What to do when you have an ingrown hair?

Ingrown hairs can be somewhat painful, especially if an infection develops . It usually manifests itself after depilation with wax or a razor blade, appearing as small balls of hair that did not grow and could not be removed with depilation.

They usually go away over time, but can become infected. Therefore, in addition to treating them, it is necessary to avoid them . Learn how to avoid and treat ingrown hairs in this article.

The type of hair removal matters

It is essential to pay attention to the type of hair removal . There are those who claim that hot or cold wax makes the hairs dig in more easily; others claim that this happens only when shaving.

In the case of wax, what it does is weaken the roots of the hair follicles, so the hair will not have enough strength to grow through the skin. Shaving implies not extracting the hair from the root, which can cause encystment and, therefore, infection.

Tips to prevent and care for ingrown hair

• Take care of the skin. When hair follicles are clogged with oil, dead cells, dirt, and germs, hair has a hard time growing. To do this, perform a weekly exfoliation, cleaning and moisturizing the skin daily and using non-comedogenic products that prevent pore clogging.
• Shave properly. Prepare the skin with water, neutral soap or shaving foam, pass the blade in the direction of the ingrown hair, apply slight pressure during the passage of the blade and use a new machine each time (or change it every two or three passes).
• Avoid tight clothing. So that the skin can perspire. In turn, it is advisable to use cotton clothing instead of synthetic material.
• Kill germs after waxing. Use natural antiseptics such as tea tree oil to prevent infections. Can be used a few hours before waxing
• Dilate the pores , using hot water or a steam bath. They can also be applied to the legs with a hot wet towel or with a hair dryer.
• Avoid the same wax multiple times if you wax at home.

Aspects to consider…

These remedies might work to remove ingrown hair. However, they are not the only possible methods. Remember that you can always consult a dermatologist if these appear frequently:

• Dip a cotton ball in witch hazel and apply to the skin where there is an ingrown hair. This home remedy is very good for soothing irritated skin. It also serves to reduce redness and inflammation. It is a product that exfoliates, moisturizes and unclogs clogged pores. Use it before and after waxing.
• Remove the surface of the ingrown hair with tweezers. You should know that the hairs are “trapped” under the first layer of the dermis and therefore can be removed by gently scraping. Gently lift the hair, but don’t pull it out, as this will further irritate the area and could infect it. Do not forget to have clean hands (wash with neutral soap) and apply a little alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to the clamp before using it.
• Apply gel from an aloe vera stem, an amazing natural remedy for ingrown hairs. This plant is capable of repairing and curing skin problems, according to a study published in the Iran Journal of Medical Sciences . Place every night on the affected area and leave to act. It is best to have an aloe plant at home, open a stem and extract the pulp. Creams and lotions are also sold, but you will need more time for them to take effect. Make sure it doesn’t contain alcohol because it will irritate and burn quite a bit.
• Choose some essential oils like chamomile or lavender.

Steps to remove ingrown hairs

• Wash the area with water and neutral soap, removing with cold or lukewarm water.
• Exfoliate the area where the hair has ingrown well, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, so the hair will be “loose”. This should be done gently to avoid irritation or bleeding. It should only be done to remove dead skin, oil or dirt.
• Apply a warm (not burning) cloth to where the hair is ingrown for a few minutes to soften the skin.
• Use a tweezer that has been sterilized beforehand with alcohol or boiling water.
• Pull the skin tight and grasp the hair at the root with the tweezers to remove it with a quick “pull”.
• At the end, use an antiseptic such as tea tree oil or aloe vera.

Other tips to improve skin health

It is important to know that if the health of the skin is adequate, the risk of suffering from an ingrown hair is reduced. For this there are certain techniques at the dietary level that can be put into practice.

One of them is to increase the intake of foods with a high content of vitamin C. This nutrient has been shown to be capable of stimulating the synthesis of collagen, this being the most abundant protein in the human body. It gives firmness to the skin and reduces the risk of developing pathologies in it.

On the other hand, the fatty acids of the omega 3 series are also decisive. These control and modulate inflammation, according to a study published in International Immunology . In this way, in the event of an ingrown hair, the inflammatory response will be less and the solution will be simpler and less painful.

Before an ingrown hair, patience and hygiene

Remember that these tips may not work for you. See a doctor if you get recurring ingrown hairs. Try to improve the diet to increase the health of the skin and to modulate the inflammatory responses that arise in the face of the appearance of an ingrown hair.