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Ingrown Hair (And What To Do About It)

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Ingrown Hair - Treatment and prevention from Hairchick
Ingrown hair is a painful experience, you won't soon forget it. Find out how to prevent and treat it on Hairchick.com!

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Waxing, shaving, sugaring, tweezing, epilators, and even hair removal creams or depilatories can cause ingrown hairs. If you've had this problem, you likely won't soon forget it. After getting rid of your unwanted hair, you find little red painful bumps over your skin. They look like a rash and hurt and itch.

What's the damage?

Ingrown hairs happen when a hair grows back the wrong way, causing pain. The danger with this is that they can become infected, especially if you keep shaving or using hair removal methods before your skin has had a chance to heal. The other problem with ingrown hairs is that they have the tendency to crop up in places where the skin is especially tender (the bikini line, thighs, and face) so that they become a huge annoyance.

Are there any prevention methods?

Yes. The best way to avoid ingrown hairs (especially pubic hair) is to prevent them before they begin. You can do this by exfoliating before shaving and by exfoliating with a loofah or body scrub each time you shower. This seems to work by stimulating the skin and by keeping pores open. Some women find that consciously relaxing their muscles while hair is being removed helps to prevent ingrown hairs. After removing hair, you should avoid using heavy moisturizers or creams on your skin for a few hours. These can clog skin. You can use witch hazel, aftershave, toner, or even cold water after waxing, tweezing, sugaring or using an epilator. This tightens the pores and cleans the skin (NEVER use witch hazel, toner or aftershave on sensitive areas like the bikini line, and only use toner on your face). If you find that one part of your body is always affected by ingrown hairs, try using a different hair removal method on that part of the body. Some people have reported that using an epilator causes ingrown hairs.

Best way to remove ingrown hairs?

Even if you take every precaution, you may still get some ingrown hairs. The best way to treat them is to let them heal on their own. Keep the area clean and the situation should clear up on its own. If the ingrown hairs get worse or itch or hurt a lot, you may have an infection. Check with your doctor or dermatologist for help. If you have ingrown hairs on your legs or bikini line, try to wear loose-fitting clothing for a few days so that the friction from the fabric does not aggravate your skin even more. Only start shaving, waxing, or using your regular hair removal methods again once your ingrown hair has healed.

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