Have you ever experienced a red, raised bump, that can be tender to the touch, and wondered what the heck is this?! These my friends, can be ingrown hairs.
They can show up anywhere you have hair on your body, though the more common places are: pubic areas, legs, butt, back, neck and chest. They look similar to a white head or large zit. They can be irritating, and sometimes painful.
They can show up anywhere you have hair on your body, though the more common places are: pubic areas, legs, butt, back, neck and chest. They look similar to a white head or large zit. They can be irritating, and sometimes painful.
How do you get them you ask? Sometimes dead skin can clog up a hair follicle. A big factor is shaving, especially against the grain. This can cause a type of ingrown called "pseudofolliculitis". In other words, you are breaking off the hair at the root causing a sharped edge to the hair, and a higher ability to bend backwards and curl up under your skin. People with curly hair are more susceptible, though anyone can get an ingrown hair. Also, people with high levels of certain sex hormones can have excessive hair growth, which makes it more likely to get ingrown hairs.
Don't fret, there are solutions to help reduce and eliminate ingrown hairs. Most importantly, don't pick or squeeze trying to "pop" it. You can cause more irritation, and leave a scar or dark spot, and it can become quite infected. If the ingrown is infected you may need to visit a Dr. who will need to remove the hair for you and may prescribe either a topical or oral medication to avoid further complications. This is pretty rare, and most ingrowns can be remedied on their own with the following suggestions:
- using a sterile needle, lift the skin and remove the hair with a clean pair of tweezers. Keep the area clean while it heals, usually in 2-7 days. If it forms a scab, do not pick it or you risk a scar. Let it fall off naturally.
- exfoliate! and often. exfoliate every time you are in the shower and you can greatly reduce the risk of ingrown hair. You can find exfoliation scrubs, gloves and brushes online at our website, or in our studio, or even your local drug store.
- consider laser hair removal. It does not pose the risk that shaving, tweezing, plucking does. Visit our website for more information on laser hair removal and packages here
