Thursday, May 2, 2024

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

ingrown facial hair

If you shave often, you're more likely to have ingrown hairs. You're also more likely to have them if you have skin of color or your hair is thick, coarse, or curly. Curly hair is more likely to bend back and reenter your skin, especially after it's been shaved or cut. Sometimes, dead skin can clog a hair follicle, which forces the hair to grow sideways under your skin rather than up and out. If you cut naturally curly hair too short, the sharpened end of the hair can pierce your skin, causing an ingrown hair. An ingrown hair is one that's grown back into your skin instead of rising up from it.

Risk factors

ingrown facial hair

Ingrown facial hair can be annoying and painful, but with the right products and techniques, you can reduce your risk for this problem. Some people are more prone to ingrown hair and don’t respond to home therapy. If you’re unable to self-treat, laser hair removal may offer lasting results and alleviate ingrown hair. Talk to your doctor about this option, as well as other options for managing this condition.

Pulling the skin

Air Force cuts service members with razor bumps a break, extends shaving waiver - Stars and Stripes

Air Force cuts service members with razor bumps a break, extends shaving waiver.

Posted: Wed, 24 Jun 2020 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Popping an ingrown hair can increase you chance of it becoming infected. PFB can cause stinging and burning, especially while shaving. Avoiding shaving altogether is the best way to prevent PFB. When this is not feasible, however, various drug treatments and procedures may be effective.

Laser hair removal and electrolysis

This can help because apple cider vinegar contains anti-inflammatory properties that help soothe irritated skin, Engelman says. Palm adds that in severe cases, your doctor might prescribe antibiotics to prevent an infection from arising. Our favorite natural way to remove ingrown hairs is to use the Dylonic Exfoliating Brush and Precision Tweezers.

Razor bumps are most common in Black cisgender males and those of Asian descent, as well as people who shave. You may also be at greater risk of developing bumps with ingrown hairs if you have naturally curly hair. Remember, if you have a deep ingrown hair that just isn't going away, see your dermatologist.

Treatment FAQs

Use a good-quality pair of tweezers that won't slide off or break hair unnecessarily. If you break the hair, it sharpens the end (typically at a slant), increasing the chances of it becoming ingrown as it pierces the skin more easily. Luckily, tweezers don't have to break the bank to do their job. Tweezerman Slant Tweezers ($24) are almost everyone's top pick, for good reason.

As such, it may not make it all the way to the surface of the skin before turning and clogging the follicle. In addition to taking care of your face before and during a shave, you should take care of your skin after shaving. Applying moisturizer or creams can keep your skin and facial hair soft between shaves.

Common Areas for Ingrown Hairs

Symptoms include a pimple at your ingrown hair's follicle, warmth or swelling around your ingrown hair, fever, or a general feeling of illness. It might be difficult at first to incorporate all of these methods to prevent ingrown hairs, so try one at a time and watch closely to see if those little red bumps begin to disappear. By washing your face with a mild cleanser and warm water every day you will remove dead cell build-ups, pore-clogging and in the bottom line ingrown facial hairs.

Removing a hair can also cause the new hair that grows in its place to grow incorrectly. Your new hair may grow sideways and eventually curl back down. 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?

The odds of having ingrown hair increase if your hair is naturally curly. This formula is non-irritating due to the lack of alcohol and artificial fragrances that could dry out skin. Each container holds 28 individual pads that are pretreated to help prevent ingrown hairs and are ready for use right out of the package. These pads can be used daily or as needed, however, depending on the size of the impacted area, you may need to use more than one pad to fully cover the area experiencing ingrown hairs.

He has written extensively about health and wellness and how to find the perfect product match based on someone’s budget, health concerns, and overall needs. Having recently battled a few pesky ingrown hairs himself, this list helped him better choose an at-home treatment in his price range. If an infection develops and worsens, you may need medical treatment. Most ingrown hair infections resolve in time with good hygiene, and over-the-counter creams may also help. Picking at the hair can increase the risk of an infection spreading or worsening. If the infection becomes severe, a doctor may recommend antibiotics or other treatment.

If bacteria, fungi, or other pathogens enter the skin, an infection can develop, known as folliculitis. Using creams with salicylic acid can help open the pores and follicles, preventing them from clogging. Digging into the skin to pull the hair out can cause an infection. By Angela PalmerAngela Palmer is a licensed esthetician specializing in acne treatment.

If you start implementing some of the tips to prevent ingrown hairs we discussed earlier you will be working to remove those stubborn little hairs less frequently. There are two groups of ingrown hairs –  those caused by, already mentioned, infected follicles and the ones caused by a secondary skin infection. You can also find hair growth serums that contain active ingredients that have been FDA-approved to promote hair growth, like minoxidil. But you can reduce your risk with good skin products and hygiene.

Meanwhile, “the goal of a serum is to target the hair follicle directly by delivering compounds that may allow for improved or optimal hair growth,” says Dr. Mirmirani. These ingredients are those that aren’t typically found in the diet, such as minoxidil and plant-based compounds. However, if you don’t respond well in home treatment, then laser hair removal may be a better long-term option. It’s not a good idea to pop or squeeze an ingrown hair cyst, as you can introduce bacteria that can cause an infection. If the bumps or cysts become extremely bothersome — or if they aren’t fading — see a healthcare professional or dermatologist.

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Ingrown hair Symptoms and causes

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