How to Completely Get Rid of Ingrown Hairs

Ingrown hairs are very painful and can be difficult to get rid of. An ingrown hair occurs when the hair shaft grows under the skin and creates a bump that may become infected. Hair removal is usually the cause of ingrown hairs. Plucking, waxing and shaving may cause the hair end to be sharp; as the hair grows it can turn around and grow back under the skin, becoming trapped. Improving your methods of skin care and hair removal can get rid of ingrown hairs.

Things You'll Need

• Nose hair shaver
• Depilatory
• Razor
• Exfoliation
• Washcloth
• Moisturizer
• Laser hair removal
• Electrolysis

Instructions

1. Stop plucking your hairs with tweezers. Plucking pulls the hair out at the root. This irritates the hair follicle. When it regrows, it may develop an ingrown hair. The most common place men pluck hair is the nose, while women pluck their eyebrows and chin hairs. Purchase a nose hair shaver to avoid ingrown hairs in the nose. You may need to start using a depilatory or shaving your chin instead of plucking. A depilatory is a chemical lotion that melts the hair away. Using a depilatory may soften the hair shaft and prevent ingrown hairs.

2. Shave your hair in a different direction. The closer the shave, the more chance the hair will turn and grow back down into the skin. Shaving against the hair growth provides the closest shave, but can also create ingrown hairs. Change directions and shave with the hair growth. On your face this means running the blade down your cheek or chin, not upwards. Hair grows downward on most of your body, so shave downward. Your shave may not be as close, but you may get rid of your ingrown hairs.

3. Exfoliate and moisturize your skin every day to improve your skin's surface. Exfoliating your skin can be as easy as washing your skin with a washcloth to slough off the top dry layer, or you can purchase an exfoliation kit at the store. Keep your skin soft so that the hairs are able to escape. Use a moisturizer after you exfoliate. Hardened, thick skin with a dry surface layer makes it difficult for hair to penetrate, and may result in ingrown hair.

4. Before shaving, soak in a warm tub or use a warm washcloth on your face. This will soften your skin and the hair so that when you pluck the hair, it will come out more easily.

5. Get laser hair removal or electrolysis to completely eliminate ingrown hairs. Both of these procedures, done by a dermatologist, can permanently remove hair and stop ingrown hairs completely. These procedure are effective but costly.

References

• Snare: Wellness
• Epigee: Ingrown Hair