SHAPE posted "Drew Barrymore Shared the Most Relatable Advice About Grooming Nose Hairs" and features Visha Skincare founder, Dr. Purvisha Patel's commentary on nose hairs, your nose's first line of defense as a physical block for any potentially irritating debris or illness-causing bacteria in the air.
Yes, you read that right. The actress revealed her favorite method for keeping her nose hairs in tip-top shape.
No matter how you feel about nose hairs - whether you remove yours once they start to go rogue or have literally never given them a second thought - you can surely appreciate when celebs such as Drew Barrymore keep it real (like, really real) about their hair removal rituals.
In a hilariously true-to-form clip posted to The Drew Barrymore Show's YouTube channel, the talk show host takes viewers behind the scenes to show her DIY nose hair removal technique. (The clip was also part of a previous installment of Barrymore's "Beauty Junkie Week," an Instagram series in which she shows off her favorite beauty products and treatments.)
Sporting a makeshift bib made of tissues, Barrymore shares her personal journey with her teeny hairs. "A funny thing I tend to forget about is nose hairs," she reveals in the video. "Now, I have done one of those machines that plucked everything out and I felt like a naked gazelle - I felt so sexy, I was like =, 'oh my god, nude nostrils?' Everything." But then she recalls getting "horribly sick" afterward and suspecting her bare nostrils might be the cause: "I was like, 'maybe there is something to those protective fibers of nose hairs?'" (Related: Drew Barrymore Revealed the One Trick That Helps Her "Make Peace" with Maskne)
It's true that nose hairs actually serve a protective purpose, as Purvisha Patel, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare, previously told Shape. They're your nose's first line of defense, serving as a physical block for any potentially irritating debris or illness-causing bacteria. So removing them also strips the area of that protective barrier, potentially leading to inflammation in the nose (including itching, burning, and/or sneezing) or even lung irritation, according to Dr. Patel. (Read more about why nose hair waxing isn't a great idea.)
Getting rid of your nose hairs can be tempting, especially if you feel like they're long. Just take it from Barrymore, who notes in the video that her face powder gets stuck to her own strands: "When the nose hairs do grow long, powder gets caught in them and it's not very attractive - I'm gonna actually go with the word disgusting." But you really shouldn't wax or pluck to completely remove them. Instead, both Dr. Patel and Barrymore recommend trimming any rogue strands as your safest (and most painless) bet.
Barrymore suggests using something such as Tweezerman Facial Hair Scissors (Buy It, $12, amazon.com), which feature rounded tips that can (hopefully!) help prevent you from accidentally stabbing yourself in the nostril. For a deeper, more thorough clean, electric trimmers such as TOUCHBeauty Hair Trimmer (Buy It, $14, amazon.com) can be a good option and can be even easier to maneuver than scissors. No matter your method, though, you'll want to work with extra care and caution to avoid any accidental nicks around the super-sensitive nose area. (Related: Your Complete Guide to Body Hair Removal and Grooming)
When you're done trimming, Barrymore recommends that you "lick a Q-tip and just go around the inside and make it all nice and pretty." (Not your average celebrity beauty tip!) Wetting a nasal swab and smoothing around inside the nostril is a quick and easy way to clear out any excess hairs and keep your nose looking on point. "It's those funny little steps that we tend to forget but when we go out in the world those little details make a big difference," Barrymore concludes in her video. "Then, you won't have nose hairs flying out when you smile, which mine tend to do unless I trim them." Of course, you can always just let your nose hairs fly free - no matter your preferences, it's all good.