Natural Ways to Treat and Prevent Ingrown Hairs

Do you dread having those small little ingrown hair once you have shaved, waxed or tweezed your hair? Ingrown hair is a nuisance, be it hair on any part of your body! It is simply hair that grows back into the skin, instead of growing out of the skin.

What is the reason behind hair ingrowth?

Ingrown hair can more commonly occur in people with coarse and thick or curly hair, because the tendency for it to curl and grow back into your skin is more likely. Some people who do hair removal often, can get a type of ingrown hair condition called pseudofolliculitis or commonly called “razor bumps, which is hair that gets trapped under the skin’s surface causing a bump under the skin. There are also chances that dead skin can clog a hair follicle which then decreases the likelihood of the hair growing out of the hair follicle and in turn grows back inwards or sideways, under the skin.

Here are ways to get rid of ingrown hair:

Here’s something positive before we get into the ways to get rid of ingrown hair and that is, most ingrown hair will resolve itself over time. But yes, there are chances that some may not fully grow out over time and then you could resort to these methods.

So here you go!

1. Use body scrubs for ingrown hair:

Exfoliating your skin using a body scrub is a very essential pre and post hair removal treatment as exfoliating can help successfully reduce dead skin cells from clogging the pores, since clogged pores can increase the chances of ingrown hair because the hair cannot grow out of the hair follicle and tends to grow back inwards or sideways instead, causing ingrown hair/bumps under the skin surface. READ MORE – BODY SCRUBS you can make at home FOR HEALTHY AND GLOWING SKIN

2. Let your hair grow out:

This hack is not something most people like to follow – letting your hair grow out! Well, for those who require having their skin exposed and do not like exposing their body hair, will not want to use this hack. But that being said, it is essential to remember that body hair is totally normal and shouldn’t be a reason for any sort of body insecurity. Well, it is then a personal choice and is debatable.

This hack is helpful as growing out your hair, will give it time to heal and give the ingrown hair more time to fully come out of the hair follicle. So it is best that ingrown hair is left alone, picking at it can cause infection in the skin, exposing the hair follicle to bacteria.

3. Aloe vera:

Apply a thick layer of aloe vera gel on the stop to soothe the skin. For added benefits, add few drops of tea tree essential oil to the aloe vera gel before applying to the affected area. Using a razor while shaving can leave the tips of the hair very sharp, making it easier to cut through the skin. Also, if you have no choice but to shave, then using a razor with a new and sharp blade for each shave is very important. If you use a blunt razor blade, it can lead to uneven shaving and more possibility of ingrown hair growth.

4. Apple cider vinegar:

Mix 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar with 1 tbsp of water and spray it on the affected area. If you have no choice but to shave, then shaving in the direction of the hair growth can help reduce the hair tips from having a very sharp edge, like when it is shaved in the opposite direction of the hair growth.

So you can first shave in the direction of the hair growth and for the last shave, to get rid of the extras, you can shave against the grain. READ MORE – APPLE CIDER VINEGAR to clear dead skin from the scalp to promote hair growth

5. Teabag:

Apply a cold tea bag on the area to soothe the skin and also help with inflammation. If you happened to see ingrown hair under your skin, do not try to pull out or scratch out the ingrown hair from under the skin. Only if you find that the ingrown hair has started to peep out of the skin, then you can use a tweezer to pluck it out after gently exfoliating the area and washing the area with a mild cleanser and warm water, so that the hair follicle can open up more easily. Remember to grab the hair at the base, as close to the skin and do not tug at the hair strand and pull in the upward direction.

6. Try waxing instead of shaving:

Waxing is a safer option when it comes to the reduction of ingrown hair, as compared to shaving. So if you let your hair grow out and then wax it, the hair can be pulled out right from the root, instead of being just cut off at the skin surface, when shaved.