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I’m a doctor – here’s how removing nose hairs could prove life-threatening



HAIR removal has become more and more extreme in modern day.

Nose waxing videos are all over TikTok and Instagram, wracking up millions of views.


Closeup shot of a young man plucking his nose hairs
Dr Karan Raj took to Instagram to explain why you should never pull out the hairs

Nose waxing involves inserting an applicator with wax into the nostril, and leaving it there to harden.

Then, when ripping the applicator out, it brings tufts of hair with it.

You can’t blame someone for wanting to keep their nose hair tidy, especially if there is an excess amount.

Men are more likely to have hair sprouting from their nose.

But women may be more likely to go the extra mile to remove any sign of nose hair,

However, a doctor has warned against this latest beauty trend and why you should never pull nose hair out from the root.

Doing so could cause lead to a life-threatening infection of the brain.

Posting on Instagram, Dr Karan Raj, said: “You have two types of nose hairs.

“You have microscopic cilia, these filter mucus and send it to the back of the throat where it ends up in the stomach.

“And vibrissae, the big ones you want to yank out. These keep out large particles from making it to the back of the nose.

“If you pluck these big boys, germs around the folicle can get inside causing infection.”


The NHS doctor said messing around with the hairs in the nose could have major repercussions because of the “danger triangle”.

The danger triangle is a section of the face from the bridge of the nose to each corner of the mouth.

It is considered a risky area to get an infection – such as from a nose piercing or pimple – because there is such an easy route to the brain.

Dr Raj said: “That’s because the same veins which carry blood out of the nose meet up with the veins that carry blood out of the brain.

“So if the germs end up back there in the brain, it can cause inflammation of the brain, sometimes resulting in brain abscesses.”

While this can be an incredibly rare side effect – it can cause serious problems for people with weak immune systems.

He added: “So next time, just trim it.”

Dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare, Dr Purvisha Patel explained that there is an easy way to do this.

Speaking to Shape, she explained: “Simply use a small pair of cuticle or eyebrow scissors to snip the tips of the hairs that stick out and are visible below your nostrils.

“If you’d like to trim more than a couple of hairs or address ones deeper inside your nostril, electric trimmers can be a good option; they’re safe and can be even easier to manoeuvre than scissors”, she added.


The best thing to do when it comes to nose hairs is to trim them, rather than potentially causing damage