Why shouldn't you pluck your nose hair?

It is generally not dangerous, but plucking nose hair carries a real risk of infection, because plucking creates small wounds in the skin of the nostril.

The most common problem is inflammation/infection of the front part of the nose: pain, redness, swelling, scabs, sores or a "pimple/ulcer" in the nostril. Staphylococcus often lives naturally in the nose and when a micro-wound is made, it can more easily enter the hair follicle and cause inflammation.

Rare but serious: Infections in the nose and upper lip area can sometimes spread and cause complications, which is why extraction is often advised. This is rare, but not impossible.

It is imperative that you contact your doctor immediately if, after extraction, you experience severe, increasing pain and swelling of your nose or face, spreading redness, pus/ulcer in your nose, fever, or especially swelling around the eye, severe headache, visual disturbances or double vision.

The safest alternative to plucking is trimming: blunt-tipped scissors or a trimmer, only shorten the protruding hairs, without pulling them out from the root. Do not pluck the hairs deep in the nose, as they have the role of filtering the air.