First things first: “Nose hairs should almost never be plucked,” says Dr. Jason A. Moche, Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose, and Throat) at Columbia University Medical Center. “The best approach is to purchase a hair trimmer which is designed for the [the task].”
Is it safe to pluck nose hairs? I'd recommend cutting them over plucking or waxing as it's possible to get an infection of the follicle or ingrown hairs.
Whatever tool you decide to use for your nose and ear hair grooming, make sure to use it regularly. A trim once every two weeks should do the trick. You want to trim things down before it becomes noticeable.
Rest assured, plucking your nose hairs will not affect your sense of smell, nor will it make you more susceptible to colds.
I am surprised how many people heard this many years ago and still believe it today. It is 100% a myth! Cutting or trimming hair in no way causes it to grow back thicker or faster. This could possibly be influenced by the fact that men's ear, nose & eyebrow hair grows faster as they get older.
For good nasal health, though, resisting the urge to pick your nose is essential and can keep you from spreading unwanted bacteria. While picking your nose from time to time isn't going to kill you, it's a bad habit to develop, like nail biting, and can lead to an infection in your nasal tract.
Trimming is the safest option because it shortens your pubic hair without cutting close to the skin, which can lead to injury or infection. You can use scissors or a trimming tool marketed for use on pubic hair, or even tools made for trimming beards.
A pimple or sore inside the nose can sometimes be due to nasal vestibulitis or nasal folliculitis. It is a bacterial infection that can develop when hair follicles become infected, for instance, after plucking nose hair. Some cancer treatments may also increase the risk of nasal vestibulitis.
The most significant disadvantage of nose trimmers is that the hairs will grow back. When this happens, a person will need to trim them again.
It's a problem almost every guy has to deal with eventually. For instance, when we polled more than Men's Health readers on the issue, only two percent said they never had to trim, pluck, or resignedly accept their nose hair.
There's no exact reason as to why people will have the urge to pull their nose hairs. One of the theories for pulling hair in general is that there is a neurological predisposition to pull their hair to get relief. It's their way to soothe whatever tension they're feeling.
Answered by dermatologist Matthew Stephany, MD:
Although frustrating, it's a natural part of the aging process for men and women alike. Hair on the scalp, under the arms, groin, eyebrows, ears, and nostrils are called terminal hairs. They are controlled and regulated by hormones called androgens.
Dr. Jaliman explains, “Nose hair works to filter foreign particles from entering the nose and as we age we may get more or longer nose hair.” It also helps balance the humidity in your nasal passages. If you completely eliminated your nose hair, you'd more than likely suffer from allergies.
Do Nose Hair Trimmers Hurt? Even if you have really long or thick nostril hairs, using a nose hair trimmer won't hurt. The blades aren't shaving the hairs down to the skin—they're just cutting them to a length so they won't stick out of your nose. Think of it the same as getting a haircut.
Your nose's “filter”
If you pluck out or significantly trim your nose hair you expose yourself to the possibility that additional allergens will flow into your lungs. Some individuals can experience a heightened risk of asthma because of this.
By the end of the study, researchers concluded that men who removed their armpit hair by waxing it off or shaving it with a razor had the least body odor. Those who simply trimmed their armpit hair had the next smelliest, with the strongest armpit odors coming from those who left their pit hair untamed.
Conclusions: These data demonstrate that the average nose hair count per nostril is around 120-122.2 while the distance that nose hairs grow proximally range from 0.81 to 1.035 cm.
The electric nose hair trimmer is the most effective and recommended tool for removing nose hair. It's quick, safe, and effective. Electric nose hair trimmers are smaller in size, which makes them convenient for fitting inside your nose, and they come with guards, so you don't have to worry about cutting yourself.