You can remove hair on the nose with several methods such as tweezing, waxing, or the use of depilatory creams. Hair on top of the nose often develops as a result of genetics or hormone imbalances, and it can occur in both men and women. Some of the most common instances of external nose hair are related to thick, dark eyebrows that meet at the bridge of the nose, and these hairs can occasionally extend further down the nose. Shaving is another common option, although it can be tricky to remove only the desired stray nose hair without also shaving bits of the eyebrows. Bleaching is an additional method for people with nose hair that is otherwise difficult to remove.
Many small patches of hair on the nose can be removed with the same types of wax strips used to shape eyebrows. These are usually cold wax strips that remove the hair with strong adhesive rather than the liquid hot wax used in professional salons. Cold waxing with this method can easily be done at home and is relatively inexpensive. To ensure the wax grabs the end of each facial hair, skin care specialists often recommend first washing your face to clear away any excess oil. People with sensitive skin are sometimes advised to use caution with waxing because it can lead to mild abrasions or broken capillaries if done too frequently.
Here are a few of our top picks for at home wax kits for hair on nose removal:
Plucking out hair on the nose is another option, and some people find that it eventually causes the hairs to grow back thinner and lighter. A downside to tweezing is that it can be tricky to pull out hair on top of the nose unless you have a high-quality pair of tweezers. Since the nose is a sensitive area of the face, plucking out numerous hairs can also be quite painful in many cases. Although tweezing is one of the more convenient methods, it is also one of the more temporary ones.
Depilatory lotions designed for the face can help remove hair on the nose by chemically blocking proteins in the hair follicle that allow continued growth. After this cream is left on the skin for two to three minutes, the hairs can be wiped away along with it. This option can have longer-lasting results than shaving, waxing, or tweezing. Dermatologists recommend using only a facial depilatory lotion; body depilatory creams are usually too strong and can result in skin irritations.
Is It Normal for Females To Have Nose Hair?
Both males and females have nose hair. As young children, nose hair is often short enough that it's not even noticeable. As people age into adulthood, nose hairs grow longer, often becoming noticeable when looking in the mirror. Despite the annoyance of long nose hair, it actually plays an important role for the body.
When you breathe, you are taking in more than oxygen. There are pollutants in every breath that yoyu take. From dirt and dust to viruses and bacteria, every breath allows potential dangers to try to enter your body. The hairs in your nose are there to stop as many of those dangers as possible.
The Two Types of Nose Hairs
What you might not realize is that not all of your nose hairs are exactly the same. In fact, your nose has two different types of hairs in it. The first type of nose hair is known as the cilia and sits deep within your nostrils. The cilia are constantly waving back and forth as they do their job to catch the most dangerous particles in mucus. Once they catch pollutants, they move them to the throat, where you either swallow or cough them up.
The second type of nose hair is known as the vibrissae. Vibrissae are longer hairs that catch the larger particles, preventing them from ever reaching deep enough to get into the body. These particles stay trapped in the nose, often irritating just enough so that you sneeze or blow them out. The vibrissae tend to work hardest during the spring months, when pollen is thick in the air and caught in the nostrils more often. Vibrissae are also the nose hairs that you see and are most often annoyed by.
Why Are Nose Hairs So Thick?
In addition to not being as long when you're a child, your nose hair is also not as thick when you are young. As you age, though, your nose hair may become thicker in addition to getting longer. Your nose's hair follicles grow in cycles and as you get older, they may develop something known as an anagen sensitivity. This means that the follicles are more sensitive to the changes in hormones in your body. When the follicles are exposed to the hormones, the growth phase becomes longer, creating longer and more coarse hairs in the nostrils. Family history may play into how much anagen sensitivity affects you. It also more commonly affects men. Long and thick nose hairs are not necessarily a problem, though. The longer and thicker these hairs, the easier time they will have catching all of the aforementioned pollutants that try to make their way into your body.
Trimming Long Nose Hairs
For some people, long nose hairs feel as if they present a hygiene problem because they can collect dried mucus and other debris. Luckily, there are safe ways to remove long nose hair if you feel that yours are a nuisance. Trimming them is the safest and most recommended option. Most department stores carry small sets of safety scissors that allow you to safely trim the hairs. If you have a small electric trimmer, you can also use a nose hair attachment piece. Although some people try laser hair removal or waxing, this is not recommended. These methods can do serious damage to your mucus membrane and even make it so that you inhale more pollutants and potentially get sick more often. In addition, laser removal and waxing can cause ingrown hairs which can become infected.
Do Nose Hairs Grow Back?
Like the rest of the hair on your body, your nose hairs will grow back. Typically, it takes 1-3 weeks for them to do so. There are several factors that determine exactly how long it will take for yours to grow back, such as how you removed the nose hairs in the first place and how the hormones in your body work.
There are three stages to the growth process. The first is the anagen stage. This early stage of hair growth is when new cells are created and added to the hair follicles to help them to grow faster. The second part is the catagen stage, which is when the hair stops developing as the bulb, which is what supports growth. Finally, the telogen stage is the last stage of the growth of nose hair. This stage lasts several weeks, after which bulbs regrew, the old hair falls out, and the new hair starts the process all over again.