Friday, May 3, 2024

Ingrown Hair: What It Looks Like, Causes, Treatment & Prevention

remove ingrown hair

Replace razors regularly to avoid dullness, which can add friction. People with sensitive skin may benefit from using natural or hypoallergenic products on their legs. It can be used in the shower (just before adding conditioner) or applied to damp skin right after getting out of the shower. It is recommended to apply a quarter-size amount to the impacted area and rub it into the skin in a circular motion. While you should use this product as needed, be aware that overuse (without a moisturizing conditioner) can dry out the scalp.

When Should You See a Dermatologist?

"It’s possible to remove visible ingrown hairs with the help of a sterile needle and tweezers," Palm says. "But unless you’re skilled enough and able to do this in a clean environment, I generally advise against removing deep ingrown hairs yourself, as there’s a risk for infection, scarring, and damage to the skin." Your hair grows out of little pockets called follicles, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). An ingrown hair starts growing in its follicle normally, but after emerging into the world, it doubles back and reenters your skin. Compared to other hair-removal methods, this happens most often when you’re shaving. “The razor leaves the end of the hair sharp, making it more likely to pierce back into the skin,” Dr. Hayag says.

Bevel Essentials Post Shave Bump Control

Infected ingrown hairs can be uncomfortable, but most clear up on their own in 7–10 days with good hygiene. If the hair is near the skin’s surface, however, you may be able to remove it by gently grasping it with sterilized tweezers. If your infection is mild or infrequent, you may be able to use home remedies. If infections recur or are severe, you may need medical treatment. Using creams with salicylic acid can help open the pores and follicles, preventing them from clogging. As such, it may not make it all the way to the surface of the skin before turning and clogging the follicle.

What are ingrown hairs?

Ingrown hairs on the legs can signal that a person is using the wrong type of razor. Ingrown hairs occur more frequently in areas that experience a lot of friction, such as the thighs. The form of treatment will likely rely on your personal preference. Do you prefer a cream that you can rub in or a more liquid option that you can quickly apply with a cotton swab? There are several different treatment forms on this list to help you choose the one that fits best for your needs.

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remove ingrown hair

Since ingrown hairs can occur in any hair-bearing area, we note whether each product is meant for your face or body. Make sure to avoid removing hair in the area where you have an ingrown until it’s fully healed, experts told us. Ingrown hairs can be painful, but you can remove them safely with the help of a warm compress. To prepare your skin for removing ingrown hair, soak a clean washcloth in warm water and hold it over the area for 3 to 5 minutes. Once the rag has cooled, soak it again with warm water and repeat the process 3 or 4 times. Then, get the ingrown hair to the surface of your skin by using a pair of tweezers to gently nudge the hair.

Over-the-counter (OTC) products for ingrown hairs

JOVS version features 37F sapphire ice cooling technology that makes the hair removal process practically painless and comfortable to use on in sensitive areas. This creates a little red bump, sometimes inflammation or looks like acne with a head filled with pus. The only difference is you can see the dark hair inside the bump. Some OTC products may help coax the hair up and out of the skin, which may reduce the risk of infection.

When should you see a doctor to get rid of an ingrown hair?

Our favourite part about it, aside from the longer-lasting results, is that the scent is much less pungent than some other options, despite still being pretty potent in its formula. Doctors believe that ingrown hair are likely to develop pilonidal cysts. They can be swollen and painful and might need surgery to be treated.

SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. Popping an ingrown hair can increase you chance of it becoming infected.

Try a dry brush

The 12 Best Ingrown Hair Treatments of 2024 - Verywell Health

The 12 Best Ingrown Hair Treatments of 2024.

Posted: Thu, 07 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

A chemical exfoliant, like glycolic acid, is found in a majority of treatments on this list and can remove dead skin cells without any scrubbing. Dr. Chacon notes that you lower the chances of hair growing into the skin by using lotions and products that contain glycolic acid. After shaving, it’s best to apply the oil with the included dropper and rub into clean, dry skin to start the hydration process. While we picked this as a great treatment for your legs, it can be used all over the body to help prevent ingrown hairs.

Witch hazel is an alternative ingredient that does the same job, but is gentler on the skin, Weinstein says. Thayer’s Witch Hazel Facial Toner has an alcohol-free formula that minimizes the appearance of pores, evens skin tone and texture and hydrates skin, according to the brand. The toner is available in different versions made with additional skin-soothing ingredients like rose petal, coconut water, lavender and cucumber.

One of the biggest things to note before choosing your ingrown hair treatment is to verify that it can be worn outside in direct sunlight. Many of these treatments that contain glycolic acid can make your skin more susceptible to sunburns and could cause sun damage if not used properly and worn with sunscreen. If the area is very inflamed and tender, your doctor may also inject a steroid into the skin, in order to reduce inflammation and provide quick relief. It’s common to see ingrown hairs pop up wherever you wax, shave, or groom with tweezers, including your face, legs, bikini area, and underarms. Use gentle soaps to clean areas around the ingrown hair and prevent infection. Using natural exfoliates around the hair can also help remove dead skin cells.

People with coarse, thick, or curly hair are often more likely to have ingrown hairs. Whether a current ingrown hair is bothering you or you're looking for prevention tips, keep reading to learn all you need to know about how to remove a deep ingrown hair safely, straight from dermatologists. Coarse hair is no match for Nood's Flasher 2.0, which eliminates unwanted hair without the razor burn or ingrowns caused by traditional removal methods. Bonus points for its mini size, which makes it easy to treat hard to reach areas such as underarms and the bikini line. To keep strands away for longer, we also applied the Skin Doctors hair no more inhibitor spray two days post-cream application, to boost the performance of the hair removal creams. Ingrown hairs cause bumps, which are often itchy, where a hair has grown back into the skin.

No, you should never pop, pick, pluck or pull at an ingrown hair, our experts unanimously agreed. Doing so can make ingrowns worse and prolong the healing process. Picking, tweezing and squeezing ingrown hairs also commonly results in folliculitis, an inflammation and infection of the hair follicles that looks like a bumpy rash and can be itchy or painful, Weinstein says. Cetaphil’s fragrance-free Acne Relief Body Wash — a Select Wellness Award winner — is also made with moisturizing ingredients like glycerin, shea butter and soybean oil to fight dry skin, according to the brand. The body wash has a creamy, lotion-like consistency that’s gentle on skin and doesn’t get sudsy, in my experience.

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