How to Treat Ingrown Nose Hairs

Ingrown hairs occur when the hair follicle is dirty or obstructed. This causes the hairs to grow beneath the skin, which causes pain, irritation and possible infection. An ingrown nose hair can be difficult to treat, since it may may be impossible to see or identify the hair when it is deep inside your nostril.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Cotton swabs
• Washcloth
• Rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide
• Antibacterial or antibiotic ointment
• Doctor or healthcare professional

1. Place a clean washcloth in some warm water, and gently insert it into the affected nostril to soften the hair follicle. When the washcloth cools off, re-moisten it under the warm water and reapply. Repeat this process for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Place the same washcloth in slightly warmer water, and re-insert it into your nostril. Use your thumb to apply pressure on the washcloth to the ingrown hair, and place your index finger on the outside of your nose and pinch. Rub the washcloth back and forth over the infected area.
3. Remove the washcloth from your nose to see if any hairs have been removed. It may be difficult to ascertain when the actual ingrown hair has been removed, however, so you may have to repeat this process until the pain lessens. Generally, the ingrown hair may be accompanied by a small amount of pus.
4. Dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, and apply to the infected area inside your nostril. Use a finger to apply pressure on the outside of your nose, opposite of the ingrown hair, so that you can accurately locate the right spot for the cotton swab.
5. Follow the peroxide or rubbing alcohol with an antiseptic cream or antibacterial ointment, using a fresh cotton swab. Re-apply the cream every few hours until the pain and swelling subsides.
6. See a doctor or dermatologist to treat an ingrown nose hair if the pain persists, or if the outside of your nose becomes red or infected. In rare cases, an ingrown nose hair may actually pop out of the outside of the nose if you do not treat it in a timely manner.

Tips & Warnings

• Ingrown nose hairs are often caused by plucking nose hairs with a pair of tweezers or by using wax to remove the hairs. If you must remove excessive nose hair, use a pair of scissors with rounded ends or electric nose hair trimmers.