Are you bothered by ingrown hairs and don’t know how to solve that “small” problem? They are not a rare occurrence, and here’s why this is happening and how to help yourself.
Ingrown hairs are the last thing you need when the weather is nice and you get the opportunity to wear your short skirts, shorts or bathing suits.
It often looks like a pimple. More precisely, an inflamed pimple, spiced with all the accompanying elements – redness, pain, inflammation, and pus. And do you know why this is happening at all?
Most women have a ready answer to this – because of depilation. And here is what is actually the cause of this unpleasant phenomenon.
Ingrown Hairs – Causes
Ingrown hairs are formed when the tip of the hair is twisted, so when it grows, instead of going up it returns under the surface of the skin.
At that place, a bump forms, which often becomes inflamed and looks like a pimple from depilation. More hairs like this will make you look like you are in the middle of puberty, and it is possible that you will develop various complexes.
Fortunately, in women they are rare on the face for the simple reason that women are not naturally endowed with a strong beard and mustache. If you try to get rid of those unattractive bumps on your skin, you will probably see a hair under the surface of the skin and manage to get rid of it.
Hair that grows under the skin is much more common in people who have curly hair because the hair naturally curls and causes a problem. Here’s a reason not to envy them on the curls! Come on, admit you’re a little envious. There is no such a woman who is happy with her hair!
For others, such a thing requires a certain external factor that will reverse hair growth.
What actually leads to that? Is depilation the main cause?
Epilator is the number one cause that women will list when it comes to ingrown hair. Because of this problem, many have put their epilator out of use forever. Where does such an experience come from? Partly because the epilator is not well cleaned, so it irritates sensitive skin. And it is partly up to the very process of plucking.
Have you ever tried to run the tips of your nails abruptly along the hair? Have you noticed how it curls up? This is exactly the effect that an epilator can have on your hairs. It curls their top, so instead of growing normally, they start to ingrow.
Shaving is another way to, by trying to get rid of the unwanted hair, just create a bigger problem. When shaving, it is very important to take into account three things:
- to keep the skin moist
- to keep the razor sharp and above all clean
- to remove hairs in the opposite direction of their growth
When your razor is blunt, you will scratch the skin, removing dead cells from it that can close the pores. The same thing happens when the skin is dry and starts to flake. And when the razor is dirty, the chances that some of your hair will not ingrow are just a lucky circumstance.
To prevent ingrown hairs after shaving, arm yourself with a sharp razor and lubricant. Steal your boyfriend’s shaving foam (or buy your own), rub the place you want to shave with soap, or use hair conditioner as a lubricant. Even just soaking in water is better than trying to remove hair from dry skin.
Tight clothes are another cause of ingrown hairs. This additionally irritates the skin, the body sweats more, the hair is literally physically prevented from growing in the right direction and perfect conditions for hair ingrowth are created.
Where Do Ingrown Hairs Occur?
Ingrown hairs will most likely appear in one of the places from where you remove them.
The biggest problem with ingrown hairs is that they appear exactly where we don’t want them at all. Instead of getting rid of excess hairs, you in turn get inflammation that is more visible than the hairs themselves. And it also hurts!
In women, ingrown hairs on the legs are most common. This is not so terrible, because we are usually not too gentle towards this part of the body, so it is not uncommon to have scratches. And yes, we are not the only ones!
It is much worse when you experience ingrown hairs in the pubic area. These hairs are quite thick and have a strong root, so they are more resistant to removal. In other words, we are more likely, by using various methods, such as Brazilian hair removal, to encourage hair ingrowth in this area.
Things can get even worse due to the necessity of wearing underwear, wearing tight pants, and synthetic nylon socks, which will further irritate the already inflamed area and enable the accumulation of dirt during the day.
Ingrown hairs in the armpits are also common. No wonder, because dirt and sweat collect easily in places like this. All this fills the pores and affects the ingrown hairs.
Is Ingrown Hairs a Threat to Health?
In essence, ingrown hairs are a harmless problem that is as dangerous as pimples. The hair usually finds its way through the skin or you help it with that. However, such places are often prone to inflammation. And then a problem arises.
If left untreated, a single ingrown hair can create a huge painful cyst. And if it’s on your groin, you’ll curse every step you take.
In rare cases, ingrown hairs can be a dangerous problem. It is not the hair problem itself, but the inflammation around its root. Such inflammations occur due to inadequate hygiene and when the skin is infected with staphylococcus.
It is estimated that about 30% of people have this bacterium on their skin. Then, when it reaches the injured skin, an infection occurs. Your ingrown hairs can then become a huge problem.
If you neglect it and do not treat it because you are uncomfortable going to a doctor or you think it will go away on its own, things can get complicated.
Then, when the bacteria reach the bloodstream, sepsis can occur – blood can be poisoned. And it very often has a fatal outcome.
How to Get Rid Of Ingrown Hairs?
In order for your utensils to be sterile, you need to sterilize them by boiling. You must know that alcohol is not able to destroy all the bacteria, it can only disinfect and we usually use it for such purposes.
If the inflammation is large and persistent, it is best to visit a doctor. To remove ingrown hairs and reduce inflammation, he will give you an antibiotic cream or oral antibiotic and clean the inflamed area.
Ingrown Hairs and Natural Remedies
Sometimes it is not easy to reach the hair under the skin. Then its removal is much more difficult and requires small tricks. To get rid of ingrown hairs at home, some natural remedies can be useful:
- Warm compresses. You can use a damp, warm towel, or a piece of bread dipped in warm milk for this purpose. What is the point of this treatment? Milk or moisture itself should soften the skin and hair, and the heat should open the pores. After that, you should be able to remove the hair.
You need to put the compress on and hold it until it cools. However, you should not spend eternity like this. If you do not succeed to remove ingrown hairs after 10 minutes , try another method.
- Sugar. This is one of the few situations where sugar is actually useful and healthy for you. How to use it to get rid of ingrown hairs?
You need to mix 1 cup of sugar with half a cup of olive oil. Use this mixture as a body scrub 2 times a day. It should remove dead cells from the skin and make it easier for ingrown hairs to break through.
In addition, sugar softens the skin, and olive oil gives the skin moisture, which is very important in preventing ingrown hairs.
Be sure to try the sugar paste for depilation. It nourishes the skin and removes excess hair just as good as wax, but unlike it, reduces the chances of ingrown hairs happening.
- Egg membrane. This is a natural and easy way to get rid of ingrown hairs. It is necessary to wash the place where the problem is, and then to separate the membrane from the egg and put it over the ingrown hair. Wait for it to dry, then remove the membrane. The hair should come out with it or at least appear on the surface.
In addition to these natural remedies against ingrown hairs, those that will reduce the inflammatory process if it occurs can always be useful. For these purposes, you can use honey, apple cider vinegar, baking soda, aloe vera.
Natural cosmetics are sometimes better than those that are full of chemicals and that can further irritate your skin.
Can Ingrown Hairs Be Prevented?
If you have a problem with ingrown hairs often, you almost certainly wonder if they can be prevented. In most cases, you will be advised to avoid depilation of the problematic area.
What about wearing shorts in the middle of summer?
What about swimsuits?
It is easy to hide a hairy body under clothes in winter, although it is certainly not one of the ways to attract a man. In summer, this option is simply out of the question. How to prevent hair ingrowth then?
- Change the depilation method. If you did it with a razor, try wax or sugar paste. Try depilatory creams or resort to laser depilation.
- Take care of hygiene. And keep your utensils clean.
- Hydrate your skin. Use moisturizer and drink plenty of water. Remember, dry skin flakes and creates a lot of dead cells.
How to Remove Scars From Ingrown Hairs
In addition to the inflammation, ingrown hairs can cause another inconvenience – ingrown hair scars. They can occur on the legs, underarms, and groin.
It is difficult to decide whether it is uglier to see an undepilated bikini line, or one that clearly shows that it has been depilated.
Scars from ingrown hairs in the armpits can make this part look dirty and undepilated. These spots are actually tiny dot scars from which the area covered by them becomes darker than the rest of the skin.
How to get rid of scars from ingrown hairs?
If the damage has already occurred, preventing the cause does not have much impact. You have to deal with the consequences. It is best to get a skin lightening cream or try some natural treatments that can help you get rid of ingrown hair scars.
You can try the following medications. Some are rich in vitamin C, which heals the skin, and some fight bacteria, reduce inflammation and help lighten scars:
- Lemon juice
- Onion juice
- Tomato juice
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil
Ingrown hairs can be dangerous, but most often it is only a transient inflammation and a big aesthetic problem, especially when you get dark spots due to many years of improper depilation. Then the treatment is long and frustrating, and your problem seems visible from afar.
Preventive measures such as avoiding waxing or wearing loose clothes nowadays are completely unacceptable. So, do you still think that ingrown hairs are harmless?
