Ingrown Hairs Are a Crime Against Your Body: How to Treat Ingrown Hairs
It’s never fun when your own body turns on you, and ingrown hair happens to be a repeat offender. They might begin as a harmless nuisance (just a bit of light treason), but they become full-blown infected areas (DEFCON 1 level severity) in the blink of an eye. Yep, these annoying and painful ingrown hair bumps are the unsightly little Benedict Arnolds of the otherwise well-groomed body.
But it doesn't have to be this way — we swear.
Eliminating ingrown hairs completely may not be totally doable, but a few tweaks to your regular routine will certainly help keep them at bay.
Why It’s A Drag: Understanding Ingrown Hairs
Ingrown hairs are incredibly common in both men and women, and can happen anywhere you shave or remove hair — face, legs, head, armpits, what have you. They are essentially caused when a hair curls back around and grows into your skin instead of growing up and outward. Your skin reacts to this the same way it would to any foreign object that tries to make its way though — it gets inflamed and angry. You’ll know you have one when you see a small and itchy, solid or blister-like bump coupled with an embedded hair. Sexy, right?
Common Causes of Ingrowns and Irritation
A lot of it comes down to how you shave. Like a lot of good things in life, shaving success is intrinsically linked with good technique. We’ll discuss more specifics about actual shaving tips in just a few paragraphs, but for now we want to take the time to remind you to start a very important habit: keep a fresh and clean blade. A dull, funky razor provides a prime breeding ground for ingrown hairs and irritation.
Conversely, if you shave too close to the skin, that can also cause some trouble. We recommend letting the weight of the handle do most of the work for you; there’s no need to press that razor super-hard right into your skin.
Outside of technique and blade quality, there is one main factor that can influence your likelihood to experience ingrown hairs. And it comes down to what your ancestors gave you, your genetics. If your hair is curly, it’s simply more likely to have trouble breaking through the skin; making it easier to grow back in on itself.
But have no fear, keep reading for some of our best tips, tricks, and remedies to prevent and treat these toughies.
Areas to watch (out for ingrown hairs)
We know you’re probably most used to seeing them in your beard and neckline, but ingrown hairs can show up anywhere that hair grows. Thick body hair can sometimes curl back in on itself and become ingrown, especially if you shave it with any regularity.
Bottom line: They don't look good. And they hurt. The good news is that most ingrown hairs will resolve themselves in a few days, but like almost everything, it can get complicated. If irritated, these twisted sisters can even lead to a nasty bacterial infection. (Resist the urge to Google that; you’ve been warned.)
Let’s talk prevention
Who suffers the most: Those of you with coarse, curly hair are more prone to ingrown hairs just given the shape and texture of the hair itself — but no one is immune.
Proper Shaving Techniques
Improper shaving is one of the main causes of ingrown hairs, so by making sure you’re doing it right, you reduce the risk of the hair turning back on you. First of all, wash and exfoliate your skin before doing the deed. Dead skin can clog the hair follicle, making it easier for hairs to get trapped.
Second, make sure you are using a fresh, sharp razor every single time, as well as warm water and proper lubrication,
Do rinse your blade after every stroke to remove any accumulated gunk.
Do not pull your skin taut as you shave.
Do shave in the same direction that your hair is growing in. This can vary from person to person and even from your cheek to your neck, so just feel around. Does it feel smooth? Then you’re going the right way. Is it rough and feels like you’re petting your dog the wrong way? About face, soldier.
Once you’re done, you can use a cool, damp towel to help with irritation, or use a moisturizing agent to really soothe and protect your skin.
Exfoliate & Moisturize
Exfoliation is super important for prevention and treatment of ingrown hairs. By exfoliating your skin, you’re ridding yourself of dead skin cells, dirt, and grime that might be preventing those pesky hairs from breaking through and growing normally.
Follow up with a good moisturizer. Keeping skin hydrated can help to prevent trapped hair in the future. Dry and irritated skin is less likely to allow healthy hair to grow freely.
And Now For How To Treat It
The Old Fashioned Way
If you do happen to get an ingrown hair, rub the area in a circular motion with a warm, wet washcloth for several minutes to try and ease the hair out gently. Repeat daily if needed.
If you can clearly see a loop of hair at the surface and it’s easy to get to, you can use a sterile needle or tweezers to tug out and free the ingrown end.
Over-the-Counter Solutions
Look for topical treatments that contain salicylic acid or glycolic acid. These chemical exfoliants will help resurface healthy skin and prevent ingrown hairs in the future. If you’re a bit swollen or red, try an anti-inflammatory cream. Try your best to stay away from anything with alcohol or intense fragrance. Let your skin breathe!
Getting a Professional Involved
Whatever you do, don’t dig around in there with less-than-sterile tweezers, lest you want to gamble with the possibility of infection. If the area gets swollen or starts to feel hot to the touch, it’s time to call in the professionals. Ditto for any deep-seated or particularly painful hairs that just won’t go away.
If you’re on the fence, it’s always wise to consult with your dermatologist. It’s their job to handle these sorts of things! They can provide any sort of treatment, from specialized creams or medications, to performing an extraction. They have the medical degrees for a reason, don’t try this at home, y’all.
Best Practices for Your Grooming Routine
Keep Your Shaving Tools Tip Top
Keep your razors clean by rinsing them between uses, and storing them in a dry area. Replace your blade often to keep it sharp and gunk/bacteria-free. Any sort of bacteria yuckiness that sticks around on your razor makes it way more likely that you’ll experience irritation the next time you shave.
Knowing Your Skin Type Can Help You Out
Understanding your skin and how it works can help you pick the right techniques and products for you. For example: if you’re super sensitive, consider staying away from stronger exfoliants (both chemical and physical) and heavy moisturizers. They might over-strip your skin or break you out.
No matter what your skin is like, whether you’re sensitive, oily, or dry, be sure you’re shaving with the grain and try to avoid shaving the same spot over and over.
Our Dollar Shave Club Recommendations Just For You
Now that you’re equipped with all the ingrown hair knowledge you could possibly need, here’s our curated routine to keep irritation and ingrowns at bay.
We’ve got all sorts of razors that are great for your shaving needs, daily, not so often, thick hair, thin hair, acne prone, you know the vibes. You can check them out right here: https://us.dollarshaveclub.com/collections/blades-handles.
Whichever of our razors you choose, just make sure you shave with the grain and use a gentle hand. Your skin and hair deserve it.
A few times a week before your shave even begins, start with Prep Scrub. It’s our exfoliator and is great for helping to release any trapped, under-skin hair, as well as prevent more from popping up in the future.
All three of our beloved shave aids, Shave Butter, Shave Cream, and Shave Gel are all helpful at reducing irritation. It’s just up to the texture that you, your skin, and your hair prefer. After your shave is over, consider applying Post Shave Dew if you’re oily. It’s our lighter moisturizing formula that won’t leave you greasy. If you’re dry, try Post Shave Cream. Its rich formula was designed for lasting hydration. Whichever one you choose, both will help restore your skin and keep it hydrated.
Now give ingrown hairs the boot and give yourself the shave of your dreams.
