blowing your nose, what packs and splints do, and which signs call for a phone call.

Key takeaways

  • Hospital leaflets describe a little bleeding or blood-stained discharge as expected for the first days to weeks. Bleeding that is heavy, keeps going or comes with fever, smelly discharge or rising pain needs a call to your surgical team.
  • Leaflets from different hospitals give different timings and different first-aid wording, so your own surgeon's written instructions and emergency number come first.
  • Packs and splints are used to support the nose and limit bleeding. Typical removal times in the leaflets range from the next morning to about 10 days.

Most of these leaflets cover septorhinoplasty, which combines septum and cosmetic work, and they come from NHS trusts with their own protocols. They are examples, not a standard, and they cannot replace the written instructions from the surgeon who operated on you.

How much bleeding is expected after rhinoplasty?

Different leaflets describe it in slightly different ways, but they agree that some blood is expected:

  • Hull University Teaching Hospitals says to expect some minor bleeding from the nose for the first few days. Bruising around the eyes can take two to three weeks to disappear.
  • Cambridge University Hospitals says you may get some blood-coloured watery fluid from your nose for the first two weeks or so, and quotes a one per cent risk of bleeding after the operation.
  • Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust (August 2026 leaflet) says to expect a small amount of bleeding that usually stops after a couple of minutes. It describes blood-stained discharge and congestion for two to four weeks as quite normal, and says repacking the nose is sometimes needed but rare.

These are three different hospitals describing expected bleeding, and the ranges overlap from a few days to a few weeks. If you are still bleeding noticeably after your surgeon’s stated timeframe, that is a question for them.

How long should you avoid blowing your nose?

The leaflets give different durations, which is itself a reason to follow your own surgeon’s instructions:

Source What it says about blowing or touching the nose
Cambridge University Hospitals Do not blow your nose for about a week after the operation, or it may start bleeding. If you feel a sneeze coming, try to do it with your mouth open
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust Do not blow your nose or pick off crusts for the first week. Try to avoid sniffing or sneezing for two weeks
Hull University Teaching Hospitals Do not pick, poke or blow your nose (no end date is given)

Our guide to cleaning your nose after rhinoplasty covers the same question for crusts and rinses.

What do nasal packs and splints do?

Packs, sometimes called tampons, and splints are used to support the nose and reduce bleeding. What patients get depends on the operation and the surgeon.

  • Nasal packs. Cambridge says dressings may be placed in each nostril to keep things in place and prevent bleeding, and are usually removed the morning after. The Royal Berkshire leaflet says packs are usually dissolvable and dissolve after a few days, though a non-dissolvable pack may be used and removed the next morning.
  • Internal splints. Cambridge says small plastic splints may be used to prevent scar tissue from forming and are taken out one to two weeks after surgery. Royal Berkshire gives the same one to two week range.
  • External splint or cast. Cambridge says an external splint is normally on for about a week and that you should not remove it yourself. Hull says a plaster or splint may be worn for 7 to 10 days, and Royal United Hospitals Bath says the dressing over the nose is usually removed within 10 days.

On the history of these devices, a 2018 literature review in the Journal of Laryngology & Otology found that intranasal splints made from X-ray film were first reported in 1955, that materials since then have included polyethylene coffee cup lids, magnets and dental wax, and that most current splints are silicone rubber or Teflon. An older story that nasal tampons go back to ancient Egyptian and Greek linen packing is repeated on many sites. I could not verify it, so it is not included here.

What do hospitals tell patients to do if a nosebleed starts?

This is where wording differs, so read these as examples of what particular hospitals tell their own patients, not as instructions for you:

  • Royal Berkshire’s leaflet tells patients to rest sitting with the chin slightly down, apply firm pressure to the fleshy part of the nose for 10 minutes, and go to the emergency department if they cannot stop the bleeding after 30 minutes.
  • Hull’s leaflet says to sit up straight and apply gentle pressure to the bony bridge for about five minutes, and to contact the ward for advice if bleeding continues.
  • The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust’s general nosebleed leaflet (not specific to rhinoplasty, reviewed September 2025) says to go to the nearest emergency department if bleeding lasts longer than 20 minutes, if blood is flowing into the throat, or if you swallow enough blood to vomit.

Because the pressure, the place and the time limits differ between these leaflets, ask your surgeon before the operation what they want you to do, which number to call at night, and when you should go to an emergency department instead. Get it in writing. If you are abroad, also ask which hospital near your hotel to go to.

Which signs should you report to your surgical team?

The leaflets list these as reasons to make contact:

  • A persistent, excessive and smelly discharge, feeling feverish and unwell, or pain that keeps increasing despite your painkillers. Royal Berkshire says these may signal an infection and that untreated infection can start bleeding.
  • A sudden nosebleed, an injury to the nose, or the dressing coming off earlier than expected (Royal United Hospitals Bath).
  • Eye pain that gets worse with increasing swelling (Royal Berkshire).
  • Bleeding that continues beyond the timeframe in your own discharge instructions. Your surgeon’s team is the right place to ask when in doubt.

What do leaflets list as ways to lower bleeding risk?

Hospital leaflets commonly include these points, and they are worth confirming with your own surgeon because they differ:

  • Avoiding excessive head movements, bending forward, strenuous exercise and hot baths because they may cause bleeding (Hull). Royal Berkshire adds that hot drinks and very hot baths can dilate the blood vessels in the nose during the first 48 hours.
  • Avoiding alcohol. Royal Berkshire says for two weeks after surgery.
  • Aspirin. Royal Berkshire says it can affect clotting and increase the risk of bleeding. Always tell your surgeon about every medicine and supplement you take, and let them decide what to continue.

Our guides to post-op care in the first weeks, sleeping after rhinoplasty and what to do before nose surgery go into the rest.

Sources

All pages were opened and checked on 10 October 2026.