What is ingrown hair?
Ingrown hair is hair that curls back on itself, and grows just below the skin. While it is a more common occurrence in people with curly hair, everybody has had ingrown hair some or other time in their life.
Ingrown hair looks like small red bumps- something like a pimple. In a more serious situation, ingrown hair can form a boil like sore and can even form pus. Men are more likely have an ingrown hair on chin, neck, and cheeks, and women are likely to develop ingrown hair on legs, underarms, and pubic area.
Preventing ingrown hair
If handled with care, ingrown hair is a completely avoidable situation. To prevent ingrown hair, make sure that you rub your skin with a scrub before shaving to you remove any stubborn ingrown hair. Also, ensure that you use a sharp razor and shave with as less strokes as possible.
Treating ingrown hair
It is not a serious issue, as much as it is an annoying problem because when they occurs as bumps, they are likely to cause irritation and itching. Some ingrown hair bumps are also known to become like boils and leave scars.
The important thing to remember when you have ingrown hair is to not pick on them or scratch them. You may just worsen the situation.
In case of infection, it is recommended to remove the boil with a sterile needle or tweezers. Better yet, consult a doctor who is more equipped to deal with such a situation. The doctor may also prescribe antibiotics to reduce any possible infection or retinoids to remove dead skin cells and reduce pigment changes from the scars.
Some other methods to remove ingrown hair include:
- Soak a slice of bread in warm milk and place it on the affected area till it cools down. Once removes, check for an open pore and remove the ingrown hair.
- Because ingrown hair is a lot like pimples, try applying acne medication to the affected area and exfoliate regularly for some days. This helps in reducing the infection, and easing the removal of ingrown hair.
- Remove the membrane from an egg shell and place it on the affected area. Let it shrink and dry. Once dried, remove the membrane, the ingrown hair will come out with it.
