Within days of rhinoplasty, many people notice they cannot smell coffee, perfume or food. For most, smell comes back as swelling settles. For a minority it does not, so it is worth knowing what the evidence says, and what to ask.

Key takeaways

  • A dulled sense of smell in the first weeks is common; in one 40-patient study, smell had returned to the pre-operative level by six months.
  • A change in smell is a listed risk of rhinoplasty. BAAPS says it can be permanent, and a 2026 meta-analysis of nasal surgery found surgery-induced reduced smell in 2.7% of cases.
  • Studies are small and mostly cover functional nasal surgery, so ask your surgeon what to expect for your operation.
  • If your smell has not returned when your surgeon expected, or you lose it completely, ask for a review.

Does rhinoplasty affect your sense of smell?

Yes, it can. The NHS lists an altered sense of smell among things that can occasionally go wrong after nose reshaping. BAAPS says some patients’ sense of smell, and sometimes taste, changes, and that this change can be permanent.

How often is the change lasting? A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis pooled 102 studies and 16,072 adults who had septoplasty, septorhinoplasty or turbinoplasty. Surgery-induced reduced smell (hyposmia) appeared in 2.7% of cases. Overall, though, smell scores were better after surgery and fewer patients had reduced smell (14.5% versus 22.2% before). The authors still concluded that nasal surgery may impair smell in a non-negligible number of patients. The review included septoplasty and turbinoplasty as well as septorhinoplasty, so not all were cosmetic nose jobs and the numbers are a guide, not a promise for your case.

How long does it take for smell to return?

Studies of rhinoplasty give a timeline in weeks to months:

  • In a 6-month study of 40 open rhinoplasty patients, 87.5% had lost smell completely at week one. By week six no one had complete loss, though 85% had mild to moderate reduction, and by six months smell was back to the pre-operative level.
  • A German study of 41 patients who had septoplasty or septorhinoplasty found smell thresholds after about 5.4 months were not significantly different from before surgery, and nasal airflow had improved.

These are small studies with specific groups, so your own course may differ. A reduced smell can last longer if swelling does. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons says swelling can take up to a year to fully settle.

Why does smell dull after surgery?

Smell needs air to reach the smell-sensing area high in the nose. After surgery the lining is swollen and crusts and dressings may block airflow; the NHS says you may need to breathe through your mouth for about a week, and BAAPS says difficulty breathing through the nose in the first week is common. That is the most usual explanation for early loss. BAAPS notes that taste can change too. Why some people have a lasting change is less clear, and the studies above do not settle it.

What should you do while it recovers?

Follow your surgeon’s nose-care plan, including how to clean the nose and when. BAAPS advises not blowing your nose and leaving crusts in the nostrils until your post-operative review, unless told otherwise. If you want to use saline spray or rinses, ask first and ask when. Our guides on cleaning your nose after rhinoplasty, reducing swelling and colds and flu after a nose job cover related routines.

One safety point: you may not smell smoke or gas as well as usual. People with reduced smell are often advised to check smoke alarms and to be careful with spoiled food while it lasts; ask your surgeon or GP if you are unsure.

When should you ask for a review?

Tell your surgeon if:

  • Smell has not started to return when you were told to expect it, or you lose it completely. Doctors can test smell objectively, as researchers do with standardized kits.
  • You notice a foul smell or discharge together with pain, redness, swelling or fever. BAAPS lists pain, redness, swelling and pus, and possibly a temperature, as signs of infection.
  • Your smell worsens after it had begun to recover.

Questions to ask your surgeon

  • How likely is a change in my sense of smell with my operation, and how long should I expect it to last?
  • When will you check it, and what will you do if it has not returned?
  • Is there anything in my nose, such as a past injury or sinus problems, that raises the chance of lasting change?
  • When may I use saline, and how should I clean the nose?
  • Who do I contact if my smell gets worse?

Sources

All pages were opened and checked on 10 October 2026.

  • NHS, Nose reshaping (rhinoplasty), last reviewed 22 September 2023.
  • British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, Rhinoplasty patient information.
  • American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Rhinoplasty recovery.
  • Favreau A et al. Olfactory Sequelae of Nasal Surgeries: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Journal of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, 2026;55. PubMed 41748274.
  • Shemshadi H, Azimian M, Onsori MA, Azizabadi Farahani M. Olfactory function following open rhinoplasty: A 6-month follow-up study. BMC Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders, 2008;8:6. PubMed 18831771.
  • Dürr J, Lindemann J, Keck T. Sense of smell before and after functional esthetic rhinoplasty. HNO, 2002;50(7):626-629. PubMed 12219671.