Strange but true: The unexpected danger of plucking your nose hair

Nose hair. It’s not a topic that we talk about often, but it is always appreciated when people take the time to groom those unsightly stragglers.

But did you know that plucking or trimming too close to the skin can actually harm you?

There’s an area on your face that the medical community has ominously named “the triangle of death.” The top point of the triangle is the bridge of your nose with the bottom of the triangle being above your upper lip. This area of your face is obviously close to your brain which makes getting infections in the triangle more dangerous than getting a cut on your knee.

Not only is tweezing nose hairs incredible painful, it can leave the skin open from where you yanked the hair out. The hair in our nose is the first line of defense for filtering out the bad things we breathe in, so there’s plenty of germs trapped in there. The germs can then enter the body from the wound and cause an infection – staph, meningitis, etc. These scary bacteria can then infect the brain, leading to serious medical outcomes like paralysis or even death.

So how do you maintain your personal grooming? Don’t pluck! If you must, use an electronic hair trimmer and be sure to not get too close to your skin.

Other risky habits to avoid in the triangle are popping pimples and picking your nose. In both these cases, you’re likely tearing open your skin which can lead to infection. Again, being close to the veins that lead to the brain, this is something that you definitely want to avoid.

If you do notice any signs of infection, make sure you see a doctor right away.

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