If you have ever had a pimple in the nose, you probably wince when you recall how painful it was. Pimples in the nose tend to hurt a lot because the skin of the nose is so sensitive and full of blood vessels. I have received several inquiries about this problem from readers on my site.

Here we will break down the causes of pimples inside nose areas and what you can do to fix it.

Simple Pimple in Nose Solutions

Cotton swabs are indispensible tools for dealing with pimples in the nose

These pimples can be a bit tricky to deal with because of their location and composition. Pimples in nose and nostril areas are not the same as pimples on the face so they require a different type of treatment. Thankfully, these pimples are much easier to deal with than their facial counterparts.

Acne Tips 101’s Definitive Guide on How to Treat a Pimple in the Nose

1. Soften it. Apply a warm compress to the affected area. This will help soften the surrounding skin so it will be easier to treat. If the pimple is close enough to the nostril opening, you can probably get away with placing a warm washcloth over your nose but if it’s slightly further up, you might need to use a cotton swab soaked in warm water. Leave in place for ten minutes.

2. Dry it out. If there is not a white head or you don’t feel comfortable popping it, another option is to dry it out. The best things you can use for this purpose are alcohol and tea tree oil.

• Alcohol is the preferred choice because most people already have it on hand. On the other hand, it can be very drying.
• Tea Tree Oil is another option because it is a natural antiseptic and has a more pleasant smell than rubbing alcohol.

Once you have decided what to use to dry it out, soak a cotton swab in alcohol or tea tree oil and hold it up against the pimple for 1-2 minutes three times a day. This should dry the pimple out and help it go away eventually.

3. Extract it. If the nostril pimple has a white head, you can try to squeeze it out very carefully. You absolutely must use a cotton swab soaked in alcohol to do this or you risk causing further infection. Don’t attempt to squeeze it out with your nail, no matter how tempting it is!

Instead, use two cotton swabs soaked in alcohol on either side of the pimple in place of your nails so you can empty it out safely. Press gently. If nothing comes out, try using a warm compress a bit longer. When you push on it, it is going to hurt but once you get the white stuff out, it is going to provide you with instant relief from that eye-watering pimple in nostril pain!

4. Keep the area clean! After popping or drying out the nose pimple, apply an antibiotic cream like Neosporin or polysporin to the affected area.

Causes of Pimples in Nose

Another question I get asked a lot is, “Why do I keep getting a pimple inside my nose?” Even if you know how to treat these pimples, it’s preferable that they never form in the first place. Thankfully there are a few things you can watch out for if you’re prone to nose pimples that should keep the problem at bay.

The nose is one area of the face that is very susceptible to infection. Something as small as an ingrown hair can form the dreaded pimple inside nostril syndrome. There are plenty of other ways bacteria can enter the nostril and cause problems. Putting your fingers in your nose is another common cause of nostril pimples.

Ingrown hairs

Bacteria + Sharp Nose Hair + Delicate Nostril Skin = Pimple Inside Nose

When it’s broken down like that, it should be pretty easy to understand. What happens when you get an ingrown hair in your nose? The sharp tip of the nose hair pokes through your nostril’s thin skin, creating a great place for bacteria to enter. And we all know that the nose is a breeding ground for bacteria. That’s why even the tiniest cut or hole can lead to a clogged pore that becomes infected.

Nose Hair Plucking and Trimming

Another common pimple in nose cause is nose hair maintenance. Occasionally while plucking or trimming the nose hairs, you might cause a small nick or tear to the thin skin lining your nostril. This almost always leads to the formation of a small, infected pimple inside the nostril.

Of course you shouldn’t avoid trimming your nose hairs if they are very noticeable, but you should be mindful of this possibility and trim with a steady hand. If you do get a nick, dab it with alcohol and antibiotic cream like Neosporin to keep bacteria out.

Other Advice for Pimple in Nose Problems

• If you don’t have alcohol or tea tree oil on hand to dry out the pimple, salt water will work in a pinch.
• If the pimple is really high up inside your nostril, do not attempt to treat it yourself. See your family doctor or a dermatologist for help.
• Keep your fingers out of your nose! If you need to reach inside your nose for any reason, be sure to use a tissue instead to avoid the possibility of introducing more bacteria into your nose.

Have you successfully treated a painful nose pimple? Have acne tips you want to share? Leave your comments below!

Overnight acne treatment can make a big difference when it comes to reducing the appearance of a large pimple. It’s a situation that has happened to many of us at some point… a day or two before an important event, a huge blemish rears its ugly head just in time for the whole world to see it.  When this happens, you need to know how to get rid of acne fast. It is very difficult to make a large pimple go away so quickly. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to help keep it under control and make it a lot less noticeable.

Use a spot treatment. This is perfect for an overnight acne treatment since most spot treatments are too obvious to use during the day when others can see you. Some things that have been known to work quickly include…

Ice is a great quick acne fix!

• Ice. Ice is very effective at reducing swelling and normally swelling contributes quite bit to the appearance of these huge pimples. Wrap ice in a towel and place it on the pimple for up to fifteen minutes at a time, taking breaks in between. You can also use benzoyl peroxide on the pimple before icing it as the cold helps the benzoyl peroxide to penetrate your skin better. For the ultimate overnight acne treatment, ice the pimple and then dab benzoyl peroxide on top of the trouble spot right before bed. In the morning it should be much smaller.
• Use aspirin.  Crushing up an uncoated aspirin and making a paste with a little bit of water and applying it to the pimple is a great overnight acne treatment that can really help make a difference quickly. Not many people know about this trick but it really is quite effective thanks to the salicylic acid in the aspirin. But people who cannot take aspirin internally should also avoid using it on their skin since small amounts may be absorbed into the bloodstream. You can use a more concentrated amount of aspirin if you only plan to leave it on for a few minutes. If you want to use an aspirin mask overnight, be sure to go easy on the aspirin and mix it with something moisturizing like aloe vera gel.
• Sulfur. Many people swear that sulfur is the best overnight acne treatment you can find. This ingredient can be found in a variety of beauty treatments, but the best way to deliver a lot of sulfur in a short amount of time is to use a sulfur mask such as Proactiv Solution Refining Sulfur Mask as an overnight pimple treatment. Instead of applying it to your entire face, just use a cotton swab to put enough to cover the top of the pimple before you go to sleep and in the morning, it should have flattened significantly.
• Zinc is an anti-inflammatory. There are many zinc blemish products on the market that you can use as an overnight acne treatment. You can even find zinc in many diaper creams so if you have some diaper ointment lying around, try dabbing a bit directly onto the blemish before bedtime. (look on the label for “zinc oxide”). Just like it reduces the redness of diaper rash, it has a similar effect on your blemishes.
• Sea salt can work very quickly as an overnight acne treatment. Just mix some sea salt with enough water to make a paste and apply it to the affected area. Rinse it off in the morning and you should find the pimple much smaller than the night before. Salt is a natural antiseptic and can kill the bacteria that is clogging your pores so it makes a great overnight acne cure. It does sting a little bit, and you might want to put a dab of honey on top of it if you have dry skin to help counteract the drying action of the salt.

Remember that everyone’s skin is different, so if you try one of these suggestions and don’t get the desired effect, next time try to use a different idea until you find the perfect overnight acne treatment.