What Causes Ingrown Hair?
Dead skin usually clogs the hair follicles on the skin surface. This forces the hair to grow under the skin, sideways, and not outwards. One may experience inflammation leading to skin redness or darkening. It also may result in a bacterial infection or pus formation.
Shaving, waxing, or plucking hair can also cause ingrown hair. Shaving with a rusted razor, stretching the skin while shaving, and shaving against the hair direction can cause ingrown hair. Plucking or tweezing can irritate the skin, causing the hair to curl and clog the pore instead of growing outward. Even the strips used in waxing, if not pulled in the direction opposite to hair growth, can cause ingrown hair.
Wearing tight clothes causes ingrown hair. This is especially true in summers or during a workout. The clothes rub against the skin and may cause ingrown hair.
Never scrape, poke, or prick ingrown hair. There are other ways to get rid of ingrown hair safely. We have discussed them below.
How To Get Rid Of Ingrown Hair Safely?
The most effective way to prevent and treat ingrown hair is Laser hair Reduction (LHR). Let us understand how you can get rid of those pesky ingrown hairs on your face, pubic areas, arms, and legs.
Use A Warm Compress: Wet a clean washcloth with warm water and press it against your skin for two minutes. Gently rub the cloth in circular motions. Doing this twice a day can open up the clogged pores and reduce the chances of inflammation and bacterial infection.
Use An Exfoliant: Apply a cream-based exfoliant (the exfoliating beads should not be too harsh) to your skin in gentle, circular motions. Wash the area with lukewarm water and pat dry. Repeat once a week as doing it daily can irritate the skin. You can also visit a clinic to use chemical exfoliants (peels) containing glycolic acid to remove the ingrown hairs.
Use A Toner With Salicylic Acid: Using a toner with salicylic acid after exfoliation helps soothe your skin. The toner will help prevent pigmentation and reduce the risk of infection.
Use A Tweezer: Sterilize the tweezer in boiling water. Rub the affected skin area with rubbing alcohol and gently tweeze out the hair. Avoid tweezing if the hair is embedded deep into the skin and needs constant digging. Digging into the skin may cause inflammation and hyperpigmentation. It also may open up the pore and allow bacteria and dirt to enter easily.
Use A Needle: Be extra cautious while removing ingrown hair with a needle. Do not try this at home as there are high chances of secondary infection. Sterilize the needle first in boiling water. Rub the affected skin area with rubbing alcohol. Gently prick the area. If the gentle prick does not expose the ingrown hair, do not proceed. Soothe the skin for a couple of days with a warm compress. You can try with the needle again after two days, with caution.
These are the various ways you can get rid of ingrown hair at home. However, there can be situations warranting a visit to the doctor.
When To See A Dermatologist?
If you are worried about infecting or hurting yourself with any of the home-based methods, see a dermatologist. Dermatologists can help extract the pus-filled ingrown hair cysts without any risk of infection or wound. The skincare products a dermatologist recommends also help reduce any hyperpigmentation. You can prevent ingrown hair with a few minor adjustments. We have discussed them below.
Tips For Preventing Ingrown Hair
Avoid using a razor blade: Keep your hands off razor blades until the ingrown hair heals.
Shave in the direction of the hair: Shaving against the direction of the hair can cut the shaft at an acute angle, leaving a sharp edge that irritates the skin around the follicle and makes way for the hair to grow in between the skin layers.
Avoid tweezing too much: Tweezing out one or two ingrown hairs is alright. However, using tweezers too often to remove hair from your face, underarms, legs, or abdomen can open up the pores to dirt and bacteria.
Use a warm shower: Showering in lukewarm water and gentle exfoliation before waxing or shaving can help. The warm water will soften the skin and make waxing or shaving easier.
Use a new shaving blade: Avoid using the same shaving blade more than once.
Use an astringent: Using an astringent after shaving or waxing will close the pores and prevent bacterial infections.
Will an ingrown hair go away by itself? This depends on its severity. Mild to moderate cases of ingrown hair usually subside after a few days if the affected area is left undisturbed. But more severe cases may warrant medical intervention. Can you pop out an ingrown hair? It is not recommended to pop out an ingrown hair to avoid scarring or any chance of infection. Does peroxide get rid of ingrown hairs? Hydrogen peroxide works as an antiseptic. You can apply it before plucking out ingrown hair to prevent any chances of infection.
