Ingrown hairs can be a headache to get rid of. They ache, itch and are just uncomfortable to deal with. Ingrown hair is a shaved or tweezed hair that grows out and back into the skin causing irritation. You don’t want to damage the skin and leave behind hyperpigmentation and scarring with careless removal. Even worse, you don’t want an infected ingrown hair. So how do you prevent this? Here are 5 ways you can treat, remove and prevent ingrown hairs.
Limit hair removal
Try to limit any further hair removal when you are in the process of treating your ingrown hairs. According to the Mayo Clinic, to treat ingrown hairs, stop shaving, tweezing or waxing until the condition improves for usually one to six months. Additional shaving, clipping or waxing may cause more irritation and create more ingrown hairs with more hair growth. Wait until the area clears up.
Cleanse the entire area
On a regular basis, cleanse the entire area. Look for products with ingredients such as salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide to deeply cleanse the pores underneath the beard. Niacinamide is a great ingredient for improving texture, inflammation and dark spots. Create a skin care routine around your ingrown hairs.
Be patient with removal
Don’t pick and force ingrown hair removal. If the hair is hidden within the inflamed bump, apply a warm compress on the area. When the hair is embedded too deeply into the bump or cyst, it’s best to repeat the compress over the course of a few days until the skin softens. When the hair is finally visible, gently loop undr the hair and lift it out of the skin without being abrasive. Finally, at the base of the hair pull it out with a tweezer.
Exfoliate. Exfoliate. Exfoliate.
Exfoliating helps to release the ingrown hair. Exfoliants buff out old, dead skin cells on the outer layer of the skin. The word “acid” can sound off-putting, although they are safe to use on the skin. Gently exfoliate up to 3 times a week using products with ingredients like:
AHAs & BHAs
Glycolic acid
Lactic acid
Retinoid creams are also known to treat ingrown hairs in the long run. These should only be used once a week. Being that these exfoliants increase skin sensitivity to UV rays, it's heavily recommended to follow with a facial sunscreen.
Moisturize
Keep the area hydrated with an unscented, alcohol-free moisturizer. Moisturizing helps to protect the ingrown hair from more irritation. Work the moisturizer into the skin underneath the facial hair. Use a beard balm. Beard balms also hydrate and soften the hair around the ingrown.
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