All You Need To Know About Ingrown Hair

Hello Gorgeous IMBBians!!!

For years and years now I have been doing waxing. I remember that in school we had these really cute little skirts as our uniforms and an almost embarrassing sight would be body hair and so, I did my first ever waxing in 8th standard. Over a period of time, I have seen that the growth of my hair has reduced considerably, but the problem of ingrown hair is increasing day by day. You want to go on a date, so you get your waxing done to wear that cute LBD you were planning to wear for this special day to show off your legs and there they are, those criminal looking black spots, like eyes on your smooth legs to put you off completely. How irritating it is, hai na?

Ingrown hair

So, I decided that it is high time and I need to get a solution for this. I asked my regular beautician and she told me just to exfoliate properly before I come in for waxing. I mean, is that it?? There definitely has to be a reason for this and some more potent solutions. I decided to research.

Ingrown hair is basically the hair that has curled around and grown back into the skin instead of coming out of the skin surface. This condition is very common for people who have very curly or coarse hair. This condition is also called Pseudofolliculitis which means razor bumps. This happens on skin which is shaved, waxed or tweezed. Ingrown hair can cause infections, dark skin or leave behind scars if we keep scratching or picking at it.

Causes and Solutions Of Ingrown Hair:

• There are a number of reasons for the hair to bend back and grow; shaving being a major reason. If you very often use a razor too close to the skin, it cuts the edge of the hair into a sharp point which can then easily re-enter the skin and grow sideways. One needs to be very careful while shaving. The skin needs to be properly prepped.

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• Use warm water to wet your skin. Use a good shaving cream or a soap or gel. Also, do not apply undue pressure as it might cut the hair shorter than the surrounding ones. Avoid shaving in the opposite direction of the hair growth. Also, use a sharp single bladed razor and try to use a new one every time.

• Dead skin on the surface can block the hair follicle to grow, forcing it to bend and grow inwards. Always moisturise your skin and don’t let it reach the stage of dryness if you do experience problems of ingrowth of hair. Exfoliate skin properly using circular motions on your legs and hands at least once a week. Use warm water on the skin before exfoliating as it will open up the pores and help removing any dirt or grime. Salt or sugar mixed with olive oil or other essential oils can act as a good scrub for the body.

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• Also, really tight fitted clothes change the direction of the hair growth resulting them to bend and enter the skin surface again.

• Avoid shaving and waxing very frequently. Let there be full growth before two appointments. Stretch your skin properly for waxing. When skin is not completely stretched and hair is removed or pulled out through waxing, shaving or tweezing, only a part of the hair is removed. The rest of the hair recoils and grows inside the hair follicle. Also, do not shave a certain area constantly. You can shave in emergency, but then next time go for waxing as it will help in removing the topmost layer of dead skin effectively.

Tips To Control Ingrown Hair:

• Tea Tree Oil

Directly apply a few drops of Tea Tree oil on the ingrown hair after cleansing with soap and then mildly exfoliate. Tea Tree oil has antibacterial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties which will heal the skin and reduce further growth. Tea Tree oil mixed with olive oil can also be applied to the irritated skin.

• Baking Soda

Baking soda has soothing effects on the skin and helps relieve the itching caused due to exfoliation because to its anti-inflammatory properties. Mix a spoon of baking soda in a cup of water and apply using cotton on the affected area. Leave it on for five minutes and wash it off with cold water.

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• Black Tea Bags

Black tea has tannic acid which reduces redness and inflammation. Use a moist black tea bag to rub over the affected skin for 2-3 minutes. But, you need to moisten it in warm water.

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• Aspirin Tablets

Soak two aspirin tablets in one teaspoon of warm water until it forms a paste-like consistency. Add one teaspoon of honey to the paste. Apply the paste to the affected area. Leave it on for 10 minutes. Wash it off with warm water and then gently pat the skin dry. The salicylic acid, present in aspirin, scrubs away dead skin. Those with highly sensitive skin should not follow this remedy.

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• Do Not Prick or Tweeze

There are many people who like to use sterilized needles to prick the ingrown hair out and use a tweezer to pluck it. I personally do not like to attempt it as it has high chances of going wrong leading to infections and boils.

• Consult A Specialist

Many people face serious infections and I would advise that in such conditions it is better to consult a dermatologist as many courses of steroids, retinoids, and antibiotics are available.

Hope this helps you beauties. Let me know if you guys have any more alternative ideas to get rid of it.

Image Source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

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2 thoughts on “All You Need To Know About Ingrown Hair

  1. Using a body scrub twice a week and moisturising my skin afterwards helps me a lot. Good post Sayli. I waxed my legs first time in 9th standard. 😀

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