# Did I make a fatal mistake? (Nose hair plucking / slight tmi?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 4, 2007, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-fatal-mistake-nose-hair-plucking-slight-tmi/390803 "2007-02-04T18:22:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-fatal-mistake-nose-hair-plucking-slight-tmi/390803/1 "2007-02-04T18:22:20Z")
Eye-catching title, right? I’m hoping it’s an exaggeration, and that’s what I want to find out. Okay, so last night, while watching TV, I noticed a few nose hairs protruding from their dimly lit cavern. They’d been bothering me for a while, so I decided to just pull them out; the TV served as a distraction to the slight twinge of pain. Anyways, I kept casually pulling out the low-hanging dwellers casually for maybe half an hour for so, hoping to rid myself of this problem for the foreseeable future. Well, only afterwards did it occur to me that this might open myself up to more infections. After some quick research on the net (google ’ nose hair plucking’), I discovered that most sites strongly discourage against plucking, and I even read one anecdotes stating someone’s friend’s father had tied from an infection of the brain following said plucking. I have no intention to do it again, hell, I don’t know why I even did it in the first place, but alas, I did. Did I put myself in danger? ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-fatal-mistake-nose-hair-plucking-slight-tmi/390803/2 "2007-02-04T18:26:06Z")
My fiance has been plucking out his nosehair all his life. I keep warning him not to pluck, and to use this neat littel electric trimmer, but men… \ Anyway, he ain’t dead yet. Just keep looking for signs of inflammation and if they don’t happen, you’ve been spared. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-fatal-mistake-nose-hair-plucking-slight-tmi/390803/3 "2007-02-04T18:47:12Z")
When I was young, they told us th esame thing about popping facial zits. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-fatal-mistake-nose-hair-plucking-slight-tmi/390803/4 "2007-02-04T22:18:02Z")
Yeah, I sort of figured it was one of ‘blown out of proportion’ things. Thanks for the replies. I’ll be sure to use tweezers just be safe though 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-fatal-mistake-nose-hair-plucking-slight-tmi/390803/5 "2007-02-04T22:41:25Z")
I have a leatherman tool in my car for just such an occasion. It’s a great way to pass the time at red lights. I hate protruding nose hairs. The little shaver devices never worked to my satisfaction. So… I just grab ahold of them with my leatherman (foldable pliers) and yank 'em out. Never had an infection or irritation once. e3 ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-fatal-mistake-nose-hair-plucking-slight-tmi/390803/6 "2007-02-04T23:03:54Z")
I’m very frequently plucking nose hairs while surfing the Straight Dope. Been plucking for years, never once had an infection or any other problem. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-fatal-mistake-nose-hair-plucking-slight-tmi/390803/7 "2007-02-05T04:29:59Z")
The captain of my grandfather’s ship (USS Tennessee) did this while in the tropics during the 1930’s. He died of a major infection three days after going ashore to a base hospital so yes, it can happen. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Joe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@Evil\_Joe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Joe)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-fatal-mistake-nose-hair-plucking-slight-tmi/390803/8 "2007-02-05T07:05:05Z")
I pluck them all too. Its relaxing and fun! ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-fatal-mistake-nose-hair-plucking-slight-tmi/390803/9 "2007-02-05T13:31:07Z")
A real man doesn’t pluck them out! Burn them out with a candle flame! :eek: Seriously, I have been plucking for years with nary a problem. Ear hairs too. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-fatal-mistake-nose-hair-plucking-slight-tmi/390803/10 "2007-02-06T02:00:20Z")
[QUOTE=GaryM] A real man doesn’t pluck them out! Burn them out with a candle flame! :eek: [/QUOTE] What a sissy! A \*real man \* (or woman) uses a blow torch! Would you believe a nuclear warhead? ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-fatal-mistake-nose-hair-plucking-slight-tmi/390803/11 "2007-02-06T04:05:24Z")
[QUOTE=Red Barchetta] …someone’s friend’s father had tied from an infection of the brain following said plucking. [/QUOTE] Did they ever manage to untie him? ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-fatal-mistake-nose-hair-plucking-slight-tmi/390803/12 "2007-02-06T06:54:05Z")
[QUOTE=Patty O’Furniture] Did they ever manage to untie him? [/QUOTE] Maybe I do have a brain infection after all 😛 ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-fatal-mistake-nose-hair-plucking-slight-tmi/390803/13 "2007-02-06T14:15:52Z")
[QUOTE=Red Barchetta] Anyways, I kept casually pulling out the low-hanging dwellers casually for maybe half an hour … [/QUOTE] Geez, how many pounds did that come to? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-fatal-mistake-nose-hair-plucking-slight-tmi/390803/14 "2007-02-06T18:50:00Z")
Your nose hairs are the only thing between you and inhaled flies. If they get too long, or protrude from your schnozz, trim with scissors or some other kind of trimmer. (This might be folklore, I don’t know.) One of the reasons deer flies are so plentiful is their ability to fly into the nose of a moving deer, lay eggs, and fly out again. We have hairier nostrils than deer, and that’s why we don’t snort out maggots in the summertime. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![KP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a9adbd/32.png) [@KP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KP)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-fatal-mistake-nose-hair-plucking-slight-tmi/390803/15 "2007-02-06T21:16:41Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] (This might be folklore, I don’t know.) One of the reasons deer flies are so plentiful is their ability to fly into the nose of a moving deer, lay eggs, and fly out again. We have hairier nostrils than deer, and that’s why we don’t snort out maggots in the summertime. :eek: [/QUOTE] Sheesh! How many deer nostrils per square mile _are_ there out your way, anyway? In most deerfly-ridden places I know, you could pack every available deer nostril up to the sinuses with maggots and not make a dent in the population. AFAIK, deerfly lay their eggs on plants/plant matter, preferably overhanging water. While the newly hatched larvae feed on organic debris and tiny organisms in the soil or water. While deer snot may qualify as organic debris, I doubt it offers any added protection vs. soil or water, which I’d wager are a lot more common. BTW, deerfly are larval for 1-3 years depending on the species, and they must overwinter at least once before they pupate. You thought hay fever was bad.