Ingrown hairs can be unsightly and uncomfortable. Essential oils — like tea tree oil — can be useful in preventing and treating ingrown hair.
Tea tree oil, known for its anti-inflammatory properties, is a great way to prevent razor bumps by following this tip. Add a few drops of tea tree oil to a cotton ball or pad, and apply to the area after shaving. You can also add a few drops to your shampoo or body wash and use it daily.
Apply Salicylic Acid
“Once the ingrown hair is there, you need to treat it nicely, or you'll make it worse through inflammation,” Dr. Gohara explains. After gently massaging the bumps with your mitt or scrub in the shower, towel dry the area and then dab on a salicylic acid–based spot treatment morning and night.
To remove an ingrown hair, gently exfoliate your skin. Exfoliating your skin removes a dead layer of skin cells and helps release ingrown hairs. Use warm — not hot — water and small, circular motions to wash your affected areas with a washcloth, exfoliating brush or exfoliating gel or scrub.
Often, an ingrown hair will go away on its own. But if it doesn't, you could have: An infection. Darkened skin.
Improper hair removal
The most common cause of ingrown hairs is an improper shaving technique. Cutting hair very close to the skin creates a very sharp tip on the end of each of the hairs. Most of these hairs will grow back out without a problem. However, some hairs can curl back on themselves and grow into the skin.
Shower. A pre-shave hot shower softens your hair and open skin pores, preventing ingrown hair. Regularly showering (duh!) also cleans your skin, preventing dirt from clogging up your follicles.
If you can see an ingrown hair beneath the skin, apply a warm, damp compress for a couple of minutes to soften the skin, says Rodney Basler, MD. Then sterilize a needle or tweezers and pluck the hair. Follow with an antiseptic such as hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol.
They should disappear on their own within 1 to 2 weeks.
Release visible ingrown hairs by inserting a sterile needle under each hair loop and gently lifting the tip that has grown back into the skin. Rinse your skin and apply a cool, wet cloth for a few minutes. Then use a soothing after-shave product.
Share on Pinterest Ingrown hairs are not dangerous, but they can be painful. When a hair grows into the skin, a fluid-filled lump can develop, which may become a cyst. When a cyst forms, the area becomes swollen. A cyst may be hard, soft, large, or smaller than a pea.
A curved hair follicle, which produces tightly curled hair, is believed to encourage the hair to reenter the skin once the hair is cut and starts to grow back. Shaving creates a sharp edge on hair, making it easier to pierce the skin. Ingrown hair might also be caused by: Pulling your skin when you shave.
Moisturize liberally.
Moisturize your skin, even if it doesn't feel dry, to help soothe irritation and make ingrown hairs go away faster.. Doing so will keep your skin soft so your hairs can push out of your skin and your skin can heal.
To help expedite the process, you can also apply a warm, steamy cloth over the affected area. If you notice a loop of hair at the surface, you can use sterilized tweezers to gently pull the trapped hair out, but don't dig around for it. Follow up with rubbing alcohol to help prevent any infection.
Ingrown hairs that do not resolve on their own may require treatment by a dermatologist. This includes depilatories for hair removal, topical antibiotics, topical creams, laser therapy and/or medical removal of the ingrown hair.
Start by applying a warm compress to the area, since the heat will soften the skin, says Dr. Solomon. Then, very gently, exfoliate the skin trapping the hair. “Move a washcloth or clean, soft-bristled toothbrush over the area in a circular motion for several minutes,” she suggests.
If you already have ingrown hairs, massage the area gently with the washcloth or a soft toothbrush. Rinse the area with water. Massage the area with your shaving cream of choice, using a moderate amount of lather. Avoid shaving on dry areas—reapply lather as often as you need to.
Ingrown hairs can look like raised, red, itchy spots on the skin. Sometimes you can see a hair trapped under the skin. You may be more likely to get ingrown hairs if you have coarse or curly hair. Infected ingrown hairs can be painful.
Anyone can get an ingrown hair. But the problem is more common in people who have very curly or coarse hair. Curly hair is more likely to bend back and re-enter your skin, especially after it's been shaved or cut.
At first, you might notice a small pimple-like bump with a hair at its surface. It may also be red in color. Over time — if the ingrown hair doesn't go away — the small bump can transform into a much larger one. The resulting bump can be red, white, or yellow.