If you have ever had ingrown hairs then you will believe me when I describe that situation as unattractive, painful and alarming. They may look harmless to the naked eye but for anyone with ingrown hairs, they hurt so much. If you have ingrown hair, you feel unattractive and assume that anyone seeing them looks at you differently and for some people, ingrown hair becomes alarming because they do not know the cause and some assume they could be fighting something incurable. But what is ingrown hair?
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Ingrown hair appears when the hair tip grows into skin of a hair follicle. In most cases, the ingrown hair appears as a small bump under the skin with underlying hair. Ingrown hairs mostly appear in unshaved areas around the neck, face, pubic area, legs and armpits. It irritates the skin and forms a boil-like sore that in most cases becomes painful. Some of the bumps produce pus making the places surrounding the bump to feel sore, turn red, sensitive and painful.
You are reading: How To Get Rid Of Ingrown Hairs (Causes, Prevention, and Removal)
Ingrown hair does not choose whom to affect and both men and women get them in equal measures. Majority of the men get ingrown hairs that develop into small clusters of bumps around their necks, chin and neck. The women on the other hand get ingrown hairs on their pubic area, legs and on their armpits. Ingrown may be harmless but some tend to get out of control, which in turn leads to skin discoloration and some kind of scarring.
Ingrown hairs attack the body at the most inappropriate times and unless you are willing to give up waxing and shaving, there is no cure for them unless you opt for laser hair removal. However, there are many ways of getting rid of the ingrown hairs as soon as they appear. This article will take you through some of the best methods you can use from the comfort of your home to rid yourself of this menace. Before we get to that, we need to know exactly what we are dealing with.
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Causes of ingrown hair
One most important thing to note is that anyone irrespective of gender, age or race can get ingrown hairs. The hairs appear because of dead skin cells that block hair follicles from growing outwards. Instead of growing outwards, the hair follicles grow under the skin in a sideways manner, which in turn causes the growth of an ingrown hair. People with more serious ingrown hair effects are those with curly thick hair. This is because curly hair re-enters the skin by bending back more than straight hair does. This happens mostly after shaving or cutting the hair.
Some people experience chronic ingrown hair issues. With these people the ingrown hairs become infected. When this happens, it is wise to seek help from a doctor for a recommendation on what to do before you try out any methods to curb the problem. If you try one hair removal method and it leaves you with an infection or it makes the ingrown hairs, sprout out more, you should try another different method.
Things to consider when removing the ingrown hairs
Many people try to dig out the annoying ingrown hairs with anything they can find. They squeeze it and even try to pull it out with their fingernails. Some try to coax out hair that they cannot see clearly. This is the wrong method of removing the ingrown hairs. For starters, using anything unsterilized on your skin will introduce other infections into the body through the infected area. If you cannot see the ingrown hair, do not try to force it out and do not use anything unsterilized on your skin. Leave the ingrown hair alone until you have the right tools to remove it.
Make sure before you remove your ingrown hairs, you have everything you need close by. The most prominent tool used to remove ingrown hairs is a pair of tweezers. Clean the tools you will use and sterilize them. Make sure your hands are clean and the place with the ingrown hair is clean too. You can boil your tweezers or douse and wipe them with alcohol to sterilise them before you start.
Avoid razor bumps on any part of your body by doing away with dull razors. A razor bump creates the unwanted ingrown hairs. If you are using disposable razors, change them after every third or fourth shave.
Ways to get rid of ingrown hair
Ingrown hairingrown hair removal
Honey
Honey is one of the most popular ingredients in every home. It contains antibacterial properties, which help in the prevention of infections to the whole body. Honey also has soothing effects and it brings down the itching and burning by moisturising the skin and reducing any inflammations. It is one of the best products to use on ingrown hairs.
Procedure
- Clean the affected area well and spread a layer of honey over it.
- Give the honey about 15 minutes to dry
- Rinse off the honey with cold water
- Repeat the honey treatment about three to four times a day for fast results.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera tops the list of the best remedies to use for ingrown hair removal. It has cooling and soothing effects and contains anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine properties. It helps to clear away the ingrown hairs while at the same time offering a fast healing process.
Procedure
- Extract aloe Vera gel from the shoot by cutting it lengthwise
- Clean the affected area properly and rub the gel on it
- Allow the gel to rest for about 30 minutes
- After it dries up, rinse it off with warm water
- For better and faster results, repeat the procedure two or three times a day
Cucumber
Cucumber is another common product in many homes and another excellent ingredient to remove ingrown hairs. It has Vitamin C anti-oxidant properties that help to relieve the burning and itching effects on the affected area. Cucumber also hydrates the skin and helps to get rid of inflammations around the area of infection.
Procedure
- Take a fresh cucumber and cut it into thin round slices
- Chill the slices into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes
- After 30 minutes, take the cool slices and rub them gently on the affected areas
- Repeat the rubbing several times a day every day for the next few days
Salt
Almost every food we cook has to have salt making it one of the must have ingredients in every home. It comes with many benefits too and it is readily available. Salt increases the blood circulation in the body, which helps in reducing inflammations and helps to promote faster healing. It works as an astringent and one of the best to use for ingrown hair.
Procedure
- Take a cup of warm water and put half a teaspoon of salt in it
- Stir up the mixture until all the salt dissolves
- Take a clean ball of cotton and dip it into the mixture
- Rub the affected area gently with the soaked ball of coot
- Give the solution a few minutes to blend into the affected area
- Rinse off the place with warm water
- If necessary, repeat this several times in a day
Apple cider vinegar
This anti-inflammatory property rich ingredient is another very common product in many homes. It works well with ingrown hair by creating a hostile environment for bacteria and yeast around the infected area. Apple cider also has soothing effects and it eases the pain.
Procedure
- Clean the affected area well
- Take a ball of clean cotton and pour some apple cider on it
- Apply the vinegar on the affected area and let it soak in for 10 minutes
- Use warm water to rinse off the solution
- For better results, repeat the procedure several times a day
Tea Tree Oil
Tee tree oil is another rich ingredient to use on an infected ingrown hair. The product has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties that help with fast healing and getting rid of infection. It is an inexpensive product and many people use it at home.
Procedure
- Mix 1 tablespoon of olive or coconut oil with three drops of tree oil tree and apply on the affected area.
- Massage the mixture gently into the skin for a few minutes
- Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes
- After that rinse the place with warm water
- For better results, repeat the procedure 2 or 3 times every day until the ingrown hair goes away.
Black Tea Bags
Black teafaster healing
Procedure
- After brewing your tea, remove the tea bag and allow it to cool off completely
- Once it is cool, rub it on the affected area for a few minutes
- Repeat the procedure several times in a day for faster and better results.
Baking Soda
Baking sodamany other uses
Procedure
- For the best effective remedy, you will need a tablespoon of water and some ground oatmeal to mix with one teaspoon of baking soda.
- Using the three ingredients, create a paste
- Apply the paste on the affected area and make sure the area is clean
- Let the paste sit until it becomes dry and crusty
- Rinse the place with warm water
- Repeat the procedure several times daily until you are satisfied with the progress.
Strawberries
Strawberries are a favoirite in many homes. They make everything from jam, cakes, ice cream smoothies and eaten on their own as just fruits. They have many healing and health properties and they are great to use for ingrown hairs. They contain antioxidants, which help to reduce inflammation and improve the healing process. Strawberry seeds are also great when it comes to skin exfoliation.
Procedure
- Take a few medium sized strawberries and mash them up until you get a pulp.
- Poor in some little plain or sour cream into the pulp
- To create an even stronger paste, add in some Greek yoghurt or any other yoghurt of your choice
- Apply the mixture gently on the affected area using a circular motion. This helps to exfoliate and cleanse the affected area.
- Let the mixture sit on the affected area until it dries up
- Rinse it off with warm water
- Repeat the procedure several times during the week and the next following weeks to prevent any more ingrown hair growth.
Granulated Sugar
Granulated sugar is another readily available ingredient and common in many homes. To treat your ingrown hairs with granulated sugar create a scrub. It helps to exfoliate the skin, and make it smooth while at the same time eliminating the menace of ingrown hairs.
Procedure
- Take a half a cup of coconut or extra-virgin oil and mix it with a cup of granulated sugar.
- Add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to the mixture. This could be anything from lavender, rosemary, tea tree etc.
- Using a gentle circular motion, apply the scrub on the affected area
- Let the mixture sit for a few minutes then rinse it off with warm water
- Repeat the procedure several times in a week to keep the ingrown hairs away.
Coconut Oil
Using coconut oil, another handy ingredient can also help to stop ingrown hairs from reappearing. Coconut oil contains lauric acid, which has both anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties that help to get rid of any potential infections and as soothing agents.
Procedure
- To make the oil more effective, add a few drops of your essential oils like tee tree, rosemary or lavender to it
- Take your coconut oil and essential oils mixture and apply a thin layer to the affected area
- Let it rest on the spot for a few minutes until it penetrates deep into the skin
- Rinse off the oil with warm water
- Use it as often as you wish to.
Coffee
Coffee may seem as an unusual ingredient to get rid of ingrown hair but it works wonders. Coffee has a soothing effect that works for the affected area just as well as it does to the body. It helps to exfoliate the affected area while at the same time creating a hostile environment for further growth of bacteria and infections. It works just the same way black tea bags work on the infected area. Next time you brew your coffee; do not throw away the grounds because they come of handy.
Procedure
- Take your coffee grounds and mix them with a tablespoon of water to make a rich thick paste.
- Gently massage the paste into the affected area using circular motions. This helps to exfoliate the skin around the affected area.
- Allow the pate to sit in for a while until it dries up
- Rinse the paste off with cool water
- To prevent further ingrown hair growth, repeat the procedure several times a week.
Calendula Oil
Though calendula oil may not be as common in many homes as other oils, it is a great ingredient to use to get rid of ingrown hairs. Calendula flowers are rich in soothing, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. They are especially great for burns because of their cool soothing and healing effects.
Procedure
- For best results, use calendula oil with carrier oil like olive or coconut.
- Mix your carrier oil with 8 drops of calendula oil
- Massage the mixture gently on the affected area and allow it to sit for 10 minutes until it absorbs into the skin
- Rinse the mixture off with warm water.
Frankincense Essential Oil
Frankincense is a wonderful Essential Oil that helps to get rid of the ingrown hairs with ease. Besides fighting inflammations and preventing infections, Frankincense Essential Oil reduces anxiety and stress. Ingrown hairs can still appear due to too much stress and anxiety and there is no better product to take to help with the fight against the two problems.
Procedure
- Coconut or olive oil goes well with many other different kinds of oils so it is wise to use either of them with your Frankincense Essential Oil
- Mix a tablespoon of your choice carrier oil with 6 to 8 drops of frankincense essential
- Using a gentle motion, apply the mixture on the affected area and let it sit for the next 15 minutes until it absorbs deep into the skin.
- Rinse off the mixture with warm water
- Repeat this procedure several times a day for better results.
Epsom Salt
Some people mistake Epsom salt for the common salt that many homes have. Epsom salt is Magnesium Sulfate and contains very strong pain reducing properties and anti-inflammatory effects. You can relieve the pain that comes with an ingrown hair by applying Epsom salt on the affected area.
Procedure
- As usual, use your favourite carrier oil to go with the Epsom salt. You can also add your other favourite essential oils to the mixture.
- Make a gritty paste with a teaspoon of your carrier oil, which should be either coconut or olive, with a tablespoon of Epsom salt. Add three or four drops of your favourite essential oils to the mixture.
- In a gentle circular motion, apply the thick scrub to the affected area.
- Allow the mixture to sit in for about 20 minutes
- After it is dry, rinse off the mixture with warm water
- For best results, and to keep the ingrown hairs at bay, repeat the procedure several times a week.
Hot-Water Treatment
You can also help to get rid of ingrown hairs with the hot water treatment. This should even be a fun thing to do because it also leaves your body feeling relaxed and refreshed.
Procedure
- Take a piece of clean cloth and wet it with hot water
- Place the cloth on top of the affected area
- Leave the cloth on top of the area for about 10 to 15 minutes
- If the cloth gets cold during the 10 to 15 minutes, dip it in hot water again and place it back
- This procedure softens the hairs and the skin making it easier to remove them using a tweezers.
Moisturize
Another way of getting rid of the ingrown hairs is by regularly moisturising the affected area. This is so especially for painful pubic area ingrown hairs. Many people moisturise other parts of their bodies but forget to do the same for their pubic area, the pubic area is a favourite spot for ingrown hairs especially in women. By moisturising, you add a protective barrier to the skin when you shave or wax the place. Moisturising helps to soothe the area and minimise irritation.
If you have oily skin, you may use the BEST MOISTURISER FOR OILY SKIN for smoother softer oil free skin.
Exfoliate
Regular exfoliation of the skin also helps to keep ingrown hairs at bay. Use your favourite exfoliator before shaving to help hair grow straight outwardly instead of it growing at an angle.
Permanent ingrown hair removal
If you can afford it, you can choose to opt for a permanent solution to get rid of ingrown hair. Laser hair removal is expensive but it permanently removes ingrown hairs by killing the hair follicles. Killing the hair follicles ensures that nothing else can grow from that part of the skin.
The results last a lifetime but it is not without its downsides. The procedure is not exactly a walk in the park and you could experience pain while going through it. It is however worth every penny and pain because you no longer have to deal with ingrown hairs again.
Wrapping it up
Ingrown hairingrown hair
We hope that this article was of help to you and by using the above products; you will tell your success story read more on our other different remedies from our earlier articles.
Source: https://cosmeticnews.com
Category: Hair Care
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