How to prevent ingrown pubic hair and treatment

Ingrown pubic hair are the bane of our existence. Why? Simply because they ruin it all! Hair removal is meant to give you silky skin, not bumpy skin. Isn't waxing already painful enough that it also incurs ingrown hair outbreaks?

Usually, those unpleasant red bumps show on your bikini area after a wax or a shave, upon regrowth. They look ugly and can be hard to remove. Thus, the best course of action is to just prevent them altogether.

What are ingrown pubic hairs?

An ingrown hair is a hair that grows back into the skin instead of rising up from it. The hair may curl up on itself. It can also be too thin to actually pierce the skin.

Ingrown hair is more common among people who have curly or coarse hair. In theory, it can appear anywhere on the body. However, ingrown hairs mostly pop up in areas where the skin was shaved or waxed.

Women usually experience outbreaks around their bikini area and vagina. On the other hand, men are likely to experience outbreaks on their face.

Hair follicle infection and razor bumps can come along with ingrown hair.

There are a few different things that cause ingrown hairs, some of which you can't control, some of which you can. On the first list—the texture of your hair. Ingrown hairs are more common in those with curly hair. As the hair curls, it can easily get redirected and start growing back into the skin, rather than up out,

What causes ingrown hair outbreaks?

People who shave, wax, or use another method to remove pubic hair may be more prone to ingrown hairs. Ingrown pubic hairs can also be due to wearing tight clothing that rubs and irritates the skin. People with curlier or coarser pubic hair are also more likely Trusted Source to experience ingrown hairs.

Everyone can get ingrown pubic hair in any area of the body. However, it is more common among people who have coarse and curly hair. It is also more frequent around the bikini line and intimate areas.

This is because body hairs are thicker, curlier and coarser there. When shaving your bikini, you will cut the hair in the direction opposite to growth. This can disturb hair growth. The hair can grow sideways and remain under the skin.

As shaving cuts the pointy tip of the hair, it may also not be able to pierce the skin. People who wax will remove the hair along with the root. The next hair growing will be thinner. Thus, it may not be able to pierce through the skin.

Hair bumps can also be due to tight clothes that rub the skin.

Sometimes, dead skin cells can pile up and clog the hair follicle. The hair will be unable to grow and will stay under the skin.

How to prevent them?

There are a few ways to prevent ingrown hair. You can take a few steps that will reduce their likeliness, especially around the bikini line and intimate areas:

• trim longer hairs so that they are easier to remove
• soak the skin in warm water to soften the pubic hair
• gently exfoliate the area
• soften the hair with an oil or lotion

If you shave, use a razor with sharp blades. Always rinse the blade after each stroke. Make sure your skin is wet before you shave or apply shaving cream.

After you shave or wax, apply a moisturizing skin cream that contains salicylic or glycolic acid.

While shaving your bikini line and other intimate areas, make sure you shave in the same direction your hair is growing. No matter your hair removal method , exfoliating regularly is a surefire way to help prevent dead skin cells from blocking the hair follicles.

However, the best way to avoid and prevent pubic ingrown hair is to stop removing hair in the areas they are most likely to occur. We get that this is not ideal.

How to remove them?

Dermatologists agree on one thing: do not try to remove ingrown hair on your own. You may make things worse or get an infection. The key is patience. Resist the temptation to tweeze or pop an ingrown hair out.

There are however a few things you can do to help ingrown hair go away on their own faster.

• Apply a warm compress to the area to soften the skin.
• Exfoliate the skin that traps the hair gently.
• Double with up with a chemical exfoliation if possible to dissolve the dead skin.
• Avoid wearing tight clothing made of synthetic fabric.

Although ingrown hairs are mostly harmless, they can develop into cysts or infection. If this happens, make sure you keep the area clean at all time. Stop shaving (or waxing) and talk to your dermatologist.

What hair removal option is the best?

The main cause of ingrown pubic hair outbreaks is hair removal. The biggest culprits are shaving and waxing. Shaving cuts the hair in the direction opposite to growth. Thus, the hair may grow back sideways under the skin.

Waxing removes the hair and root altogether. Thus, the hair follicle produces a thinner hair that may not be strong enough to pierce the skin.

Hair that is coarse or curly is also more likely to develop into an ingrown pubic hair. Which can be quite problematic, especially around the vagina and intimate area.

The solution would be to make sure that the hair removal option you choose prevent ingrown hair from even happening. That is what laser hair removal does. Indeed, a laser treatment damages the hair follicle so that no new hair can be produced.

Since there is no hair to grow, no hair can turn into an ingrown hair. Laser hair removal can be ideal for those who wish to remove pubic hair and usually suffer from ingrown hair outbreaks.

The bikini area is a very hormonal part of the body. Hair is coarser, thicker and curlier there. Thus, you may need more sessions than for a non-hormonal area of the body. Yet, it remains the best solution for you.

Not only will you have silky smooth skin all year round but you will also no longer suffer from ingrown pubic hair. Smooth and clear skin is all you want after al, isn't it?