Avoid Those Annoying Ingrown Hairs 

Aaargh! You’ve got yet another ingrown hair. While not a serious condition, they can cause irritation, pain, and can be unsightly while any redness and swelling slowly diminishes. 

But what can you do to avoid them? Is it possible to avoid them? The answer to the latter is yes, and to the former? Well, you’ll just have to read the following article to find out how…

Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Ingrown Hairs

• What is an ingrown hair?
• Why do ingrown hairs occur?

What is ingrown hair? 

An ingrown hair is a common condition that happens when a hair grows back into the skin, rather than above it. It causes swelling, a localized red bump, and can be quite painful. It can occur anywhere on the body and is usually associated with certain types of hair removal, such as tweezing or shaving.

They’re most commonly found on the face, scalp, armpits, legs, and the pubic area.

Why do ingrown hairs occur? 

The likelihood of ingrown hairs is down to the structure of the follicle. If this is curved, then the hair that grows will be tightly curled. This causes a geometry that, if the end is sharp from shaving, can encourage it to turn as it grows and re-enter the skin. Even if you have straight hair follicles, other actions can cause a hair to in grow. These include: 

Tweezing/plucking: If the hair is not removed completely, a fragment can remain. This causes the swelling and pain response associated with ingrown hair.

Pulling the skin taut during shaving: This can cause the hair to be cut off below the level of the skin. When you let go, the hair then penetrates the skin, rather than growing freely.

How to Avoid Ingrown Hairs 

• Ingrown hairs: the risk factors
• Avoid ingrown hairs: home remedies
• Treatment for ingrown hairs 

Ingrown hairs: the risk factors 

Risk factors for ingrown hairs include:

• Having tightly curled hair. For this reason, it’s a very common condition in black men who shave their face and/or scalp
• Dry shaving
• Tweezing hairs

An ingrown hair can be an acute or chronic condition. The latter can lead to unwanted complications, such as:

• Razor bumps (pseudofolliculitis barbae)
• Bacterial infection
• Permanent scars
• Darkening of the skin

Avoid ingrown hairs: home remedies

There are many things you can do to lessen the likelihood of ingrown hairs. These include:

• Never dry shave—always use a good quality shaving foam or gel
• Heat the skin before shaving by holding a warm compress to the area
• Use a sharp razor each time
• Rinse the blade after each stroke
• Don’t pull the skin taut when shaving
• Shave in the direction of hair growth, not against it
• If tweezing, heat the skin with a warm compress before plucking

Treatment for Ingrown Hairs 

An ingrown hair usually heals without treatment. Try not to scratch the area and, if necessary, apply an over-the-counter antiseptic cream.

Chronic ingrown hairs require a little more attention and are best approached in conjunction with a dermatologist. They might suggest a cream to decrease hair growth, something that’s often combined with laser hair removal, or perhaps another option. Everyone’s skin and hair follicles are different, so this professional approach will define a bespoke method that best suits your condition.

Suffering from Ingrown Hairs? Bayou City Dermatology Can Treat the Symptoms & Provide Hair Removal Alternatives

An isolated ingrown hair isn’t a big deal. But if you’re finding that they occur frequently or the problem has become chronic, then you need a little more than simple home remedies. Bayou City’s highly skilled dermatologists will assess your condition, provide any necessary treatment and—very importantly—determine if you’d be better off looking for alternative hair removal that can dramatically reduce the risk of ingrown hairs.

There are now a variety of wholly effective and permanent hair removal procedures that remove the underlying cause of this irritating condition. Want to find out more?

Visit https://www.bayoucitydermatology.com/services and call us today to book an expert consultation.

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