How to Remove Nose Hairs Easy Without Pain
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Nose hair has its place, and it is inside the nose, not on the outside. In this guide, we show the disadvantages of removing the nose hair completely, plus how you can rather trim them easily and without pain.
Why do we have Hair Inside our Noses?
Nose hairs are the safe-keepers of the nostrils: they stop foreign particles from entering our airways. The nasal hairs collect moisture so that dust, pollen, spores, viruses, and bacteria stick to the hairs instead of continuing into the airways and causing us trouble.
There are two types of nose hair:
- Nasal hair: Strong, stiff hair that traps particles at the tip/ beginning of the nostrils.
- Cilia: Small hairs further inside the nasal cavity that collect mucus and carry trapped particles down the throat where they do less damage than in the lungs.
The nasal hairs are the ones we can see and trim or remove. In the rest of this article, we will refer to them simply as “nose hair”.
How to get rid of Nose Hair
The length of the nose hair varies from person to person. For many of us, they can curl up out of our nostrils and should be removed. Fortunately, there are gentle ways to trim nose hair, both electrically and manually. Whatever tools or techniques you decide to use, you should use the following method:
- Only trim the hair just inside the nostril. If you trim too much, you ruin the function of the nose hair.
- When trimming ear hair, you should only take visible hair outside the ear canal. If you insert the trimmer into the ear canal, you can cause damage to your hearing.
- Keep the equipment clean – old hair is a breeding ground for bacteria. Manual trimmers can be cleaned in running water, and electric nose and ear hair trimmers should be cleaned with a brush unless the manufacturer says otherwise.
- Blow your nose well both before and after trimming. Before trimming to get rid of mucus/ runny nose, and after trimming to get rid of cut hair that can otherwise itch and cause irritation.
Avoid Tweezing
Tweezing lasts longer than trimming. The hair follicle must make the hair completely from scratch, so it can seem tempting to pick away annoying nose hair.
However, we would advise you not to do this. The reason is:
- The nasal hairs have a biological function. Studies suggest that the risk of asthma increases if you remove the nose hair instead of just trimming it, and allergies can worsen.
- There are bacteria around your nose hair at all times. Plucking nasal hairs increases the risk of the bacteria going down into the hair follicle and causing an infection. Hair that is plucked can also grow out crooked (ingrown hairs) and the hair follicle becomes inflamed.
The Danger Triangle of the Face
Otolaryngologists refer to the area from the bridge of the nose to the corners of the mouth as the danger triangle.
Infections in this area are more dangerous than elsewhere in the body since the blood vessels that carry blood from the nose are connected to the blood vessels that carry blood from the brain. In extreme cases, an infection in the nose can follow the blood vessels and spread to the brain or spine.
The risk of such a spread is low but can pose a real challenge for people with weakened immune systems. Most related infections today are treated with antibiotics.
Fortunately, trimming is not associated with any danger: Since the hair is cut a bit up, the hair follicle is still sealed and you risk neither inflammation nor infection.
Ruiru Kibet
Ruiru Kibet is passionate about beard care and male grooming. He believes it’s an art form and is happy to share his insight with men across the globe. He’s into wet shaving and evidence-based grooming, a passion that helps him analyze men’s grooming brands, products, and wet shaving practices presenting you with the best recommendations and advice.