Why Does the Skin Around My Nostrils Split?

If the skin around your nostrils keeps splitting, cracking, or feeling sore, the most common explanation is that the skin barrier has become dry, irritated, or inflamed. The area moves constantly when you talk, smile, wipe your nose, or breathe through nasal congestion, so even a small amount of irritation can turn into a painful little fissure.

Several different factors can contribute, including dry weather, frequent nose blowing, skincare products, eczema or contact dermatitis, and sometimes infection. Because these possibilities can look similar, recurring or worsening cracks are worth having evaluated rather than repeatedly treating them at home without knowing the cause.

Quick answer

• Dryness and friction can weaken the delicate skin around the nostrils and make it easier to split.
• Frequent wiping or nose blowing can repeatedly disturb the skin barrier.
• Eczema or contact dermatitis can cause redness, scaling, irritation, and cracking in facial skin.
• Infection can sometimes contribute, especially when there is increasing tenderness, crusting, drainage, or spreading redness.
• If the area keeps returning, becomes very painful, or does not improve with gentle care, a dermatologist can evaluate the cause.

Why does the skin around the nostrils crack so easily?

The skin where the nostrils meet the face is thin, flexible, and exposed to frequent movement. It also comes into contact with tissues, fingers, nasal drainage, cleansers, skincare products, makeup, sunscreen, and environmental changes. When the protective outer skin barrier loses moisture or becomes irritated, tiny fissures can form. Each time the area stretches, those fissures may reopen before the skin has had a chance to recover.

This is one reason a small crack beside the nose can seem surprisingly persistent. The location is difficult to leave completely undisturbed, particularly during allergy season, a cold, or periods of frequent nasal congestion.

Common causes and triggers

• Dry skin: Air conditioning, low humidity, sun exposure, travel, and changes in climate can leave facial skin feeling tight and fragile.
• Frequent wiping: Repeated use of tissues or rubbing the nose can create mechanical irritation.
• Runny nose or allergies: Moisture from nasal drainage followed by repeated wiping can irritate the surrounding skin.
• Harsh skincare: Exfoliating acids, retinoids, scrubs, fragranced products, acne treatments, and strong cleansers may irritate sensitive skin around the nose.
• Contact dermatitis: A product touching the area may trigger an irritant or allergic reaction in some people.
• Eczema: Eczema can involve dry, inflamed, itchy, or cracked skin and may affect facial areas.
• Infection: Cracked skin can sometimes become secondarily infected, and certain infections can also create soreness, crusting, or irritation around the nostrils.

What can you do at home?

For mild irritation without concerning symptoms, a simple approach is usually gentler than adding more active skincare. Consider pausing exfoliating acids, retinoids, scrubs, and fragranced products directly around the affected area while the skin is irritated. Wash gently with lukewarm water and a mild cleanser rather than scrubbing.

A bland, fragrance-free moisturizer or simple protective ointment applied to the external skin may help reduce moisture loss and friction. Avoid picking peeling skin or repeatedly touching the crack. If frequent nose blowing is contributing, using soft tissues and blotting rather than rubbing may be more comfortable.

Products intended for facial skin should generally stay on the external skin unless a clinician specifically recommends otherwise. Persistent cracking inside the nostril deserves medical evaluation rather than experimentation with skincare products.

When professional evaluation may help

A dermatologist can examine the pattern, location, and surrounding skin to help distinguish simple irritation from eczema, contact dermatitis, infection, or another skin condition. Depending on the suspected cause, professional care may involve adjusting skincare, identifying possible irritants or allergens, or discussing prescription treatment when appropriate.

The goal is not simply to close the crack temporarily, but to understand why the skin barrier keeps breaking down. This can be especially useful when the same spot repeatedly splits despite gentle moisturizing and reduced friction.

When should you see a dermatologist?

Consider scheduling an evaluation if the cracking is persistent, repeatedly returns, or is becoming more uncomfortable. It is also worth getting checked if you notice increasing redness, warmth, swelling, tenderness, yellow or honey-colored crusting, drainage, bleeding that is difficult to control, sores extending inside the nostril, or irritation that is spreading.

If you are unsure whether the problem is simple dryness or something that needs treatment, a dermatologist can evaluate it directly. Facial rashes and fissures can have overlapping appearances, so an examination is often more useful than trying to identify the cause from symptoms alone.

FAQ

Can dry skin make the sides of my nostrils split?

Yes. Dryness can weaken the skin barrier, and the constant movement and friction around the nose may then make small cracks more likely to form or reopen.

Can blowing my nose too much cause cracks?

Frequent wiping and nose blowing can irritate the skin, especially during allergies, colds, or other periods of nasal drainage. Repeated friction may contribute to redness, tenderness, and fissures.

Could skincare products be causing the irritation?

They may be contributing. Retinoids, exfoliating acids, acne treatments, scrubs, fragrance, and other irritating ingredients can be difficult for sensitive skin around the nose to tolerate. Contact dermatitis is another possibility when irritation follows exposure to a particular product.

Is cracking around the nose always eczema?

No. Eczema is one possible explanation, but dryness, friction, contact dermatitis, skincare irritation, and infection can produce overlapping symptoms. A dermatologist can evaluate recurrent or unclear cases.

Why does the same crack keep coming back?

The area may be repeatedly exposed to the same trigger, such as friction, dryness, nasal drainage, or an irritating product. An underlying inflammatory skin condition can also contribute. If the same area continues to split, an evaluation can help identify what is preventing the skin barrier from staying intact.

This article is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. For diagnosis and personalized treatment, please book an appointment with a board-certified dermatologist.

Sources & further reading

• American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) – Eczema Resource Center
• DermNet – Atopic dermatitis (Atopic Eczema): Symptoms and Causes