How to Get Rid of Ingrown Hair

Ingrown hair is a benign skin condition characterized by hair growing inwards as the hair follicle penetrates the skin when the hair is cut.
Thus, it happens after improper shaving and waxing when the tip of a hair sharpens and curls back into the skin. It can also grow sideways into the skin.
Plus, accumulation of dead skin cells, oils, and debris contribute in making the problem worse as it blocks the hair follicles. Furthermore, at times, ingrown hairs appear apparently for no reason at all.
It is believed that those with tightly curled hair and darker skin types are more susceptible to this problem. This common condition generally occurs on the face, neck, legs, underarms, and the pubic area.
Ingrown hairs appear as small red or tan bumps on the skin, often with small, dark pinpoints visible beneath the skin.
Apart from being unsightly, these bumps can also cause pain as they tend to become infected and lead to folliculitis.
The bumps can be accompanied by tenderness, itching, and inflammation. The hair trapped in the skin causes inflammation because the skin treats it as a foreign body.
How to Get Rid of Ingrown Hair
Here are 6 ways to treat ingrown hair. Besides, at times the problem tends to go away on its own.
- The most common way to get rid of ingrown hair is to use a pair of sterile, pointy-tipped tweezers to pull the tip of the hair away from skin. Do not pluck it out completely, though. To make this remedy more effective, take a clean washcloth, soak it in warm water, and place it on the affected area for about 10 minutes to soften the hair and open up the pores before using tweezers. Moreover, you can tease the hair out of your skin with a sharp scalpel, needle, or a rotable medical device. Besides, you may apply some topical cream to draw the ingrown hairs out.
- Apply some acne cream, body lotion, or post-shave product containing glycolic acid or salicylic acid. These ingredients exfoliate and moisturize the skin. In addition, they help clear the pores and prevent infection. Apply the product especially after shaving.
- When dealing with scars caused by ingrown hair, massage rose hip oil on the affected area to make the dark marks disappear.
- You can also apply tea tree oil or witch hazel on the ingrown hair bumps once a day to dry it out. These astringents shall reduce the swelling and redness associated with ingrown hairs before pulling them out. In case, there is an infection, apply a combination of tea tree oil and aloe vera gel.
- Soak a hot towel in vinegar and place it on the affected area for about 15-20 minutes to draw out the ingrown hair. Follow this treatment three to four times in a day.
- Add two tablespoons of Epsom salt in eight ounces of distilled water. Dip a cotton ball in the solution and leave it on the affected area for about 10 minutes to exfoliate dead skin cells and help remove ingrown hair. Ingrown hair in the bikini area can be reduced by soaking in a bath tub filled with warm water and two cups of Epsom salt.
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astha modi
September 17, 2013 at 5:23 am
require more medically proven technique
Tina Kolinas
October 9, 2013 at 7:29 pm
I recommend using a personal shaver like the Hair eRazor. You will never suffer from irritation and ingrown hairs again. My clients love them!
Tina Kolinas
Licensed Aesthetician
Madison
December 17, 2013 at 11:46 pm
When I get an ingrown haiemr it is much bigger than that and I can’t get rid of it. I have tried antibiotics, toothe paste, I disinfectic regularly, and put hot compresses on it. I WILL NOT GO TO THE DOCTORS. I went before and they had to cut it open with a nife and cut out the puss from inside. I am trying everything in a reasonable perspective. I can’t get the hair out with tweezers. The only thing that has worked before is using hot compresses anf disinfecting it untill it forms a head which I pop and drain the puss out. But sometimes it wont form the head and I don’t know what to do
Christy
August 27, 2015 at 9:38 am
Tea tree oil was recommended to me and within a couple of days most of my ingrowns disappeared. It’s very potent though I diluted it with water and I spray it on at night before bed.