How to Treat Ingrown Nose Hairs

Co-authored by Chris M. Matsko, MD

Last Updated: October 1, 2024 Fact Checked

Ingrown hairs are a pesky and painful problem for many people. They occasionally flare up on sensitive areas of your body, including your nose. If you find an ingrown hair in your nose, it’s relatively easy to treat it and prevent another from occurring. Most ingrown hairs will go away on their own, but if yours is really bothering you, use a warm compress and sterile needle to release the tip of the ingrown hair. Follow up with antibacterial ointment or a dab of hydrogen peroxide.

Treating an Ingrown Nose Hair

Place a hot compress over the area to reduce pain and swelling and soften the skin. Use a sterile needle to release the tip of the hair, then apply an antibiotic ointment or hydrogen peroxide to prevent infection and encourage healing. Avoid shaving, tweezing or waxing until the skin heals.

For popular FAQs on treating ingrown nose hairs, jump to more common questions.

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Treating an Ingrown Nose Hair

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1
Figure out if you have an ingrown nose hair. Ingrown hairs happen when you shave or tweeze hairs and they grow back into your skin instead of out of it.^{[1]
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Cleveland Clinic
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Go to source} If you shave or tweeze your nose hairs, checking the internal and external nasal areas will help figure out if you have an ingrown nose hair.
- An ingrown nose hair may present itself as an inflamed area with or without pain, and there may be a tiny, pimple-like bump where you removed the hair and it is trying to grow back.
- You may see these symptoms either on the outside or inside of your nose.
- Make sure to not stick your fingers or any other objects deep inside your nasal cavity. Instruments can lodge themselves in your nose, causing severe harm to you.
- If you can’t locate the source of the pain or your ingrown hair, either leave it alone or see a doctor.
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Leave the ingrown hair alone. Most ingrown hairs will heal on their own. Leaving the ingrown hair in your nose will keep it from getting further inflamed as well as eventually healing it.^{[2]
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- If an ingrown nose hair is especially painful or problematic, you can use other self-cures to treat it including hot compresses and anti-bacterial ointments.
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Use hot compresses to relieve the ingrown hair. Using warm to hot compresses can kill bacteria in an ingrown hair and reduce the pain. Try this treatment before you opt for a more invasive option such as releasing the hair.^{[3]
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- Heat two glasses of water to a comfortable, hot temperature that won’t burn your skin. Dip a soft cloth or cotton swab in the water and put it on the affected part of your nose. When the cloth or swab cools, repeat the process once more. Do this procedure two to three times per day.
- You may gently insert the warm cloth or swab inside your nose if the ingrown hair isn’t deep within your nasal cavity. Press the cloth or swab gently against the ingrown hair for a few minutes.
- Gentle, circular rubbing the inside or outside area of your nose affected by the ingrown hair may help release it. It’s not unusual to see a small amount of pus or blood if you do this.
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Release the hair with a sterile needle. If you feel comfortable and the ingrown nose hair is really bothering you, use a sterile needle to release the tip of the hair. This will help you remove it and any debris such as dead skin that may be inside of it.^{[4]
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- If you can see the hair, then it’s safe to release it.
- After you’ve washed the area, insert a sterilized needles under the hair loop or loops and gently lift the ingrown hair tips either with your fingers or tweezers.
- Make sure that if you use a sterilized needle to release the hair that your skin is warm and moist. This will soften your skin and make it easier to remove the hair.
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Apply an antibiotic ointment to the affected area. Applying an antibiotic ointment or hydrogen peroxide on the area of ingrown hair will prevent infection. It also helps to reduce swelling and pain and enhance the healing.^{[5]
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- You can use anti-biotic ointments such as neomycin, polymyxin B, bacitracin to prevent infection.^{[6]
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- These are available at most drug and grocery stores and their online retail sites.
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Stop shaving, tweezing or waxing until the skin heals. While you’re still suffering from an ingrown nose hair, it’s important to not shave or tweeze other hair in the area until it heals. Continuing to do these activities can not only cause further inflammation and pain, but also cause infections.^{[7]
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- You can tweeze only if it’s to release the ingrown hair as described above. Otherwise, leave the area alone.
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See a doctor if the ingrown nose hair doesn’t heal. If your ingrown nose hair doesn’t heal within a few days and it gets very painful, see a doctor. He can make sure you don’t have a serious infection, remove the hair, or discuss other treatment options with you.
- Additional treatments include retinoids, corticosteroids, and antimicrobials.

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Preventing Ingrown Nose Hairs

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1
Keep your nose clean. Bacteria can inflame and infect ingrown hairs, and the nose is a prime location for bacteria growth. Keeping your nose clean both inside and out will inhibit the growth of infection-causing bacteria and help prevent ingrown hairs.
- When you are sick, blow your nose completely into a tissue.
- Don’t pick your nose. Your fingers can introduce bacteria into your nose that will infect an ingrown hair.
2
Use a trimmer or scissors to remove nose hair. Use either a trimmer designed specifically for the nose or a small pair of circular-ended scissors to groom your nose hair. These will keep you from cutting too closely to your skin, which encourages ingrown hairs.^{[8]
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- You can buy nose hair trimmers and small scissors at drug stores or department stores either online or in stores.
- The best way to get at pesky nose hairs is to gently make a pig’s nose by pressing backward on the tip of your nose. This will help so see inside of your nose and make you less likely to cut yourself.
- Make sure to cut only those hairs sticking out and not any inside your nose, which help act as a barrier between your respiratory system and the outside world.
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Use a depilatory cream. A depilatory cream, which is a chemical hair remover, is another method to remove nose hairs effectively while helping to prevent ingrown hairs. These can be harsh, so test it on your skin before you use it to make sure it won’t burn the skin around your nose.^{[9]
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- Do not use depilatory creams inside your nose, which can cause serious harm.
- Leave hair inside your nose alone as it helps keep out bacteria.
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See a doctor for chronic ingrown hairs. If you find that you frequently have ingrown nose hairs, see your doctor to rule out conditions such as hormonal abnormalities. Your doctor can also help you find the best treatment and prevention for your chronic ingrown nose hairs.^{[10]
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- If you’re a woman with excessive ingrown hairs, it may be a sign of hirsutism or polycystic ovary syndrome, both of which are treatable.^{[11]
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Common Questions: Dealing with Nose Hair Issues

Is it okay to pluck nose hairs?

Experts recommend not plucking nose hairs. Not only does it hurt, but it could also lead to ingrown hairs and infection. If you want to shorten nose hairs so they're less visible, use a tiny pair of rounded scissors or a nose hair trimmer.^{[13]
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Is it healthy to trim your nose hairs?

There's no health benefits or safety risks when it comes to trimming your nose hair, but you can definitely do it, especially for personal or cosmetic reasons. Avoid plucking or waxing nose hairs, though.^{[14]
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Are there any side effects to removing nose hair?

If you trim your nose hair or use a nose hair trimmer, there are no health risks. Avoid plucking or waxing your nose hairs, though, since this can lead to ingrown hairs, infection, boils, redness, and swelling.^{[15]
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Tips

Avoid electrolysis as this method is not recommended for this type of folliculitis. Laser removal may be possible.^{[12]
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Ingrown nose hairs are often caused by plucking nose hairs with tweezers or by using wax to remove the hairs. Avoid plucking hairs from follicles as this may lead to inflammation and irregular hair growth. If you must remove excessive nose hair, us a pair of round ended scissors or an electric nose hair trimmer.

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If possible, stop shaving your nose hair all together and adopt another method. You can also adjust your shaving routine by applying generous amounts of highly lubricated shaving cream, using single blade razors instead of multi-blade razors or electric clippers.

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