Creams that can help soothe the area and prevent infection include: hydrocortisone. anti-itch cream. witch hazel.
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.
#6: Use witch hazel
After your shave, Helton says you should dry your skin gently and dab on witch hazel; it should have less than 14% alcohol, to avoid stinging and irritation. This will soothe your skin and gently close the pores, so you're less likely to get a rash or bumps.
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.
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.
People can also try using natural remedies, such as tea tree oil , witch hazel , or aloe vera , to treat razor bumps.
Witch hazel is a pretty mild astringent, but it definitely can help close up smaller nicks and cuts and stop the bleeding. Another reason it's a good idea to apply an astringent after shaving is because it helps close up your pores.
Apply warm compresses to the cyst for 10–15 minutes several times a day. These might bring the cyst closer to the surface, allowing it to drain. If the hair is trapped under the skin, warm compresses may help it grow out. Apply an antiseptic solution, such as tea tree oil, to the cyst to prevent infection.
“Just like you might with a deep or painful pimple, use a warm compress to help soften the skin and bring the infection closer to the surface,” says Dr. Yadav. “Then cleanse the area and use a sterile pointed tweezer to carefully expose the hair and remove it.
Often, an ingrown hair will go away on its own. But if it doesn't, you could have: An infection. Darkened skin.
Ingrown hair cysts will often go away on their own in a week or so. 3 If you can, stop shaving the area while it heals, and keep the area clean and moisturized.
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.
There's a chance an ingrown hair could heal on its own in as quickly as a week or two, Dr. Hayag says, but it may take longer if it gets infected. Sometimes it takes around a month, according to the Mayo Clinic, but it can take up to six months for hairs that are really stuck in there.
If you're noticing that the bumps are continuing to grow, they're bleeding, or you have inflamed or swollen lymph nodes in your groin, those are all signs you should call your doctor, Dr. Dweck says. It might be a sign the ingrown hair is infected to the point where you'll need an antibiotic to kick it.
Hydrate and disinfect.
It is critical that you keep your skin hydrated and clean if you want to avoid developing razor bumps. Choose an alcohol-free product which can irritate and dry out the skin. Instead, look for nourishing products that contain witch hazel or aloe.
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.
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.
An ingrown hair occurs when the hair grows back into the skin instead of upwards in a normal hair growth pattern. This may cause a cyst to build up with fluid over time. You can always tell because they will look like a pimple.