WHAT ARE INGROWN HAIRS?
A problem that is persistant with both men and women (finally, something that men suffer from too!) and is typically caused by shaving or waxing. The hair grows out slightly, and then curls back towards the body, penetrating the skin. Consequently, if you have curly hair you are more prone to the problem of ingrown. The skin becomes inflamed and appears as a raised bump with redness and itchiness. The hair can grow sideways along or under your skin, or even rotate in reverse and grow into your skin. At times Ingrown hair are accompanied by folliculitis, a condition where the follicle becomes infected....not pleasant.
Men who suffer from this condition have it appear on the front of the neck and under the chin and is commonly referred to as “razor bumps”. For women, the problem occurs most often in the bikini area, armpits and front of the neck.
You may find that if you are a “close shaver” that the problem is more persistant. This is because sometimes the hair retracts into the skin after shaving and cannot find a proper exit as they grow back.
HOW TO TREAT INGROWN HAIRS
If you are wanting a permanent solution that in all honesty works the best for ingrown hairs you really should consider laser hair removal...its the only solution that gets to the root of the problem...literally. Laser hair removal is a simple and long-term solution because it is successful in destroying hair follicles preventing their growth in the first place. Any hair that it is not successful in destroying comes back so fine and light that they are very unlikely to cause any trouble. After a series of treatments (6-8) the problem of ingrowns is eliminated and old ingrowns have healed and faded away.
TIPS for Preventing Ingrown Hairs
The key to preventing ingrown hairs is making sure that the hair grows out straight from the follicle, without turning back towards the skin. Here are some ways to do this:
· shave, wax, or tweeze hairs in the direction of hair growth. Shaving against the grain bends the hair backwards, encouraging its growth back towards the skin.
- Moisturize the area to be shaved so that the hair is soft, and less resistant to removal.
- Do not shave over the same area multiple times.
- Change the razor's blade, or use a new razor. A dull razor can aggravate the skin.
- Exfoliate before or after shaving so that dead skin is removed, and therefore can't block any hair follicles.
- Place a warm, damp towel over the recently-shaved area. This will help soothe the skin.
- Use a light touch
Ingrowns really don’t have to be a problem for you so if you are suffering think about prevention and treatment with a permanent solution. That’s my rant. Be well friends.