Nose hairs can be pesky, and like a unibrow, once you see them on someone, you can’t stop staring. These 3 Methods for How to Trim Nose Hair will keep those little guys well groomed, so you never have to worry about it.
I’ve got long hair on my body, and I always have. I’ve got long eyebrow hair, armpit hair, leg hair, eyelashes, and toe hair. I’ve also got really long nose hairs. In using all of the below methods to trim my nose hair at times, I decided to write this guide for other guys as well, so you can land on the best procedure for you.
According to Men’s Health, Women’s Health did a survey where they asked 400 women about nose hair vs. bad breath on a guy. Surprisingly, 46% of women indicated that they would rather talk to a guy in a bar with bad breath over a guy with protruding nose hairs.
Nose hairs are one of the things that we can easily neglect in our grooming routine. We can gloss over it, and unless you have someone that is brutally honest with you, it might go unnoticed for a long time. Even I am sometimes reminded by my wife to trim my nose hairs.
To get really personal, I have a bad habit of tearing out nose hairs with my fingers in-between trims. This is NOT good, but alas, I am far from perfect.
To begin, let’s start with why we have nose hair and its function in our body.
What is the purpose of nose hair?
Nose hairs are essentially a filter for pollen, dust, particles and bacteria as they enter our nostrils. These particles stick to the light coating of mucus surrounding each nose hair. Then, they make their way to the inner wall of the nasal cavity. Once there, the particles are either blown out, via sneezing or tissue, or swallowed and digested in the stomach.
So, nose hairs are good for you, keeping foreign particles from entering your lungs, causing trouble. (Source: Cleveland Clinic)
What NOT to do when removing nose hair
Any method that involves physically tearing out the hair follicle should be avoided.
This includes tweezing, waxing, and yes, plucking out with fingers.
According to Dr. Erich Voigt, an otolaryngologist (oto•lar•yn•gol•o•gist) who treats disorders involving the nose, throat and ears, plucking the large, visible nose hairs can lead to a pretty serious infection.
The area between your nose and mouth is considered the “danger triangle”, for its susceptibility of passing infections to the brain.
The veins that carry blood from the nose meet with the same blood carried from the brain. When hair follicles are ripped out, germs enter the void and can make their way to the brain. Although not common, this can lead to pretty serious infections, such as meningitis or brain abscesses. (Source)
So, no more tearing nose hairs out! (I’m going to stop after researching this article)
Additionally, hair removal creams or powders should not be used, as they can damage and burn the delicate membrane inside the nose.
3 Proper Methods for How to Trim Nose Hair
1. Grooming Scissors
Nose hair grooming scissors are rounded at the tip, not pointed. This helps to protect you from unwanted, painful cuts or pricks.
Our Choice Grooming Scissors: LIVINGO Rounded Tip Scissors $9.99
There are two ways to use grooming scissors when trimming nose hairs. You can even use both techniques together if you’d like.
Technique 1: The Pig Nose
Use one of the fingers in your non-dominant hand to push the tip of your nose upward, making a pig nose. With the scissors in your dominant hand, gently trim any long hairs protruding outward. You might need to change how you hold your pig nose when you switch nostrils, but you should be able to do it without switching hands.
Technique 2: The Nostril Mash
Instead of going up and making a pig nose, push the tip of your nose left or right, closing off the nostril and mashing the two sides together. Any obvious, prominent hairs sticking out can be gently trimmed.
2. Manual Trimmer
Manual nose hair trimmers are light, compact, and require no batteries to operate, making them ideal for traveling.
Although different types of manual trimmers exist, the premise is basically the same. Stick the device in your nostril and manually twist, squeeze, or pump a couple times until the hairs are cut. If you need more trimming, move it around, then repeat.
Avoid moving the trimmer around your nostril while twisting, squeezing or pumping, as this can lead to painful snags.
Instead, you should move, trim, move, trim, until you are satisfied.
Our Choice Manual Trimmer: Chooling Manual Nose & Ear Hair Trimmer $13.99
3. Electric Trimmer
A quality electric trimmer is fast and won’t snag. Plus, you can move it around while it’s cutting, unlike manual trimmers.
Simply turn it on, stick it into your nostril and let it go to work. Move it around if you need in order to trim away any prominent hairs sticking out.
Depending on the model, you will have to periodically charge the trimmer or replace it with a new battery when needed.
Our Choice Electric Trimmer: AMAGARM Electric Nose and Ear Hair Trimmer $12.99
An important note: Don’t dig too deep into the nostril. Only focus on the large hairs at the opening. Remember, nose hairs are good for you!
How Often to Trim Nose Hair?
Shoot for trimming nose hairs once a week. Perhaps you can incorporate this into a grooming routine on Sunday nights, where you tackle the unibrow, eyebrow trimming, or any other trimming needed, so you can start the week off looking your best.
For tips on how to trim your eyebrows properly, check out “How To Trim Eyebrows for Men“.
Good luck on trimming your nose hair!
-Chris
