Nose hairs are light-colored, delicate strands of hair found in nostrils. Other than looking aesthetically unappealing, excessive nose hair can also obstruct the airflow. Furthermore, it may cause inflammation or infection when it grows inward and becomes entangled in the mucus membrane. This is why nose hair needs to be trimmed regularly so that it doesn’t accumulate and hence becomes ugly to look at. Read on to learn more.
How Long Does It Take for Nose Hairs to Grow Back?
Generally speaking, nose hairs grow back in about three weeks’ time. However, how long they take to grow back depends on several factors, including the number of times that their growth has been stunted and how much painful damage and trauma in general to which they have been subjected in this short period of time.
Should You Remove Your Nose Hair?
Since nose hairs are said to serve many useful purposes, it is arguable that there are actually no reasons whatsoever for you to want to remove them. Nevertheless, should you wish to remove them anyway, make sure that you do so with the utmost care and caution possible.
For one thing, if you yank out your nose hairs unsympathetically or even forcefully enough were plucking them would have sufficed just as well, this could lead to traumatic experiences which can trigger their stunted growth in the future.
Personal taste aside if you remove the nasal hair, you will be allowing particles and germs access to your nostrils, and they may easily cause an infection. Nasal hair is there to filter air and keep out dust, pollen, germs, viruses, bacteria, etc. It works much like the lungs. If you remove the hair, you are open to all of these particles that can cause nasal infections or allergies.
The only time that you should consider removing them is if they are causing problems with breathing or growing out very long or thick. Otherwise, I would leave them be.
Nasal vestibular discomfort and ingrown hairs can also occur if improperly dealt with.
Nasal vestibular is a skin in the nasal ala (lateral border) that becomes inflamed and itchy. It can become infected, which can lead to scarring and deformity of the nose. Symptoms include redness, itching, pain with sneezing or blowing your nose, crusting over the inner part of the nose, and firm tender swelling along the alar margin.
Ingrown hairs occur when hair proceeds through the epidermis and into the dermis rather than exiting via normal means: pores or hair follicles. This then forms an “ingrown” hair that may cause scarring and infection if not treated properly.
How to Get Rid of Nose Hair?
If you feel that the nose hair is a nuisance, there are several options for how to get rid of it. One simple option is to use tweezers. Plucking out all of the hairs with tweezers may be difficult if they are very close to each other or clustered together, but this technique works well for many people.
When using tweezers to pluck any nose hair remember not to yank them out because you might end up ripping them at their base instead of pulling them out from the root completely. This could cause bleeding and pain until your nose gets acclimated.
Visible nose hair can also be cut off using scissors, although please remember not to do so too often as this method can cause shock-like bleeding and pain at first until your nose gets used to the irritation.
How to trim nose hair with scissors? To trim nose hair with scissors, it is recommended that you use either small manicure or eyebrow scissors.
Do not forget to sterilize the blades by wiping them down with rubbing alcohol before and after every cut just as a precautionary safety measure. To reduce any risk of bleeding and pain, try cutting the hairs right at the base of your nostril just above where they enter into your nasal cavity.
You can then use tweezers to pluck out the shorter ones that may have only been nicked during this process. This works best if you do so as soon as possible after each snip so as to prevent too much regrowth from happening in between cuts.
Nose hair trimmers — while expensive and designed mainly for men — can also be used. If you don’t want to spend the extra money on a nose hair trimmer, make sure that you keep your nasal hairs short and trimmed instead (again, with tweezers or scissors).
A trimmer is a safer option and is what we recommend. It works best for those with sensitive skin or who are too afraid to try tweezing their nose hairs. It’s also the go-to product of many adults because it can be used alone, without having to depend on another person to help you out — unless they’re willing, of course!
But whatever method of how to get rid of nose hair that you choose, remember not to pluck it out if it is close to the skin as this could cause unwanted bleeding and pain.
When Not to Remove Nose Hair?
If you have ever had nose bleeds or feel that your nasal hairs are causing any discomfort, then it’s best to leave the problem alone and consult a doctor instead about how to remove nose hair. If left untreated, your nose hair may cause problems such as folliculitis (inflammation of individual hair follicles), inflammation of sebaceous glands and skin rashes around the nostrils.
Such conditions may become infected and result in abscesses if left untreated, so please try visiting a doctor sooner rather than later.
Final Words
While nose hair is considered unsightly by many, it plays an important role in our everyday lives. Without them acting as filters, dust, debris, and microbes might enter our nasal cavities. While nose hair is not typically harmful, it can become problematic when they begin to grow out of control. If you choose to trim them then remember that nose hair grows back to its previous size in about three weeks.
Removing those that are visible may be facilitated through the use of tweezers and/or scissors, but trimmers (which come in both manual and battery-operated varieties) are also available for either convenience or personal use. Whichever method you choose, please remember to clean the instruments before and after use. Trimming nose hair is akin to trimming below the belt.
