What Can I Do to Prevent Ingrown Hairs?

Pretty much everyone will have to deal with an ingrown hair or two over their lifetime. However, if you remove hair from any part of your body, the likelihood of this increases—especially if you shave. 

Ingrown hairs can occur anywhere but can be particularly irritating if they’re somewhere very sensitive, like the bikini line. While most ingrown hairs are a minor irritation, they can cause significant pain if they become infected. Very rarely they can cause serious health conditions, such as cellulitis or sepsis.

Happily, there are many things you can do to reduce the risk of ingrown hairs entirely.

Preventing Ingrown Hairs: everything you need to know

• What can I do to prevent ingrown hairs? Home remedies
• What can I do to prevent ingrown hairs? Dermatologist remedies

What can I do to prevent ingrown hairs? Home remedies

If you shave any part of your body, the following will help reduce the risk of ingrown hairs:

• Use a sharp razor: Many of us are guilty of using a blade multiple times. However, it doesn’t take long for it to become blunt, meaning you’ll need to pass it across the skin more times to achieve the same close shave. The skin surface is put under intense pressure every time the blade is drawn across it, so the fewer times you do this, the better.
• Exfoliate before shaving: This removes dead skin cells, which can trap the sharp tips of shaved hairs and cause them to curl inwards as they regrow.
• Always use a lubricant: Dry shaving is far more likely to cause ingrown hairs, so you should always use a shaving foam or gel. Once applied, let it soak in and soften the hairs for a few minutes before shaving.
• Rinse between each shaving stroke: This removes debris from the blade and allows it to pass smoothly over the skin. It also reduces the chance that you’ll have to go twice or more over the same area.
• Shave in the direction of hair growth: Sure, you get a closer shave going against the grain. But this also increases the risk of ingrown hairs.
• Don’t stretch the skin: Yes, we all know that doing this provides a closer shave. But, once again, it makes getting an ingrown hair more likely. This is because the tips of the hairs shrink back into the skin follicle when it’s stretched, again raising the risk of them curling and growing in the wrong direction.
• Post-shave, hold a cool wet cloth to the area: This will help to reduce any irritation caused by shaving.
• Moisturize afterward: Again, another top tip to help reduce any irritation that might contribute to ingrown hairs.

If you constantly suffer from ingrown hairs, even if you follow all the above, you might consider another hair removal option. Depilatory creams are often used with much success, or perhaps waxing will suit you better.

What can I do to prevent ingrown hairs? Dermatologist remedies

The risk of ingrown hairs with laser hair removal is dramatically reduced. This makes it a popular option for those who suffer irritation and ingrowns when shaving or using other hair removal methods.

Laser hair removal has advanced dramatically over recent years. While you can get DIY equipment, this is far outshone by a professional service, an at-home device will typically remove up to 70% of hair with around three months of treatment. The latest professional options will remove 95%+ in about 7-9 sessions.

Professional laser hair removal is also safe for darker skin tones, unlike the DIY option. While it’s not completely permanent, after your initial treatments you should only need top-up sessions every 4-8 weeks.

Remove the risk of Ingrown Hairs for Good! Get Laser Hair Removal at Bayou City Dermatology

Cutting-edge laser hair removal is by far the best way to almost guarantee that you’ll never suffer an ingrown hair again. Or, indeed, need to carry out time-consuming hair removal processes every few days…

At Bayou City Dermatology, our clinicians use the latest technology to eliminate unwanted hair growth. Or, if you prefer, we also offer the ultimate electrolysis treatments too.

Discover more about permanent hair removal at https://www.bayoucitydermatology.com/ and contact us today to book a consultation.