We’ve got five steps for banishing ingrown hairs. Image via Adobe Stock.
Ingrown hairs are very common among people who shave. They are caused when a growing hair gets trapped below the surface of the skin. The hair when cut on an angle tends to curl around on itself and grow back into the skin, instead of growing outward. This can cause itchy, red and inflamed bumps on the surface of the skin and sometimes even rashes. While anyone can get ingrown hairs, they are most common in people with thick, curly or coarse hair and people who shave. The only real way to completely prevent ingrown hairs is to stop removing your hair altogether, but if you are not a fan of the fuzz, follow these five steps to banish ingrown hairs, for a smoother and more comfortable finish.
Exfoliate
An ingrown hair can occur when the hair follicle gets clogged with dirt, so exfoliating the area before you shave will help to remove any dirt build-up. If you have clogged follicles, the dirt can force the hair to grow sideways, causing ingrown hairs, so exfoliating at least once a week with products containing Glycolic Acid or Lactic Acid – which will help to break down sebum and dead skin cells, that can cause clogged follicles, will help to reduce the chances of getting ingrown hairs.
Use a hair removal cream
If you are very prone to ingrown hairs, you might want to consider switching to a sensitive hair removal cream. Because the hair is being dissolved, rather than cut – the risk of getting ingrown hairs from a hair removal cream is much lower.
Ditch the disposable
Disposable razors are not only terrible for the environment, but they are notorious for causing ingrown hairs, as they are designed to be disposable, so the blades get blunt very quickly. Blunt blades can leave you with a major shaving rash, due to an uneven and bumpy shave. Consider investing in an electrical razor or a stainless steel razor with changeable blades.
Use shaving cream
Opting to use a shaving cream is vital to helping the razor glide of the skin, without dragging. This means you can avoid sensitive spots that tend to irritate easily. Try finding a shaving cream that is alcohol-free to avoid drying out your skin.
Shave in the right direction
It might not give you as close of a shave, but shaving in the same direction of your hair will prevent the hair from being cut off too short. Shaving in the opposite direction will also cause the hair to be cut at a sharp angle, giving them more chance to grow back sideways into the skin.