In case razor burn wasn’t enough for you, here’s another follicle-based ball-ache of a problem we have to deal with: ingrown hairs. If I’m being totally honest, they’re not all bad; that moment when you pick at it and finally get the hair? Smug doesn’t come close. But forget I said that because the first rule of ingrown hair club is don’t talk about…Sorry, got sidetracked. Just don’t pick them. Ever. The world of hair and hair removal is a bloody minefield, tbh, so let’s do this.
What on earth are they?
Ingrown hairs occur when a hair grows in the wrong direction (i.e. not up and out of the skin). It might coil up below the upper layer of the skin or grow out and then back into the skin so you have a sort-of hair-hook (technical name). If you have one, it’ll look like an angry spot.
Why do we get them?
Ingrown hairs are caused when the hair follicle has been forced below the upper layer of the skin or been cut off unevenly, which leads to it growing in the wrong way as I mentioned above. A few things that can cause this to happen. The worst culprits are hair removal, most commonly waxing and shaving. It can also happen if there’s a build-up of dead skin and the hair follicle is unable to grow in its usual direction. Annoyingly, if you’ve got curly or coarse hair, you’re much more likely to get them.
How do you avoid them?
Sorry to be a smart-arse, but you could stop removing your hair altogether. Failing that there’s some tips you can try (which you might remember when we spoke about shaving rash), like don’t press too hard on the skin when you’re shaving because it forces the razor to cut lower than the upper layer of skin, making an ingrown hair more likely. For the same reason, try using a single blade razor because they don’t cut as close to the skin. Although waxing can be problematic for some, it could help in the long run because, over time, the hairs will become finer and it’s less likely to grow into the skin. Although maybe an extreme option as well as long-term, laser hair removal is the best one because, over time, it destroys the hair from the root so eventually eliminating the possibility of ingrown hairs entirely. Exfoliating the area regularly will get rid of the build-up of dead skin which can lead to them; The Body Shop’s Bath Gloves, £4 are dead easy to use lathered with body wash or you could try making your own body scrub. If you suffer from them regularly, you could use something stronger like a chemical exfoliant instead. The Skin Doctors Ingrow Go Lotion, £11.39, contains salicylic acid and glycolic acid to help remove the build up of dead skin. Apply this twice a day a few days before waxing or shaving, and you should avoid them.
How do you treat one once you have it?
Ingrow Go Lotion can be used to treat ingrown hairs when they’ve already happened by encouraging the hair to work itself out of the skin – but make sure you leave it at least 24 hours after the hair removal other it will sting like hell. I know it’s so so tempting, but don’t pick at ingrown hairs because it could lead to scarring. If you think the hair needs a little help, hair removal expert for Veet, Arezoo Kaviani, suggests wrapping your nails in tissue and gently push the surrounding skin, ‘If it’s not ready, leave it for two days before trying again.’ You could try tweezing the hair out too; if you can see the hair (because it’s curled back into the skin) use some like the Tweezerman Pointed Tweezers, £19 to gently pull it out but don’t pull the hair out completely – we’re not trying to pluck it, just release it from the other bit of skin. If it’s under the skin, warm the area with a flannel to open the pores, or use lemon juice to draw the hair out, and then try to remove the end from the skin so it’s no longer curled underneath.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.