Ingrown Hair Follicles

Many people are embarrassed by ingrown hair follicles.

Ingrown hair follicles can be embarrassing, painful, irritating and difficult to get rid of. Often caused by shaving too close to the skin, ingrown follicles are found wherever there is tight, curly hair. Usually they develop in the pubic region or in the neck and chin.

Identification

Ingrown hair follicles are small, embedded hairs that curve and grow inward back into the skin. Ingrown hair follicles cause small painful and itchy red bumps where one shaves. Sometimes you can see the embedded hair and other times you cannot. Ingrown hair follicles can develop where skin is shaved regularly or even once, such as on the chin, neck, cheeks, armpits, pubic region and legs. Acne may also develop around the ingrown hair follicle.

Causes

According to Medicine Net and the Mayo Clinic, the most common cause of ingrown hairs is shaving. Shaving too close to the skin or against the skin often causes an ingrown hair follicle. This happens especially in areas where there are tight, curly hairs. Waxing and tight clothing also can cause ingrown hair follicles or worsen existing ingrown hair follicles. Ingrown hair follicles can develop naturally due to an excess of dead skin, which blocks the follicle opening and results in the hair growing sideways.

Potential Problems

Even though ingrown hair follicles are embarrassing, painful and irritating, they are usually harmless and do not create any major problems. Minor problems can occur because of ingrown hair follicles. If scratched, ingrown hair follicles can become infected. Hyperpigmentation, or the darkening of the skin, can also be the result of ingrown hair follicles. Permanent scarring is a possible result of ingrown hair follicles, especially if they are scratched or further irritated. Acne breakouts can also occur in the area of ingrown hair follicles.

Treatment

Doctors may suggest many treatments for those bothered by ingrown hair follicles. These include retinoids, corticosteroids, antibiotics, tweezing the hair out and washing the area. Retinoids are creams that remove the dead skin cells to open the pathway for the hair follicle to grow. These creams can also treat and prevent hyperpigmentation. Corticosteroids are topical steroid ointments that will treat the inflammation of ingrown hair follicles. Topical antibiotic ointments can prevent and treat infection due to scratching and other irritations. Another treatment is to simply wash the affected area with a warm, wet washcloth before shaving. You can also use tweezers or a needle by inserting it under the hair loop and pulling it out.

Prevention

The easiest and surest way to prevent ingrown hair follicles is to avoid shaving and waxing. You can use other methods such as laser hair removal, which will not result in ingrown hair follicles because it removes the hair follicles. If you still prefer shaving, you can wet the area you are shaving with warm water, avoid close shaves, avoid pulling the skin taut while shaving, shaving in the direction of the hair growth instead of against it and rinsing the blade after every stroke.

References

• Mayo Clinic: Ingrown Hair
• Medicine Net: Ingrown Hair