If you’re reading this, the pain of an ingrown hair is probably familiar to you. Although most of us won’t give up the pleasure of having smooth, hairless skin to prevent ingrown hairs, many types of hair removal can leave you susceptible to the occurrence of hairs that become trapped beneath the skin, causing inflammation that can lead to painful, pus-filled bumps, infection and possibly even scarring. Learning what causes them can help us understand how to avoid ingrown hairs.
How to prevent ingrown hairs
One explanation of how those pesky ingrown hairs bother you is that dead skin cells can clog the follicle, blocking the hair and causing it to turn around and grow back into the skin rather than away from it. This often combines with the sharp edge that a razor leaves on the end of the hair, which makes it more likely that the hair will pierce the skin and start growing back into it rather than away from the follicle. That’s not to say that other hair removal methods can’t cause ingrown hairs, but shaving is the most common culprit.
Although they can occur anywhere where hair has been removed, ingrown hairs in the pubic area are particularly common, primarily because that hair tends to be coarse and curly. This means that the sharp edges caused by shaving are that much more aggressive and likely to break the skin and begin growing the wrong way.
Ingrown hair treatment is always less ideal than preventing them in the first place, so here is the golden rule for avoiding ingrown hairs: regular exfoliation.
Of course, if shaving is your method of choice and you are susceptible to ingrown hairs, you should also shave in the direction of hair growth (yes, it won’t give you as close of a shave). ALWAYS use shaving cream or gel, a sharp razor, and resist the temptation to stretch the skin to get a closer shave. If waxing is your favorite method, exfoliation is still crucial.
How to stop ingrown hairs forever
For those who are chronic sufferers of ingrown hairs, there is an even better way to prevent ingrown hairs permanently while still enjoying smooth, hairless skin, and that is laser treatment for hair removal. Because the laser destroys the follicle, it is highly effective at preventing the root cause of the problem, which is, of course, the hair itself. Many people also experience an improvement in the tone and texture of their skin after laser treatment!
Ready to break up with your razor yet? Give us a call for your free consultation today!