Why is nose hair thick?

Many people complain of having very thick nose hair.  Some people even go to great lengths just have their nose hair removed or trimmed because many of them consider having thick nose hair as unsightly and untidy.  Some salons and spas even offer nose hair trimming as part of their services to cater to clients that wish to have their nose hair trimmed.  But unknown to many people, nose hairs are usually thick for a good reason.

Nose hair may be annoying for some, but it actually plays an important function in terms of one’s health.  One important function of nose hair is to serve as a blockage to foreign particles from the air which may be inhaled by a person.  These foreign particles may cause harm and problems if allowed to pass through the nose without any blocking mechanism in place.  With thick nose hair, particles are filtered as air passes through the nose and into the lungs.  When some foreign particles come along with the air, these particles are then retained by the nose hair towards the front part of the nose so they won’t be inhaled into the respiratory system.  The foreign particles and the mucus in the nose can then be pushed towards the throat area to be expelled or swallowed.

Thick nose hair also comes in handy in terms of providing humidity to the air that passes through the nasal pathway.  Air that passes through the nose must have enough moisture for it to be properly processed by the respiratory system.  In the absence of nose hair, air that passes through the nose will be dry.  Nose hair is also able to create or secrete thick mucus to trap large, foreign particles such as dust, dirt, and spores.  The nose hairs act as filters themselves with the addition of mucus production, and trapping foreign particles is  thereby made more effective.