Ingrown hairs are a nuisance. They’re hairy beasts that can ruin your workday, your social life, and your mood. These side swagging curled hairs that grow beneath the dermis irritate the skin, give you a swollen red bump, and actually hurt.
The nasty little creatures come from shaving, plucking, and other forms of hair removal. They make us itch and twitch. They cause discomfort and can even ooze unsightly pus on the skin.
But there are steps you can take to prevent and eliminate these little pain-pinching devils. In this post, you’ll learn how to tame ingrown hairs like a boss. You’ll be able to say, “take that you wicked, prickly beasts!”
How To Conquer Ingrown Hairs
These grooming tips will help you fight ingrown hairs. From prevention to elimination, here are the solutions for all races and ethnicities you need to know.
Skin Types Prone To Ingrown Hairs?
While white guys get ingrown hairs, black, Hispanic, and middle eastern men tend to get them more often. That’s because they have thicker, coarse hair follicles. A man with thin hair may not be annoyed as much by an ingrown hair on the skin as an African American man with coarser hair would. Check out these black men grooming tips to help.
How to Prevent Ingrown Hairs
The following tips can prevent ingrown hairs. Try them and see for yourself.
1. Exfoliate With a Loofah Sponge When Showering
Showering is a good prevention tactic to ward off ingrown hairs, especially when you use a loofah sponge. It’s a great practice to use a loofah daily.
Rub it in a circular motion over your skin. This prevents growing skin from trapping hair that grows. You can use natural products with a sea sponge which is harder on the skin. But for gentle exfoliation use a loofah sponge.
2. How to Shave With Razors
Shaving is dangerous if you’re prone to ingrown hair. However, shaving with a sharp razor can help prevent ingrown hair from forming on your face. Keeping your razor dry will help keep your razor-sharp.
Wet blades cause dullness and rust to form on your razor. You can also keep your razor dry by coating it with baby oil, grapeseed oil, or mineral oil. This repels the water while it adds lubrication. Another option is to avoid shaving in the area that is prone to ingrown hairs.
Another shaving tip is shaving in the direction of the grain. This will help your hair grow correctly and prevents hairs from growing sideways. Lathering up with a shaving brush can also help avoid those prickly hairs from growing. Lathering keeps hair straight when you shave. As a result, you’ll get fewer ingrown hairs and a cleaner shave.
If you don’t use a single-blade razor now, consider getting one. Single-blade prevents uneven cuts and reduces dullness.
3. Shave With Pre-shave Oil
There’s nothing that softens coarse hair like a pre-shave oil. It also produces a cleaner cut and prevents those pesky ingrown hairs. Pre-shave oil after shaving can also reduce bumps you get from razors. Choose a pre-shave oil that contains olive oil, a great skin softener. Or try castor oil to keep pores clean and exfoliate your skin.
Pre shave oil from Murdock London
Once you have finished your shave there is now a special Aftershave for Black Men you should try.
Keep Your Skin Dry When You Work Out
Chafing creates the perfect environment for ingrown hair to thrive. When you work out at the gym, the sweat rubbing against you can irritate your skin. If your workout clothes rub against your skin or stick to it, consider a change in workout clothing. Polyester fabrics tend to stick to your skin. Choose soft cotton or a fabric that breathes better on the skin.
How to Get Rid of Ingrown Hairs with Science
Scientific treatments exist for ingrown hairs. You can get them from your neighbourhood pharmacy or your family doctor.
Glycolic Acid: An Over the Counter Treatment
Glycolic acid is a treatment for ingrown hairs. You can buy it online or at a local pharmacy. It’s an Alpha Hydroxy acid that permeates skin cell walls rapidly. The glycolic acid enables new cells to form at the surface of the skin. Glycolic acid works as an effective exfoliator. It has worked to efficiently fight and manage ingrown hair.
Here’s how it works: First, glycolic acid quickly sheds the inflamed cells that surround ingrown hairs. Next, it minimizes the build-up of damaged and dead skin cells.
The build-up is the main cause that enables ingrown hairs to form on the skin. By impeding skin cell buildup, glycolic acid also prevents future ingrown hair from forming.
Medical Ingrown Hair Treatments
If your ingrown hair looks like it’s getting infected, go see a physician or a dermatologist. Dermatologists and physicians can provide a number of medical treatments when DIY treatments don’t seem to do the job.
1. Remove Dead Skin Cells With Retinoids
Your doctor can prescribe retinoids to help manage your ingrown hair condition. These are topicals that are applied to the skin. A few of the names of retinoids include Renova and Retin-A. They are formulated to clear dead skin cells.
2. Anti-inflammatory Creams
Anti-inflammatory creams can help to reduce your inflammation. They control inflammation in a variety of conditions. One particular cream that can help is a steroid cream that your doctor may prescribe.
3. Antibiotic Ointments
A physician or dermatologist may prescribe an antibiotic ointment to tame the ruthless beast. When you have an infection, it may be natural to scratch the affected area which can help alleviate the irritation.
4. Oral Antibiotics As Treatment
If your ingrown hair condition is more serious, your doctor may prescribe you antibiotics to take orally. Make sure to take them as directed and finish them even when the condition improves.
Antibiotics are formulated to be taken for a certain amount of days. The last thing you want to happen is relapse. If this occurs, the infection can return.
The Takeaway on Fighting Ingrown Hairs Like a Boss
Now you have some good prevention and treatment tips to slaughter ingrown hairs. Put those pesky prickly beasts where they belong: away from your skin!
