Acne can pop up on the weirdest parts of your body — your back, chest, thigh or even on the hairline. All of these places are odd enough, but the weirdest of them all is inside the nose — yes, it happens! Pimples inside the nose are actually very common and can present themselves in the form of closed comedones (whiteheads), inflamed papules, pustules, cysts, as well as larger boils or abscesses. They can either have no symptoms or have redness, pain and even drainage.
Fortunately, there are ways to deal with these painful little bumps and not be constantly in fear of scrunching your nose!
But first, let’s find out what causes pimples inside your nose
There are multiple factors that cause breakouts inside your nose, the most common ones being:
01. Clogged pores
Similar to your face, the pores in and around your nose can also get clogged with dirt and oil as well. This can lead to inflammation in that area leading to painful pimples. This can also be accelerated by excessive stress, bad diet and poor hygiene habits.
02. External triggers
External triggers like plucking nose hair, picking, piercing, rubbing, irritating, or blowing your nose too hard can also lead to breakouts inside your nose.
03. Ingrown hair
A major cause of breakouts inside your nose is ingrown hair, especially if you are in the habit of tweezing them. Inflammation caused due to aggravated ingrown hair inside the nose is extremely painful.
04. Bacteria
A certain kind of bacteria called the staphylococcus aureu can lead to issues like nasal vestibulitis (nasal folliculitis) — which is an infection in the area where hair grows out of. This bacterial infection causes boils or furuncles in the nostril and are usually very painful.
Prevention of pimples inside your nose
Now that you are aware of the major reasons behind breakouts inside the nose, let’s take a look at some of the best ways to best deal with this issue:
- Cleanse: You can’t use foamy cleansers inside your nose (duh!) but keeping the area clean around your nose is enough to avoid pore-clogging. If you have acne-prone skin, use a cleanser with salicylic acid and a mix of hydroxy acids to get rid of oil, dirt and dead cells that might get into your nose and cause breakouts.
- Nip the issue in the bud: A good thing about getting a pimple inside your nose is that you can feel it coming beforehand because they start to hurt. Apply treatments like benzoyl peroxide, and topical antibiotics to stop the pimple from growing in the first place. A hot tissue compress can also help bring down the inflammation.
- Keep your personal care habits in check: Everything from your diet to the kind of skincare products you use needs to be kept in check. For instance, stick to non-comedogenic skincare products and keep your stress levels to a minimum, the rest will just fall into place!
Written by Sumona Bose on Aug 19, 2020
Sumona Bose is a writer, skincare junkie and a self-professed makeup connoisseur. Equipped with a Master's degree in Fashion Management and over 3 years of experience writing in the beauty and fashion space, her passion for learning new things has no bounds. Working closely with dermatologists, beauty excerpts, makeup artists and hairstylists, she brings you the best of all things beauty. From trending skincare ingredients to makeup looks that help you slay, she manages to bring something new (and vital!) to our readers every single time. Her hobbies include home workouts, watching foreign films and binge-watching makeover shows!