Nose hair trimmer 101: Tips and tricks for removing unwanted hair

Forget hot wax or tweezers, neither should come close to the inside of your nose. The simplest, pain-free way to say goodbye to dangling hairs is using a nose hair trimmer. Are you scared of using this beauty tool? Here’s how to get a close, safe trim every time.

Sure, the little battery-operated trimmer is a bit intimidating. After all, you’ve probably never purposely placed sharp, rotating blades inside your nostrils. To get used to the vibrating sensation, turn on the trimmer and lay it against the outside of your nose. Yes, it tickles and feels awkward. The first few times you actually trim, you’ll want to sneeze.

OK, go for it. Turn on the trimmer and carefully tuck it into each nostril. Your nose hair trimmer should come with a protective guard, so you can’t accidentally cut the skin in your nose. Only the tiny hairs that can penetrate the guard will be whisked away. If you can see the bare blades on the trimmer–don’t use it!

Push the trimmer straight into each nostril approximately 1-inch deep. Then gently angle the nose hair trimmer to the left and the right. Practice making a small circle with the trimmer in each nostril. You want to trim all hairs growing near the base of each nostril. Then, carefully pull the trimmer out and turn it off. It really is that easy and takes just a few seconds to trim unwanted hair from each nostril.

Make nose hair trimming safe by taking a few extra minutes to clean and sanitize your nose hair trimmer after each use. Start by turning off the tool and emptying the hair from the small collection area on the top of the trimmer. This compartment usually twists off. Tap the container on the edge of a waste can. Then, give the piece a rinse under hot running water.

With the nose hair trimmer turned off, wipe down the tip using a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol. This will kill the lingering bacteria and wipe away any, well, dirt from your nostrils. Let the tool air dry briefly before replacing the cap and storing it for future use.

Never use a nose hair trimmer to remove hair from other areas of your body. For example, trying to trim your eyebrows or bikini line can cause the tool to pull the hair into the cutting area and trim it too short. Ouch! Instead, save your hot wax, depilatory creams, or tweezers for these hair removal tasks.