An ingrown hair looks like a raised, discolored spot on your skin. It’s a strand of hair that grows back into your skin after shaving, tweezing or waxing. Ingrown hairs can affect anyone, but they’re easy to treat and prevent with the right hair removal practices.
What is an ingrown hair?
An ingrown hair is a strand of hair that grows back into your skin after shaving, tweezing or waxing. They may be painful or itchy, and they commonly appear around your face, legs, armpits and pubic area.
Ingrown hairs are sometimes called razor bumps, shave bumps or barber bumps.
There are several ways to treat ingrown hairs at home, including:
- Stop shaving and allow the hair to grow.
- Use an electric shaver. Hold it just above the surface of your skin.
- Use depilatory products to remove hair without shaving. Depilatory products dissolve the protein structures of your hair.
- Apply warm compresses to your affected skin for 10 to 15 minutes to open your pores and make it easier for ingrown hairs to release.
If your symptoms don’t improve, your healthcare provider may need to prescribe medications that decrease inflammation and improve infections.
Watch the video below to check how ingrown hairs are removed.
