This ladies is the one skincare concern that can strike anybody. It does not care about your skin type, birth gender or age. I am referring specifically to ingrown hairs.
In a way, you can call ingrown hairs true equality because we are all equally at risk. Have you ever also spent time shaving and then notice those painfully irritated red bumps a day or two later? Maybe you have tweezed your eyebrows to elegant perfection and then have small inflamed bumps somehow turn up afterward.
Sometimes it feels like ingrown hairs tend to happen on date nights more often than not, at least that has been my experience.
How to prevent ingrown hairs?
- Exfoliate before shaving.
- Soften hair and skin with warm water.
- Use hydrating shaving cream or gel.
- Shave with the grain using a sharp razor.
- Replace razor after 5 to 7 shaves.
Unfortunately, ingrown hairs can happen to anyone who removes hair, whether via shaving, tweezing, or waxing. If you are wondering what can be done to get rid of ingrown hairs, I’m here to help.
Keep reading for everything you need to know about ingrown hairs plus some tips to help prevent them in the first place.
What Causes Ingrown Hairs
Ingrown hairs are exactly what they sound like. It is a hair that grows back into the skin or becomes ingrown.
Instead of the hair growing outward from the follicle and poking through your skin, it instead grows from hair follicles under the skin.
In many cases, when new hair grows after shaving, waxing, or tweezing. Your method of hair removal is what causes ingrown hairs most often. The hair curls back up and enter the skin. Sometimes it enters the skin before even leaving the follicle.
Whichever way it occurs, when the hair re-penetrates your skin, your body reacts as if it is a foreign object like a splinter causing the hair follicle to become inflamed. This is what always leads to the itchy, red, and even painful bumps that are characteristic of ingrown hairs.
What Are The Signs Of Having Ingrown Hairs
Some of the signs to look for if you think you may have an ingrown hair include skin irritation, small painful, itchy bumps that can be solid or pus-filled according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Ingrown hairs most commonly occur on the area, chin, cheeks, and neck as well as the armpits, pubic area, and legs.
When ingrown hairs become chronic, they can lead to many unwanted skin issues, including bacterial infections, hyperpigmentation (aka dark spots), razor burn, and even permanent scarring when a slightly blunt razor catches an ingrown hair and rips out an area of skin.
What Can You Do About Ingrown Hairs
If you are already suffering one or multiple ingrown hairs, the Cleveland Clinic recommends taking the following steps to help with the situation.
First, stop shaving, waxing, or tweezing the area and allow the hair to grow back out.
As tempting as it may be, don’t pick or scratch at the ingrown hair since this will likely cause an infection that can lead to scarring.
This means none of these at home ingrown hair fixing attempts. Instead, apply a warm compress to the affected area whenever it feels inflamed. This will soften your skin and help the hair to push through as it used to. Also, keep your skin hydrated and soft with moisturizer.
Besides that, your best bet is to simply wait until the area starts to heal on its own. This is often within one month, but in rare cases be as long as six months, according to the Mayo Clinic.
If this is a chronic occurrence for you, consider visiting a dermatologist. This is so that you may prescribe a topical medication that can help alleviate your condition.
How To Prevent Ingrown Hairs
Just like with so many other things in life, the best cure is making sure you don’t get struck down in the first place. Therefore your best bet against ingrown hairs is to make sure that they don’t even happen in the first place.
The American Academy of Dermatology shares the following shaving tips. First, before you even begin, wet your skin with warm water to help soften it. Next, apply a hydrating shaving cream or gel, taking time to adequately rub it onto the patch of skin that you’re about to shave. Then, using a quality razor, gently shave in the direction that the hair grows.
This last point is the most important. Sure, shaving against the grain will give a closer and smoother shave. But what I have noticed is the tendency of the razor to push the hair out of alignment with the hole that it needs to grow out of, resulting in ingrown hairs. I am not sure if that is the technical term, but that is how it feels on my legs.
Another shaving tip that I learned when I was young is to always exfoliate prior to picking up my razor. According to the Cleveland Clinic, exfoliating before shaving will help prevent the razor from becoming clogged by dead skin cells, which not only reduces its effectiveness but can also cause ingrown hairs.
These days I have taken to waxing my legs once a month. That takes care of the exfoliating at the same time. My hair grows back softer and ingrown hairs have almost become a completely distant memory.
If you notice you are developing ingrown hairs on the regular, rinse the razor after each swipe and also make sure to switch out your blade at least every five to seven shaves.
Seriously great information in this article! Ingrowns are the bane of my existence it seems. Logically letting the area heal is a no brainer it would seem right?
Many girls find it almost a compulsion to feel pretty and that often means panties, and tucking back the the resident down there… This allied that pressure and irritation which can lead to more ingrown hairs. Imagine not being able to wear something tight for 6 months??!!
To avoid that emotional pain of not being able to see yourself as you envision, is to prevent the ingrown hairs before they happen! With the info here that’s easy!