A doctor has claimed that picking your nose could lead to an unexpected side effect: a larger nose. Dr Ryan Vaughn, an ear, nose and throat specialist, said that the habit could reshape the cartilage inside the nose, potentially making it bigger.
In a TikTok video shared by Exhale Sinus, Dr Vaughn explained: "If you actually pick your nose you can start to push your septal cartilage over and you can start to reshape the lower lateral cartilages. You won't move the bone, but you'll actually create more space, at least on one side."
However, many viewers expressed scepticism. One commented: "There's no evidence that picking your nose makes it bigger. Normal finger pressure doesn't reshape nasal cartilage. At most, aggressive picking can cause irritation or injury, not growth or enlargement." Another added that severe, chronic picking could potentially stretch nostrils or damage tissue over time, but it is more likely to cause infections, nosebleeds, or septum issues than significant size change.
According to Healthline, nose picking is "unlikely to cause you any serious problems", but it may lead to complications such as infections from microscopic wounds caused by fingernails and nosebleeds. Research has also linked the habit to the transmission of bacteria, with one study connecting it to numerous pneumonia cases. Healthline further noted that constant or habitual picking can harm the nasal passages, potentially causing irritation and swelling, and over time may narrow the nostril openings. It may also compromise the septum, the structure of bone and cartilage that separates the nostrils.
