Ingrown hairs: Everything you need to know

Ever experienced those unsightly and sometimes painful red bumps appearing on your skin after hair removal? These pesky irritations are ingrown hairs – and they’re more common than you think.
Some may resemble pimples, and others can become painful if left untreated. Oh and they definitely don't mind popping up all over the body. Fun, right?
Want help in preventing and treating them? We’ve got the lowdown on how to safeguard your skin against these little nasties.
What are ingrown hairs?
An ingrown hair occurs when a waxed, shaved or tweezed hair curls and grows back into the skin, instead of emerging outwards. It can pop up anywhere you shave or wax, but it’s most common in the area where hair is curly and coarse, such as bikini line, underarms and eyebrows.
It may appear as a red bump (or even just a bump) after a few days or weeks after shaving or waxing, usually whenever the hair begins to grow back. In some cases you may even be able to see the hair under the skin and it's not uncommon to experience itching and pain. In some very rare cases, ingrown hairs can get infected and may need medical care.
What causes ingrown hairs?
When you wax or shave, it can encourage the hair to regrow at an angle (as we often shave or pull out hairs against the direction of hair growth). Instead of growing straight, the hair then pushes back into the skin, particularly if the hair is sharp at the end from shaving.
Can you prevent ingrown hairs?
Yes, there are ways to prevent ingrown hairs from occurring and the first step is to take preventive measures before you shave or wax.
To start, exfoliate or massage your skin with a washcloth or body brush. This exfoliates away dead skin cells and helps reduce the chances of hairs growing back into the skin.
bh recommends: Bodecare Jute Dry Body Brush and Manicare Exfoliating Gloves
If you’re shaving regularly, use a quality razor and replace the blade every fortnight; and shave in the direction of your hair growth if possible.
bh recommends: Schick Hydro Silk
Post-shaving, wash the area with a cleanser containing skin-calming ingredients such as glycolic acid or Witch Hazel, as these have anti-bacterial properties that can soothe existing ingrown hairs and prevent infection. These ingredients also help clear pores prevent the hair follicles growing inwards. Try Alpha-H Micro Cleanse with 12% Glycolic Acid or Waxaway After Care Lotion with Mango and Witch Hazel. If you're particularly prone to ingrowns and sensitivity, we'd also recommend following with Bump eRaiser Concentrated Serum.
Does laser hair removal cure ingrown hairs?
Some dermatologists claim laser hair removal is a permanent cure for ingrown hair, while others argue the contrary. However, studies conducted by University of Nottingham have shown that laser hair removal makes hairs finer and sparser, resulting in less frequent outbursts of coarse follicles. Laser hair removal also slows down the occurrence of hair, so you don’t have to shave or wax as often.
bh recommends: SmoothSkin Bare Intense Pulsed Light Hair Removal Device - White and Remington i-Light Pro + Face & Body IPL Permanent Hair Removal
Can you treat ingrown hairs at home?
Sometimes, simply stopping waxing or shaving the affected area for a brief period can allow the hair to work its way out naturally.
Using cold and warm compresses can also help. Applying a flannel soaked in warm water on your skin can help ease out those existing ingrown hairs, while cold compression is good as a preventative measure after hair removal.
Another handy home treatment is stimulating the skin with a toothbrush a few minutes before and after shaving. Dermatologists in Norway use this procedure to treat patients in their clinics, as they believe the toothbrush will help hair stand upright.
If you're after a treatment product, look for ones containing salicylic or lactic acid to gently exfoliate and decongest the skin. This will help to coax the hair out and reduce discomfort. Try LYCON Ingrown-X-it Solution, which can be used on the face and body.
Another great ingredient to look out when treating the irritation of ingrown hairs is jojoba oil, which can ease redness and pain. Try giving Oil Garden Jojoba Oil a go for smooth, hydrated skin between shaves.
*This article has been updated since its original publication.
Do you suffer from ingrown hairs? How do you treat them?
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115 Member Comments
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Exfoliation, exfoliation, exfoliation. That is the only thing that helps fight ingrown hairs.
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Happy to try all these tips as I always get ingrown hairs.
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thanks for the information
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I shave, yet don't have this problem... Interesting...
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I tend to get them more when I epilate! I just bought a new epilator, so hopefully it will do a better job :)
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That's really interesting TinDrum!!! I'm not game to try an epilator... Looks super painful!!! Good Luck with your new Epilator!!!
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And to boot I have a Nickel allergy! Honestly, epilating is not painful. I reckon taking a tweezer to your eyebrows hurts more :) My new one just arrived today and it is the only one you can get with ceramic disc 'tweezers'! It is made specifically for sensitive skin. It's the Phillips Satinelle 8000. I got the one with a massive kit to go with it: pedicure head, body exfoliation head, trimmer etc. I'll let you know how I fare with it :) Merry Christmas! x
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I have a nickel allergy too, but found a brand that doesn't use nickel in the razors!!! YAY!!! I'd be curious to hear how you went as this may be worth a second look!!! Happy Days to you!!! :-)
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ugh! Nickel allergy is just the effing worst! So I commiserate with you! I think as time has gone by my allergy has definitely gotten worse. I am not saying that my underarms loved the shaving process but now they just feel like they are being sandpapered and then cayenne peppered! O_O Which razor have you found to work for you?
Also: update on the new epilator! Holy moly you need to get one of these! I had an old Remington one and looking back it was like a torture device compared to this Phillips Satinelle one. It is super quick and incredible gentle. I do not even get red spots from the plucking. I just have super smooth and SUPER un-angry legs. It would normally take a good 12-14 hours before my skin calmed down before, but that epilator had metal 'tweezers' wereas this one is ceramic.
Trust me, I totally understand that you are eek about the pain factor but waxing is way worse. And quite frankly, shaving is sometimes much worse than this awesome thing I am using now. I am truly stunned at how great this Satinelle is! You can get the epilator without all the doohickies as well for much less. But I think it is worth getting the pack. It is a great pamper pack to have :) Happy (well, much happier) 2021 to you! x
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TinDrum, I don't think I could have found better words to describe the torture of shaving prior to nickel free razors!!!! Ha ha!!! The brand I use is Preserve. They can be found on Amazon or eBay. They come from America and the handles are made of recycled yogurt containers.... The razors themselves can be sent back for recycling too....
I'm definitely going to look into the epilator though... Thank you for the review and tips for it!!! I really appreciate your time and opinions... :-)
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hahaha! Oh the glories of nickel allergy! Oh and absolute pleasure to have a gab! Thank you for engaging in our little conversation :)
Thank you for getting back to me about the razors. I will most definitely give them a go. (As I am too chicken to try and epilate my underarms bahaha, although I might be pushed to do so... I'll update you if it comes to that :)
The last razor I tried was a men's one: the Schick Quattro titanium coated with 'diamond' tips. I thought the titanium coat would help but oh my god no! Sandpaper and a sprinkling of cayenne! (I always preferred men's razor's to women's ones, I always found that they worked better)
I really cannot recommend the Satinelle enough. I got onto it by doing a bunch of reading. Basically:" what are the best epilators out there. And it showed up on every single list I came across. The reviews always mentioned how great it is for sensitive skin and the fact that the 'tweezers' are ceramic. BOOM! I was on it. The other thing that kept popping up was the fact that it is a great appliance for 'beginners' as well as it is so kind to skin and SUPER quick at it's job.
Hopefully it will work out for you too! Have a great day x
p.s.: I LOVE your avatar!
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I’ve enjoyed swapping tips with you, too!!! It’s been a real pleasure chatting with you!!!
Good luck with the razors... I hope they work for you...
Thank you about the avatar!!! Yours is cool!!!
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:) nawww shucks! Lovely chatting with you too! Keep well and keep sane x
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Thank you I didn't know red bumps are ingrown hairs. Useful info.
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yes they can be stubborn
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I tend to get them in the bikini line so I have to make sure I exfoliate before and moisturise and apply ingrown hair treatment after shaving.
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I've had one or two in my lifetime - painful and annoying.
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Some good info here, thank you :)
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I think that dry brushing before my daily shower prevents them from forming.
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Schick Hydro Silk is a good razor
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well not everyone have the same kinds of hair growing and skin that really differ from person to person
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that's true. Some will have more problems than others
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I have been getting them for a few years and they are so itchy at times. I try to exfoliate twice a week and use a moisturiser with aloe vera after waxing to calm skin down
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