In this guide11 sections
A broken nose is the commonest facial fracture, and most heal without any lasting problem. But there is one complication that must be excluded in the first few days, and one window of time that determines whether the nose can be straightened simply or will need surgery later.
If you have just injured your nose, read the next section before anything else.
Go to A&E Today If Any of These Apply
A septal haematoma is blood collecting between the septal cartilage and its lining. The cartilage has no blood supply of its own — it is fed entirely by that lining. Cut it off and the cartilage dies within days, and the bridge of the nose later collapses into a saddle nose deformity that is far harder to correct than the original injury.
It is easily drained if caught early. Seek same-day assessment if you have:
- Complete blockage of one or both nostrils after the injury
- A soft swelling visible inside the nostril, on the septum
- Increasing pain or pressure over the bridge rather than improving
- Fever developing in the days after the injury
Also go to A&E, or call 999, for any of the following:
- Clear fluid dripping from the nose — this can indicate a skull base fracture with a leak of cerebrospinal fluid
- Bleeding you cannot stop after 20 minutes of firm pressure on the soft part of the nose
- Loss of consciousness, vomiting, confusion or severe headache — head injury
- Double vision, an eye that will not move properly, or numbness of the cheek — possible orbital fracture
- Neck pain after the injury
- Teeth that no longer meet properly — possible jaw or midface fracture
A nose is rarely broken in isolation. The force that breaks it can break other things.
How to Tell If Your Nose Is Broken
Broken nose symptoms
- Pain and tenderness, particularly on touching the bridge
- Swelling of the nose and often the surrounding area
- Nosebleed at the time of injury
- Bruising around both eyes — the classic black eyes, which appear over 24 to 48 hours as blood tracks under the skin. Alarming to look at, and not in itself a sign of a serious injury
- A visibly crooked or flattened nose
- Difficulty breathing through one or both sides
- A crunching or grating sensation when the nose is touched
The signs that actually indicate a fracture
Pain, swelling and a nosebleed happen with any blow to the nose, broken or not. The features that genuinely point to a fracture are:
- Visible deformity once swelling has settled
- A crunching sensation on gentle touch
- Movement of the nasal bones when touched
- New difficulty breathing on one side that does not resolve as swelling improves
Why you cannot judge it on day one
Swelling peaks at 24 to 72 hours and hides everything. A nose that looks badly displaced on the day of injury may look straight a week later, and one that looks fine may turn out to be deviated once the swelling goes.
This is the single most useful thing to know: reassess at five to seven days. That is when the shape becomes readable, and it is still inside the window when something can be done simply.
Broken nose cartilage symptoms
Cartilage injuries are separate from bony fractures and often missed. Damage to the septal cartilage or the lower lateral cartilages causes breathing difficulty, a change in tip shape or support, and sometimes a clicking sensation, without any obvious break in the bridge. A nose can be structurally injured with entirely normal-looking bones.
Do you need an X-ray?
Usually not. Plain X-rays of the nose are unreliable — they miss real fractures and show apparent ones that are not there, and they do not change management, which is based on how the nose looks and works rather than on the image.
CT is different, and is used where other facial fractures, orbital injury or head injury are suspected. If a hospital declines an X-ray of your nose, that is current practice rather than a brush-off.
The Timeline That Matters
- Day 0 — injury. Check for the red flags above. Ice, elevate, do not blow your nose.
- Days 1 to 3 — swelling peaks. The shape cannot be assessed. Nothing is done now unless there is a haematoma or other injury.
- Days 5 to 7 — swelling settles enough to see the true position. This is when to be assessed.
- Days 7 to 14 — the window for closed reduction, when the bones are still mobile enough to be repositioned without surgery.
- After 3 weeks — the bones have set. Correction now means septorhinoplasty rather than a simple manipulation.
In children the window is shorter, because bones heal faster — assessment within a few days rather than a week.
If you are reading this on day four and your nose looks crooked, this week is the week to get it seen.
What to Do for a Broken Nose at Home
These measures manage symptoms while you arrange assessment. They do not replace it.
- Ice — a cold pack wrapped in a cloth, 15 to 20 minutes at a time, several times daily for the first 48 hours. Not directly on the skin.
- Keep your head elevated, including propped up on extra pillows overnight, to reduce swelling.
- Paracetamol for pain. Avoid ibuprofen and aspirin for the first 48 hours where there has been bleeding, as they increase it. This is not mentioned on most pages and it matters.
- Do not blow your nose for at least a week. Forcing air through a fresh fracture can push it into the tissues around the eye.
- Sneeze with your mouth open.
- Do not attempt to straighten it yourself. You cannot judge the position through swelling, you will cause bleeding, and you risk converting a simple fracture into a worse one.
- Avoid contact sport until cleared — usually six weeks.
Broken Nose Treatment
No treatment
Where the nose is not displaced, breathing is normal and the shape is unchanged, nothing needs doing. The bone heals on its own. A broken nose does heal by itself — the question is whether it heals straight, and that is what assessment determines.
Closed reduction
Manual repositioning of the nasal bones without any incision. Performed under local anaesthetic with sedation, or under TIVA, taking around 15 to 30 minutes. A splint is worn for about a week afterwards.
Timing is everything: after roughly two to three weeks the bones are no longer mobile enough. Results are good for simple displaced fractures and less reliable where the septum is significantly deviated, because a closed reduction addresses the bones rather than the septum.
Septorhinoplasty
Where the window has passed, where the septum is deviated, or where a first attempt has not held, correction means surgery — straightening the septum and repositioning or reshaping the external nose together. This is usually done at least three to six months after the injury, once everything has settled.
It is the same operation used to correct a nose that healed crooked years ago. See septorhinoplasty, septoplasty and rhinoplasty.
How Long Does a Broken Nose Take to Heal?
- Week 1 — bruising and black eyes at their worst, then fading.
- Week 2 — bruising largely gone, splint removed if one was worn.
- Weeks 3 to 4 — bones stable, most people back to normal activity and work.
- Week 6 — contact sport and activities with any risk of another blow.
- Months 3 to 6 — residual swelling resolves and the final shape becomes apparent.
Where surgery was performed, add the recovery from that. See rhinoplasty recovery.
Long-term symptoms of a broken nose
Most heal completely. Where problems persist beyond a few months, they are usually one of the following, and each is treatable:
- A deviated septum causing persistent one-sided blockage — the commonest long-term consequence
- A visibly crooked nose that did not straighten
- Nasal valve collapse where the sidewall was weakened
- A septal perforation, usually following an undrained haematoma
- Saddle nose deformity, from cartilage loss
- Recurrent nosebleeds or crusting
- Reduced sense of smell, which occasionally follows head or nasal injury
- Snoring or disturbed sleep from persistent nasal obstruction — see snoring and sleep apnoea
Broken Nose and the NHS
Acute assessment and treatment of a broken nose is NHS care. Go to A&E or an urgent treatment centre. Closed reduction within the two-week window is routinely provided, and many hospitals run a dedicated nasal fracture clinic for review at around five to seven days.
Later correction of a nose that healed crooked is treated differently. Where there is documented functional obstruction, septoplasty or septorhinoplasty may be funded, subject to local threshold criteria. Correction for appearance alone is not funded.
Private assessment is worth considering mainly for timing — the window for closed reduction is short, and being seen within a week matters more here than in almost any other nasal condition.
Cost
Cost depends on whether closed reduction under anaesthetic or full septorhinoplasty is required, and on the complexity of the correction. Your exact cost is confirmed in writing after in-person consultation and examination. Finance is available through Chrysalis Finance, subject to status — see our finance options.
Broken Nose FAQs
How do I know if my nose is broken?
Pain, swelling and a nosebleed occur with any blow. The features suggesting a fracture are visible deformity once swelling settles, a crunching sensation on touch, movement of the nasal bones, and new one-sided breathing difficulty. Assessment at five to seven days is the reliable way to tell.
What does a broken nose look like?
Either normal, if it is not displaced, or crooked, shifted to one side, or flattened and widened across the bridge. Bruising around both eyes is common. Swelling in the first three days conceals the true shape.
Will a broken nose heal on its own?
Yes, the bone heals by itself. The question is whether it heals straight. An undisplaced fracture needs nothing; a displaced one heals in its displaced position unless repositioned within about two weeks.
How long does a broken nose take to heal?
Bruising settles over one to two weeks, the bones are stable at three to four weeks, contact sport is allowed at six weeks, and residual swelling resolves over three to six months. Bone heals in weeks; appearance takes months.
What should I do immediately after breaking my nose?
Apply ice wrapped in a cloth for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, keep your head elevated, take paracetamol, and avoid blowing your nose. Check for the red flags above, and arrange assessment at around five to seven days if the nose looks or feels changed.
Should I take ibuprofen for a broken nose?
Paracetamol is preferable in the first 48 hours where there has been bleeding, as ibuprofen and aspirin increase it. After that, ibuprofen is reasonable for pain and swelling unless you have been advised otherwise.
Can I set my own broken nose?
No. You cannot judge the position through swelling, you will cause bleeding, and you risk making a simple fracture worse. Repositioning is done under anaesthetic for good reason.
Do I need an X-ray for a broken nose?
Usually not. Plain X-rays are unreliable for nasal fractures and do not change treatment, which is based on appearance and function. CT is used where other facial fractures, orbital injury or head injury are suspected.
How long do I have to get a broken nose fixed?
Closed reduction is generally possible for around two to three weeks after the injury, and is best performed between days seven and fourteen once swelling has settled. Beyond that the bones have set and correction requires surgery.
Can a broken nose be fixed after two weeks?
Not by manipulation. It can still be corrected, but through septorhinoplasty, usually at least three to six months after the injury once everything has settled.
What is a septal haematoma?
Blood collecting between the septal cartilage and its lining after injury. It cuts off the cartilage’s blood supply, and if not drained within days the cartilage dies and the bridge later collapses. Suspect it if a nostril is completely blocked after injury, or if there is a soft swelling visible inside the nose.
Can you fly with a broken nose?
Usually yes once bleeding has stopped and any urgent problem is excluded, though cabin pressure changes can be uncomfortable with a congested nose. Flying is generally avoided in the first week or two after nasal surgery or packing, and after a head injury you should be cleared first. If in doubt, check with the treating clinician rather than the airline.
Why do I have two black eyes from a broken nose?
Blood from the fracture tracks under the thin skin around the eyes, producing bruising on both sides over 24 to 48 hours. It looks dramatic and is not in itself a sign of serious injury, though bruising with double vision, an eye that will not move properly, or cheek numbness needs urgent assessment.
Is a broken nose ABH or GBH?
This is a legal question rather than a medical one, and it depends on the circumstances rather than the diagnosis. In England and Wales a broken nose is commonly charged as actual bodily harm under section 47 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, with grievous bodily harm reserved for really serious harm. Charging decisions rest with the police and CPS. If you have been assaulted, seek medical assessment, and take legal advice from a solicitor or Citizens Advice rather than relying on general information.
What is the difference between a broken nose and a fractured nose?
There is none — they are the same thing. Doctors describe nasal fractures as displaced or undisplaced, which is the distinction that actually affects treatment.
My nose healed crooked years ago. Can it still be fixed?
Yes. Septorhinoplasty corrects both the external shape and the septum, and there is no time limit. Where breathing is affected as well as appearance, both are addressed in the same operation.
What about broken capillaries on my nose?
That is an entirely different thing — small visible surface blood vessels, also called thread veins or spider veins, usually related to skin type, sun exposure or rosacea rather than injury. See nose thread vein removal.
Nasal Injury Assessment at Centre for Surgery
If you have injured your nose, the priorities are excluding a septal haematoma and other facial injuries first, then assessing the shape and airway once swelling has settled.
Our ENT surgeon and rhinologist assesses both the external shape and the internal airway, because a nose that looks straight can still have a deviated septum, and correcting one without the other produces a disappointed patient.
Where you are still within the reduction window we will say so, and where the honest answer is that the nose has healed well enough not to need anything, we will say that too.
All surgery is performed by GMC-registered surgeons at our own day-surgery facility at 95–97 Baker Street, Marylebone. We are regulated by the Care Quality Commission and rated Good overall. We recommend a two-week cooling-off period before any surgery is booked.
For an acute injury, A&E or an urgent treatment centre is the right place to go first. We are not an emergency service.
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Email: contact@centreforsurgery.com
Address: 95–97 Baker Street, Marylebone, London W1U 6RN
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Related Reading
- Septorhinoplasty
- Deviated septum
- Septoplasty
- Saddle nose deformity
- Septal perforation
- Nasal valve collapse
- Nasal turbinates
- Nasal synechiae
- Rhinoplasty
- Revision rhinoplasty
- Rhinoplasty recovery
- Nose shapes
- Nose thread vein removal
