Ingrown Hairs: Prevention & Treatment After Waxing

An ingrown hair is a hair that has curled back around and grown back into the skin, causing a raised, red bump that can sometimes be painful or itchy; this often occurs after hair removal methods like shaving, waxing, or tweezing, where the hair grows back at an angle and becomes trapped beneath the skin surface. 

Key points about ingrown hairs:

• Appearance: They look like small, red bumps on the skin, sometimes with a visible hair strand trapped underneath. 

• Causes: Most commonly caused by shaving, but can also occur with waxing or tweezing, especially if the hair is curly or coarse. 

• Affected areas: Common areas include the face, legs, armpits, and bikini area. 

• Symptoms: Redness, inflammation, itching, and sometimes a small pus-filled bump. 

To treat an ingrown hair, gently exfoliate the affected area with a washcloth or exfoliating scrub to remove dead skin cells and release the trapped hair with fingertips; if visible, you can carefully use a sterile tweezer to lift the hair loop out of the skin, then apply a cool compress and a soothing product to reduce irritation.

Key points to remember:

• Exfoliate:

  Regularly exfoliate your skin 1-2x per week with a gentle scrub to prevent ingrown hairs by removing dead skin cells that can trap hair follicles. 

• Warm compress:

  Apply a warm compress to the affected area to soften the skin and make it easier to extract the ingrown hair. 

• Sterile tweezer(s):

  If you can see the hair loop, carefully use a sterilized tweezer to gently lift it out of the skin. 

What to avoid:

• Picking or squeezing: Do not squeeze or pick at ingrown hairs, as this can worsen inflammation and increase the risk of infection. 

• Shaving too closely: Shave in the direction of hair growth and avoid shaving too closely to the skin. 

• Using harsh products: Avoid harsh soaps or scrubs that can further irritate the skin.