Nasal Vestibulitis: An Uncomfortable but Rarely Serious Infection (2025)

Nasal vestibulitis is an infection of the nostrils. This condition gets its name because it occurs in the nasal vestibule, the hair-covered area inside the nostrils.

Nasal vestibulitis can be caused by frequent nose blowing, plucking nose hairs, or nose-picking. It can cause your nose to become swollen, red, and painful. You might also notice a pimple, bumps, boils, or crusting inside your nostrils. Although the condition is uncomfortable, it’s not usually serious. However, in some rare cases, it can lead to complications.

Symptoms

Nasal vestibulitis can cause the nose to become inflamed or painful. This pain and irritation concentrate on the nasal vestibule, near the tip of your nose, and inside the nostrils. Common symptoms of nasal vestibulitis also include:

• Redness and swelling
• Pain, which can be severe
• Tenderness, particularly on the tip of the nose
• Pimples, bumps, or boils within the nose
• Crusting discharge in the nose

In rare cases, if your infection spreads, you may also experience fever, double vision, severe headaches, or increased white blood cell count.

Causes

Nasal vestibulitis most often results from a bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus. This is the most common cause of bacterial infection. The bacteria usually infect the nose after minor traumas to the nasal vestibule. Day-to-day activities can increase your risk for these minor cuts and openings in the skin, including:

• Blowing your nose often
• Picking your nose
• Plucking your nose hairs
• Wearing a nose ring

Risk Factors

Although anyone can get nasal vestibulitis, some people are more at risk than others. The condition is more likely in someone who has:

• An autoimmune condition such as lupus
• Diabetes
• Cancer, especially in people undergoing chemotherapy and/or targeted therapies
  

It also can occur due to environmental irritants, cold temperature, low humidity, or smoking.

Diagnosis

A healthcare provider can diagnose nasal vestibulitis by examining your nose and asking about your symptoms. Because the treatments for nasal vestibulitis may require a prescription, it’s best to see a healthcare provider if you think you have the condition.

Contact your healthcare provider if your symptoms aren't improving after a few days on antibiotics. If you are being treated for nasal vestibulitis and you develop a fever or redness and swelling that spreads to other parts of your face, call your healthcare provider. Keep in mind that other conditions, including nasal vestibular cancer, may need to be ruled out.

Treatment

Treatments for nasal vestibulitis focus on fighting the bacterial infection. The most common treatments include:

• An antibiotic ointment that is safe for use in the nose, such as mupirocin nasal ointment
• Topical mupirocin, a prescription antibiotic skin cream that treats skin infections
• Oral antibiotics, which can fight more widespread infection
• Warm compresses to treat pain

In some cases, you might require intravenous (IV) antibiotics administered by a healthcare provider or an assessment to see if surgery is needed.

Complications

In most cases, nasal vestibulitis is easy to treat and goes away independently. However, if the infection is severe, complications can develop. Some of these complications include:

• Facial cellulitis, a severe bacterial skin infection that requires oral antibiotic treatment. Symptoms of facial cellulitis include swelling of the face, fever, and difficulty swallowing.
• Abscesses that need draining by a healthcare provider. An abscess typically appears as a hard, swollen lesion that is tender, red, and warm to the touch.
• Cavernous sinus thrombosis, a potentially life-threatening blood clot in the sinuses. This condition may cause a bulging eyeball, drooping eyelids, and vision loss.

Prevention

Although nasal vestibulitis itself is not contagious, the bacteria that cause it can be. One way to prevent nasal vestibulitis is to wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your nose and face. That way, if you do come in contact with the bacteria, you won't transfer it into your nose.

Other ways you can avoid developing nasal vestibulitis include the following:

• Avoid picking your nose or picking at scabs in your nose.
• Don't pluck your nose hairs; instead, trim them with a clean pair of scissors.
• Avoid popping pimples or infected hair follicles in your nose.
• Try not to blow your nose too often.
• Keep the nose free of foreign bodies.
  

Summary

Nasal vestibulitis is a common infection that can make the nose red, inflamed, and sore. The infection most often happens when a common bacteria gets into minor cuts within the nasal vestibule. These openings in the skin can result from frequent nose blowing, picking the nose, or trimming nose hairs.

Nasal vestibulitis is rarely severe, especially when treated with antibiotic cream or oral antibiotics. Still, it's important to see a healthcare provider for diagnosis and watch for any complications.