Ingrown hair bump or a cyst? Explore more on the causes of that hard lump under your skin especially after shaving and in most cases won’t go away easily. Remedies, prevention and treatment among what we have discussed.
Ingrown Hair Bump Causes
A normal hair on the skin surface develops from hair follicle and grows out of the skin in a straight position. Sometimes, the hair can fold back into the skin or curls inside the hair follicle on your skin that can develop into hard ingrown hair bump. An ingrown hair can appear as a raised bump like pimples on the skin surface. They can be small or tiny in size. Occasionally, ingrown hair cysts can be attacked by bacteria to develop into a painful big red lump on your skin surface. In addition, ingrown hairs on the skin can develop in various parts of the body after shaving. In males, ingrown hair cysts usually affect chin, cheeks, under neck region due to frequent removal of facial hair. Males can also get ingrown hairs on penile shaft and scrotum. While in the female, in grown hairs can appear on armpits, inner thigh, and pubic regions. The condition of having ingrown hairs on the skin is usually benign and it can resolve without medical treatment. Although the ingrown hair lumps can cause some discomfort to you when they itch or irritate your skin. Cysts of an ingrown hair can be bothersome when they get inflamed into painful red bumps due to the attack of bacterial infection of hair follicle result to a condition known as folliculitis. Generally, ingrown hair bumps can develop on your skin due to various factors or causes. Some of these causes are natural factors that we cannot avoid in our lives although they can be prevented.in addition, common skin care practices might also result to the ingrown hair on the skin.
Causes of Ingrown Hair Cysts on the Skin
The following are main reasons:
- Improper shaving techniques
In most case, shaving can affect your skin to develop hair cysts on various body parts. It is good to cut an elongated hair on your body for hygiene and beauty reasons. However, shaving process might cause injuries of your hair follicle through frictions.
Improper shaving procedure can result in razor bumps that finally develop into ingrown hair cysts. Completely removal of hairs from the skin by use of shaving tools might damage the hair follicle that results to abnormal curling of hair back into the skin. It is important to follow correct shaving procedures to avoid cysts of ingrown hairs.
Tips to reduce ingrown hairs before shaving:
- Clean your skin with warm water that can help to exfoliate your skin by removing bacteria and skin debris that can clog hair follicles
- Soak your hair and lather it properly to be soft before shaving
- Sterilize shaving tools and equipment with a disinfectant
- Avoid tools that completely uproot hairs on the skin surface
- Shave parallel to the direction of the growth of hair to reduce damage of hair follicle
- Waxing
Improper procedures of waxing and plucking of hair on the skin can alter the growth direction of the hair on the skin that may develop into ingrown hair cysts.
- Clogged pores of hair follicle
Clogged pores on the skin can block the growth of the hair out of its follicle resulting in the formation of ingrown hair bumps to appear. Presence of skin debris, bacteria and accumulated grease on the skin can easily clog micro pores on the skin surface that block the opening of hair follicles and encourage hair to grow sideways underneath the skin.
- Coarse or curly hair
Having a naturally curly hair on the skin can increase the risk of getting ingrown hair lump on your skin. The curly hairs can fold back into your skin that finally develops into hard bumps. In addition, newly hair in its follicle can coil before it comes out of the skin surface and results to hair cysts on your skin.
- Wearing too tight cloth
Wearing too tight or skinny trouser and innerwear that can exert pressure on your skin can increase the risk of getting ingrown hairs bumps on your inner thighs and pubic regions. For the case of men, wearing tight underwear can encourage hair on the skin of penile shaft to bend sideway or even fold back to skin that develops into hard bumps on the penile shaft.
According to interest and preference of women, wearing too tight clothing and synthetic fabrics is a trending fashion. Consequently, too tight clothing can cause ingrown hair cysts on inner thighs, legs, and pubic parts.
- High level of sex hormone in the body
An increase of sex hormone in the body has a direct influence on the growth of hair on the soft skin parts of body surface like armpits, groin, inner thighs and pubic region. The increase of growth of hair on the skin surface also makes it susceptible to developing ingrown hair bump.
- Cystic acne
Presence of acne on the skin can affect hair follicle by blocking its opening and prevents the skin hair from coming out of follicles. This can leads to coiling growth of hair in its follicle that develop into hard hair cysts under the skin surface.
- Skin infections
Underlying skin infections such as eczema and others can also affect the hair follicle that interferes with the normal growth of the hair. Inflammation, sores and hard bumps on skin can also result in sideway growth, coiling and bending of hair on the skin hence ingrown hair bump might develop
Ingrown Hair Hard Lump Under Skin
Can a hard lump on the skin be an ingrown hair? Yes, it is possible to develop a hard ingrown hair bump on your skin. This happens when a hair in its follicle fails to come out of the skin due to blockage at the opening of the hair follicle. The sideway growth of hair develops when upright growth direction is altered hence encourages coiling of hair underneath the skin surface. As the folded hair in its follicle continues to grow, it also increases the size of swollen lump on the skin surface. This means that the more time an ingrown hair takes inside the follicle, hard lumps under the skin also become more prominent. Hard ingrown hair cysts under the skin surface are usually minor problems but they can cause irritation on the skin if not removed. Hard bumps of ingrown hairs can cause irritation due to body response against strange hair that is supposed to be out of the skin. Occasionally, hard lumps of ingrown hair on the skin can be inflamed and become filled with fluids that finally discharge yellow pus. Hard hair cyst that produces pus is a clear sign of bacterial infection of the ingrown hair bumps on the skin. The most painful stage of hard ingrown hair lumps under the skin is when they become red and tender. At this stage, the condition is known to be folliculitis as the hair follicle is affected. This stage comes when the skin tissue is unable to sustain large hard ingrown hair cyst that damage the blood vessels around the affected area that finally dilate and become inflamed. When big lumps of ingrown hair cyst are causing some discomfort on your skin, you can seek the help of a dermatologist.
Ingrown Hair Bump won’t go away
Can an ingrown hair cyst refuse to go away from the skin? This is a common question that you can ask when hair cysts have persisted on your skin for long period of time. The fact is that deep hair boils on the skin are difficult to resolve without removal. Deep ingrown hair lump that is located underneath the skin surface makes it impossible to be accessed for removal. Deep hair cyst on your skin can result in semi-permanent bumps that won’t go away easily without special treatment. Hair cysts that refuse to go away easily from your skin may be associated with cancerous tumors on the skin. Under rare cases, ingrown hair cysts can develop into chronic folliculitis that does not heal easily. This can lead to skin cancer. If you have noticed any deep hair cysts on your skin that refuse to heal, it is advisable to seek help from your doctor.
Big Ingrown Hair Bump on inner Thigh
Big bumps on inner thigh might be boils or furuncles that develop due to infection of hair follicle. The skin tissue of the inner thigh near the groin is usually soft that can allow the formation of big ingrown hair cysts. Having an inner thigh hair cyst can cause a lot of discomforts to you. Unlike other parts of the body, ingrown hair cyst on the inner thigh can refuse to go away easily thus keep on reoccurring. For the case of boils that develop from bacterial infection of the hair follicles may not completely go away. Furthermore, another boil can appear again exactly adjacent to the part that was initially affected.
Ingrown Hair Cessation after Shaving
Shaving process can encourage the development of ingrown hair bump on the skin. Razor bumps are always painful and continue to hurt for more than three weeks before healing. Razor bumps can also leave spots on the skin for long a period of time despite cessation after shaving your hair. Basing on your decision, you can as well stop shaving your hair on the skin to avoid and escape the problems of having ingrown hair bumps. For your interest, avoid shaving of hairs on pubic regions and inner thighs especially when you develop a complicated skin condition after shaving. Alternatively, you can completely remove hair from your skin by terminated hair roots on your skin. The procedures of terminating hair root are done by dermatologists. Before going for permanent removal of hairs on your skin, visit your doctor for more advice.
How to Prevent Ingrown Hairs
A simple method to prevent ingrown hair cyst on your skin is to stop shaving or waxing your hair. Alternatively, you can continue shaving or plucking out your hair under proper consideration by following steps that help to minimize ingrown hair bumps on your skin.
- Treat the hair and skin before shaving
Proper treatment of hair and skin can help to prevent ingrown hair lump on the skin.
How to do it:
- Use warm water to clean your hair with a pleasant body washing soap
- Apply the shaving cream or gel on your skin to lubricate the hair
- Use a sharp sterilize shaving tool or equipment to cut the hair
- Avoid too close cut that can damage hair follicle
- After shaving, apply a disinfectant on your skin
- Use a towel to dry your skin before wearing your cloth
- Avoid a shaving tool or equipment with more than two razor blades
Shaving tools and equipment made up of two razors can cut the hairs below the skin surface that increase the risk of developing ingrown hair. Special razors that do not encourage ingrown hair cysts are recommended to be used in shaving procedure.
In addition, too old or razor blade that has been used might also damage the hair follicle by friction hence not appropriate for shaving your hair.
- Use laser hair removal procedure
If you are tired of getting ingrown hair bumps on the skin you can opt to go for laser hair removal method. This method uses a beam of light and heat to damage hair root in the follicle to prevent future growth of hairs on the skin.
Laser hair removal is an expensive method though affordable and it gives an effective semi-permanent solution to reduce the risk of getting ingrown hair cysts on your skin. Laser method of hair removal is not effective to an individual with fair hair.
- Hair removal creams
You can use chemical creams that can help to remove hair on your skin. Chemical method is effective but has a side effect to some people. It is advisable to follow the prescription of the chemical hair remover cream before using it.
- Avoid too tight clothing
When you avoid putting on too tight cloth can also help to minimize the risk of getting ingrown hairs on the skin surface.
How to get rid of an Ingrown Hair Bump
There are two major methods you can use to remove ingrown hair cyst on the skin. You can use home remedies to get rid of an ingrown hair lumps. Another method is medical treatments that can help to remove hair cyst from your skin.
Medical treatment to get rid of ingrown hair cyst
You can visit your doctor for medical treatment that can help to get rid of ingrown hair lamps on the skin. Here include some of the treatment that you doctor might use.
- Topical creams made of steroid can be prescribed to you that can help to ease inflammation of ingrown hair cysts.
- Use of surgical treatment by using sharp needles, tweezers, and scalpel to remove deep hair cysts from your skin
- Antibiotic drugs that can help to treat boils and infected hair follicles
Home remedies to get rid of ingrown hair bump
- Straighten the folded or bend hair on skin
The best way to help to resolve ingrown hairs on your skin is to free the trapped hair in its follicle. How to do it:
- Clean your skin with warm water
- Disinfected the affected part of your skin
- Use a sterilize tweezers or sharp pointed pin to free and unfold the trapped hair on your skin
- Ensure the hair follicle is not damaged while straightening the hair
- Finally, apply a disinfected after this procedure
- Sugar scrub and honey
You can use a sugar scrub as a home remedy to get rid of ingrown hair cysts on your skin. Sugar scrubs help to exfoliate the skin by removing dead skin cell and debris that clog hair follicle.
How to use:
- Mix a half a glass of sugar with small amount raw honey and tea olive oil or tea tree oil.
- Apply the sugar scrub on the affected part of your skin with hair cysts
- Use your hand to scrub the skin gently in a circular way
- Clean your skin with warm water
- Repeat the procedure one per day
- Baking soda
Baking soda can help to ease inflammation and pain caused by folliculitis on the skin. it also has the ability to exfoliate the skin and reduce hair cysts on the skin.
How to use:
- Add one teaspoon of baking soda into one glass of warm water
- Apply the solution on the affected area of the skin with ingrown hairs
- Allow it to stay on your skin for 30 minutes before rinsing with warm water
- Repeat the treatment twice per day until hair cyst heals
- Salt solution
Salt solution can help to reduce inflammation of hair follicles. It can also help to exfoliate the skin by dissolving grease and skin debris.
How to use:
- Mix one teaspoon of table salt into one glass of warm water
- Use a cotton ball to apply the salt solution on the affected area of the skin with hair cysts
- Allow it to take about 30 minutes on your skin before rinsing it off
- Repeat the same procedure three times per day until ingrown hair bumps go away
- Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has a natural acidic property that can help to exfoliate the skin. It also has the antibacterial property that can help to heal boils on the skin.
How to use:
- Use a cotton ball to apply the apple cider vinegar on the affected area of the skin with ingrown hair lumps
- Allow it to stay on your skin for about 10 minutes before rinsing it off
- Do this treatment twice per day until hair cysts clear away
