Ingrown hair
Carla
Specialist in plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Overview
An ingrown hair is a strand of hair that grows back into the skin after shaving. Ingrown hairs can affect anyone, but they are easy to diagnose, and easy to prevent with the right hair removal practices.
The hair that grows back has a sharper edge, so it can more easily poke back through your skin and get trapped under the surface.
What is ingrown hair?
Ingrown hair is a type of hair that curls and grows back into the skin at its tip, causing inflammation,it happens when the sharp tip of the hair curls back or grows sideways into the skin of the hair follicle.
What are the symptoms of ingrown hair?
The most common symptom of ingrown hair is redness and inflammation of the skin. This is followed by pus formation. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently.
What causes ingrown hairs?
Although ingrown hair is primarily caused by improper or aggressive hair removal, it sometimes occurs naturally as too much dead skin debris blocks the hair follicle opening, causing the hair to grow sideways.
Dead skin can clog the hair follicle, causing hair to grow under the skin or re-enter the follicle or adjacent follicles. When a blockage occurs, the hair in the follicle can get stuck or grow into the skin, causing ingrown hairs.
People with high levels of certain sex hormones can have more hair than usual. This can make them more likely to get ingrown hairs, especially after shaving.
The friction caused by body movement throughout the day can also rub hairs against the skin continuously. This causes the hairs to turn around and push back into the follicle.
How is ingrown hair treated?
The skin reacts with inflammation, When hair gets on the skin, the skin reacts like a foreign body: it becomes inflamed. It will take some time for the inflamed area around the hair to fully heal before the hair is removed again. When this happens, some people stop removing the hair from the problem area altogether and apply a gel calming after l'epilation.
HiSqin™ Gotu Kola Calming Gel
This Seaweed-based soothing gel provides the ultimate hydration while calming botanicals tend to sensitive or irritated skin.
May be used daily or nightly as a moisturizer or as a post treatment on irritated or inflamed skin.
Possible treatments for shaving hair include moisturizing the skin and stopping shaving, which promotes ingrown hair growth.
Regardless of your hair removal method, regular exfoliation is a sure way to prevent dead skin cells from clogging your hair follicles, says Dr. Eiskreamwala. You can also double your exfoliation with chemical exfoliation by using an ingrown hair product that contains salicylic acid, an ingredient chosen to dissolve dead skin cells that would otherwise keep ingrown hairs under the skin for longer, says Dr. Solomon. Other treatments include applying a warm washcloth to ingrown hairs, shaving in the opposite direction, exfoliating with facial scrubs, brushes, sponges, towels, ointments or creams containing acids, and ibuprofen or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Takeaway
Nearly everyone will have an ingrown hair at some time. Overall, teenagers and adults are more prone to ingrown hairs. The symptoms of an ingrown hair may resemble other skin conditions.Contact your doctor if ingrown hairs do not respond to home treatments, or if symptoms get worse.
DISCLAIMER Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice.
