Get Rid of Nose Hair

Your nose hair is there to help you. A thick barrier of hair keeps bugs, bacteria, and other foreign contaminants out of your airways while allowing air to flow unobstructed. Sometimes, however, it's just too much. There's nothing wrong with keeping your nose hair in check if it sprouts wildly and noticeably from your nostrils, but be careful not to remove too much hair lest you compromise your immune system. Trimming, as a rule, is safer than plucking, and you should only remove the hair that actually sticks out of your nose.

Steps

Trimming with Scissors

  1. Find a sanitary pair of scissors. The tip of the scissors should be small enough to fit comfortably into your nostril, and the blades should be sharp enough to sever a hair cleanly with a single snip. Avoid using shared or communal scissors. Avoid using wavy "craft scissors", and avoid using dull, rounded children's scissors. You don't want to wrestle with your nose hairs, nor accidentally pull them out; you want the trimming process to be as neat and as smooth as possible.
    • Use special trimming scissors, if you can find them. Trimming scissors have a rounded tip that's designed specifically for safely trimming hair in sensitive places like noses and ears. You can find facial hair trimming scissors in the cosmetics section of many drugstores, department stores, and personal-care stores.
    • Clean the handles and blades of your scissors with water and antibacterial soap, and towel them dry before you use them. Consider using antiseptic to sterilize the scissors: if they have been used before, especially by other people, they might carry germs and bacteria that you don't want to inhale.
  2. Avoid trimming when you're sick. Make sure that your nose is clean and dry. Blow your nose beforehand, if need be, to remove any gunk. If you're battling a cold, a flu, or any other sinus-related infection, wait until the sickness subsides before you try to trim away your nose hairs: if you clear too many hairs, you may give new contaminants an easy passage into your already-compromised immune system.
  3. Stand in front of a well-lit mirror. Make sure that you have a place to dispose of the hairs that you snip--a sink, a waste bin, or a disposable towel will do. Make sure that the lights are bright enough to clearly see into your nostrils: good lighting helps you see the lighter hairs that may be sticking out of your nose.
    • You may need to get close to the mirror to see enough detail. Try using a magnifying mirror or a hand-held mirror to get the right angle.
    • Nose hairs may stick to the scissors as you trim, and you don't want to wipe them directly back into your nostril. Keep a tissue, napkin, or towel on hand to wipe the scissors down. If you have access to a sink, you can rinse the tweezers clean of any clinging hair after each snip.
  4. Snip the hairs that drive you crazy, but don't trim away everything. Try to snip only the most visible hairs: the hairs near the rim of your nostril, and any large hairs that noticeably protrude from your nose. Smile at yourself in the mirror--or push your nose straight up with your finger--to reveal nose hairs that don't poke out otherwise. Trim only what you absolutely need to trim. Your nose hairs serve an important function by protecting your body from infection, and removing nose hair completely could have negative side effects.[1]
  5. Carefully clip the longest protruding hairs. Line the tip of the scissors up with any thick bunches or particularly long hairs, make sure that your skin is clear of the blades, and snip with a gentle but decisive motion. Find the roots of the longest hairs, and trim them closely so they'll take longer to grow back. Only cut the hairs that people will notice: the hairs that stick out directly from your nose. Resist the urge to completely clear out your nostrils.
    • Be gentle when sticking the scissors into your nasal canal. Never shove the trimming scissors into your nose: you can do a lot of damage--and put yourself at further risk of infection--if you slice open your nasal passage. Watch your hand and the scissors closely, even if the scissors are rounded at the tip.
    • Trim until you're satisfied with your appearance. Smile at yourself in the mirror, again, and trim any hairs that stick out. If you look at yourself straight-on in the mirror and you can't see any obvious nose hairs, then you've probably done enough. Bear in mind that you may judge your appearance harshly than others do.
    • Dispose of the nose hair trimmings as you go. Hairs may stick to the scissors blades. You can rinse the hairs down the drain with water, or you can wipe them off of the scissors with a tissue, napkin, or towel.
  6. Clean up. Throw away your nose hair trimmings, or wash them down the drain. Blow your nose to expel any clinging hair trimmings--and consider cleaning out your nostril with a tissue, a sanitary wipe, or a nasal spray. Clean up any stray trimmings that have fallen onto the sink, the counter, or the floor. Wipe the scissors with antiseptic before you put them away, or at the very least wash them with soap and water. This is especially important if you used communal scissors: would you want to use scissors that had just been up someone's nose?

Trimming with a Nose Hair Trimmer

  1. Buy a nose hair trimmer. This is a more expensive option, but it's the quickest and the safest. Decide whether you want an electric trimmer or a manual trimmer. Electric trimmers are quicker and more efficient, but manual trimmers don't need electricity to work, and they may not tickle your nose so much as the vibrating electric models. You should be able to find a trimmer at a pharmacy or department store for less than $20 USD. Some trimmers even come with attachments that help you shave eyebrows, beards, and other facial hair.
    • Manual trimmers don't require batteries or a plug, and they tend to avoid the tickling sensation that results from the vibrating electric models. Instead, manual trimmers use a simple spring-loaded "punch" mechanism to trim hairs from your nose--something like a single hole-punch or a pair of wire cutters.[2] You will need to use two hands to operate most manual trimmers.
    • Electric trimmers cut hairs quickly and efficiently, and most can be used with one hand. Some trimmers are battery-powered (and hence, cordless), while others must be plugged into an outlet. Some electric trimmers feature a rotating blade that spins in one continuous direction, while other trimmers work with an oscillating blade that rotates from left to right. Neither option works significantly better or worse than the other.[3]
  2. Avoid trimming when you're sick. Make sure that your nose is clean and dry. Blow your nose beforehand, if need be, to remove any gunk. If you're battling a cold, a flu, or any other sinus-related infection, wait until the sickness subsides before you try to trim away your nose hairs: if you clear too many hairs, you may give new contaminants an easy passage into your already-compromised immune system.
  3. Stand in front of a well-lit mirror. Make sure that the lights are bright enough to clearly see into your nostrils: good lighting helps you see the lighter hairs that may be sticking out of your nose. You may need to get close to the mirror to see enough detail. Try using a magnifying mirror or a hand-held mirror to get the right angle. Keep a towel on hand to wipe your face when you're done, and keep tissues on hand to clean the trimmings out of your nostrils.
  4. Buzz the hair that peeks out from your nostril. Tilt your head back and carefully insert the nose trimmer, looking into the mirror for accuracy. Try gently pulling down your upper lip to open up the nasal passage. The trimmer should fit comfortably; don't push it all the way in. Stir the trimmer in a slow circular motion, moving up and down the nostril.
    • Your trimmer shouldn't hurt you or cut your skin--especially not an electric trimmer. The blades are covered such that they buzz nose hair close, but never actually touch the skin. Some trimmers, however--especially the manual variety--may occasionally (and painfully) yank a hair from the root.
    • Be careful not to insert the trimmer too deeply in your nose. You only want to trim the hairs peeking out below your nose--the ones that people will notice. Leave the rest of the hair alone to help protect you from bacteria.
    • Buzz until you're satisfied with your appearance. The trimming shouldn't take you long--perhaps only a matter of seconds. If you aren't sure, pull the trimmer from your nostril and inspect the situation in the mirror.
  5. Trim the hairs that drive you crazy, but don't remove everything. Try to trim only the most visible hairs: the hairs near the rim of your nostril, and any large hairs that noticeably protrude from your nose. Smile at yourself in the mirror--or push your nose straight up with your finger--to reveal nose hairs that don't poke out otherwise. Trim only what you absolutely need to trim. Your nose hairs serve an important function by protecting your body from infection, and removing nose hair completely could have negative side effects.
  6. Clean up when you're finished. Clean the nose hair trimmer, clean your face, and wipe up any stray nose hair trimmings that have spilled onto the sink, the counter, or the floor.
    • You can clean most manual nose hair trimmers by rinsing the blades with running water, but many electric trimmers are not wet/dry capable. Wipe an electric trimmer clean with a moist or dry towel, and be careful not to submerge it in water. Unplug or switch off electric trimmers before wiping them clean.
    • Use a towel to wipe off any hair that's fallen onto your face. Lightly blow your nose into a tissue to catch any remaining trimmings--and consider cleaning out your nostril with a tissue, a sanitary wipe, or a nasal spray.
    • Use a towel, tissue, or sponge to clean stray hairs from any surfaces. Dispose of your cleaning tool or wash it clean.

Plucking with Tweezers

  1. Consider trimming instead of plucking. Many doctors advise against plucking nose hairs: not only can plucking be much more painful than trimming, but it may leave your nasal passage vulnerable to dangerous contaminants and bacterial infections. If you do decide to pluck, be judicious with the tweezers and don't pluck everything.[4]
    • Keep in mind that nose hairs serve an important biological function: they grow so thickly in order to prevent bacteria and other foreign contaminants from entering your nasal passage. When you clear away the majority of your nose hairs, you open yourself up to infection.[5]
    • When you pluck a hair from your nose, the tender hole that the plucked hair leaves behind can easily become infected by any bacteria--including potentially dangerous Staph bacteria--that happen to be lurking in your nostril. It is rare for serious infections to take root in the wake of plucking, but it is always a risk. If you notice redness, oozing, or a non-healing sore in your nose, ask your doctor to test you for infection.
  2. Find a sanitary pair of tweezers. Ideally, they should be small enough to fit comfortably into your nostril, but not so small that they're flimsy. Clean your tweezers with water and antibacterial soap, and towel them dry before you use them.
    • Consider using antiseptic to sterilize the tweezers: if they have been used before, especially by other people, they might carry germs and bacteria that you don't want to inhale.
    • Consider Make Your Own Nose Hair Plucker using a metal spring. This design may enable you to pull out many hairs at once, but it won't necessary alleviate the pain or protect you from infection.
  3. Don't pluck when you're sick. Make sure that your nose is clean and dry. Blow your nose beforehand, if need be, to remove any gunk. If you're battling a cold, a flu, or any other sinus-related infection, wait until the sickness subsides before you try to pluck your nose hairs: not only will the procedure further irritate your nasal passage, but it may give other contaminants a ready passage into your already-compromised immune system.
  4. Stand in front of a well-lit mirror. Make sure that you have a place to dispose of the hairs that you pluck--a sink, a waste bin, or a disposable towel will do. Make sure that the lights are bright enough to clearly see into your nostrils: good lighting helps you see the lighter hairs that may be sticking out of your nose.
    • You may need to get up close to the mirror to see enough detail. Try using a magnifying mirror or a hand-held mirror to get the right angle.
    • Nose hairs may stick to the tweezers as you pluck. Keep a tissue, napkin, or towel on hand to wipe the tweezers down. If you have access to a sink, you can rinse the tweezers clean of any clinging hair after each pluck.
  5. Pluck the hairs that drive you crazy, but don't remove everything. Try to pluck only the most visible hairs: the hairs near the rim of your nostril, and any large hairs that noticeably protrude from your nose. Smile at yourself in the mirror to reveal nose hairs that don't poke out otherwise. Resist the temptation to pluck hairs toward the back of your nostril, and by all means leave most of your hairs intact. Again, your nose hairs serve an important function by protecting your body from infection, and removing nose hair completely could have negative side effects.
  6. Pluck any offending nose hairs. Focus first on one nostril, and then move on to the other. Stick the tweezers directly into your nose, but not so far up that it's painful. Grip each hair firmly at the root and give it a quick, sharp tug. Wipe the hairs off onto a clean tissue, or rinse them off of the tweezers with water.
    • Be prepared for sharp, fleeting pain--it hurts to pull out any hair, but the skin inside your nose is especially sensitive. Make quick, purposeful plucks, and give yourself a few moments for the pain to subside between each tug.
    • Your eyes will water, and you may feel a sudden urge to sneeze. A sneeze is a muscular twitch that expels airborne irritants from your nostrils. When you pluck a nose hair, it can irritate the skin of your nostril and trigger the "expel airborne irritant" response. You can push your tongue against the roof of your mouth to suppress the urge to sneeze, or you can just let the sneeze happen.
    • Consider numbing the pain: you can use a quick-acting topical analgesic like IcyHot, or you can try sticking a small ice cube up your nostril for 20-60 seconds. Be aware that if you can't feel any pain, you may pluck so much that your nose hurts later on.
  7. Pluck until you're satisfied with your appearance. Remember: you may be scrutinizing your own face much more closely and critically than everyone else see your face. When you're finished, clean the tweezers: wipe them with antiseptic or wash them with soap and water. Blow your nose to expel any hairs that you missed--and consider cleaning out your nostril with a tissue, a sanitary wipe, or a nasal spray. Clean up any stray hairs that have fallen onto the sink, the counter, or the floor.

Tips

  • If you continue to struggle with a serious nose hair problem, consider laser hair removal. Bear in mind that this process will permanently remove all of your nose hair. Thus, you may need to take daily precautions (e.g. surgical masks or nose plugs) to keep foreign materials out of your nasal passage. Consult a licensed physician.

Warnings

  • Be extremely cautious when using sharp scissors: one twitch of the hand is enough to send the blades painfully up your nostril.
  • Avoid plucking your nasal hair. Doing so may open up the follicles to infection.
  • Nose hair trimmers are designed not to cut directly on the skin. This means that they should not cause any bleeding. If you bleed, chances are that you're applying too much pressure. Visit a doctor to check for infection.

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.nysinuscenter.com/2011/02/nose-hair-sinus-cili
  2. ↑ https://noseclippers01.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/recommendations-to-buy-the-finest-nose-hair-trimmer/
  3. ↑ http://www.askmen.com/fashion/fashiontip_150/184b_fashion_advice.html
  4. ↑ http://www.drjessicawu.com/newsletters/nose-hairs-to-pluck-or-not-to-pluck-2
  5. ↑ http://amarillo.com/stories/2007/02/19/fea_6813812.shtml

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