Ingrown Hair Symptoms
Around 50 to 80 percent of African-American men experience the symptoms of this skin problem. Of Caucasian men, about 15 to 20 percent live with it. The condition known as ingrown hairs can be irritating, but compared to life-threatening diseases as cancer and diabetes, it's only a minor problem. Although men are more prone to ingrown hairs than women because they shave more, women can also develop them from shaving their legs, armpits and bikini area.
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Identification
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An ingrown hair is a hair that curls, penetrating the skin with its tip. They are usually caused by shaving. Besides shaving, ingrown hairs can be the result of wearing exceptionally tight clothing. They can also happen naturally. When a hair splits off while shaving, it starts growing at an angle along the hair follicle's side. Razor bumps or hair follicle infections (folliiculitis) can come with ingrown hairs, making them sensitive when touched. Ingrown hairs and razor bumps are most common in people with extremely curly hair, mostly found in the beard area.
Common Symptoms
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The most common symptoms are inflammation and pus. The degree of severity varies. While for most people it's just annoying, not causing a serious health concern, for others it's worse. For example, the condition known as razor bumps (pseudofolliculitis barba) can lead to extreme folliculitis where hair follicles become seriously inflamed. Folliculitis resembles red pimples, with a single hair planted in the middle of each one. Often itchy or burning, there may be pus in the center of the pimples. Itchy skin is another common symptom of ingrown hairs, as well as painful red bumps, tingling skin, skin discoloration, rashes and hairs that continue to linger although you've shaved.
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Misleading Symptoms
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Sometimes symptoms for ingrown hairs look like symptoms of other skin care problems. Keratosis pilaris is one example; it is a noncontagious skin condition. Symptoms for keratosis pilaris are small red bumps (chicken skin), typically found on the upper arms and thighs. Mostly seen in teens, it's caused by old skin that's shed going back into hair follicles.
Misconceptions
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It's a common misconception that close shaving reduces the risk of ingrown hairs. However, the opposite is more likely to be true. By cutting your beard too close the stubble can turn in on itself. This pierces it into the pore, inflaming the skin. Use an electric razor as this causes the shave not to be so close to the skin. A close shave can lead to the blade cutting the end of the hair shaft making it so sharpened that it's easy for the hair to reenter a hair follicle. This is particularly true using double-track razors.
Treatment and Prevention
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An ingrown hair often heals on its own. However, in the case of chronic ingrown hairs, treatment may include removing the hair by either electrolysis or by using a depilatory cream, which is a cosmetic preparation for removing hair.
Prevention is the best treatment. Wash your skin before shaving. Doing so helps lift the hair from the follicle, as well as softens it to prepare it for the shave. Shave in the same direction as the hair growth, every other day. Then continue to shave in the same direction with each shave. Ladies shaving their legs need to shave down rather than up, again, shaving the in the same direction. In other words, don't shave against the grain, training the hair to grow out straight. This way it won't curl back into the skin. Use a damp warm towel after shaving to soothe and soften the skin.
Don't wear tight clothing over freshly shaved areas. Keep skin cleansed so it's smooth, helping the hair follicles grow in the right direction. Use moisturizing lotions that don't clog pores, looking for the words "noncomedogenic" on the label. Also, use skin treatments containing salicylic acid, which gets rid of old skin.
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Resources
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