How Long Do Ingrown Hairs Take To Heal

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An ingrown pilus is what happens when a pilus curls back and grows into the pare. It's a scarlet, raised crash-land that looks like a pimple. They can be itchy and uncomfortable and in some instances, they can go infected and plow into painful sores. No one wants that. Even if you can't feel your ingrown hairs, they're frustrating to look at, especially when you want to show off your smooth, newly shaven skin!

Nosotros're here to assist. In this epic guide for preventing and treating ingrown hairs, we walk you through what causes them, how to treat them, how to prevent them, and what products to use in your hair removal routine.

What Causes Ingrown Hairs?

Although anyone tin can get ingrown hairs, they're most common among people with coarse or curly hair. They often occur when a hair follicle becomes chock-full with dead skin cells. Nosotros shed about 600,000 particles of skin every hour. If those particles - likewise known as the "dead layer" or the stratum corneum - aren't removed, they trap hairs under the epidermis, causing ingrowns .

(Here's what an ingrown pilus looks like via SheFinds in case you're not sure.)

Various forms of hair removal are also responsible for causing ingrown hairs. Shaving is one such culprit, hence the reason they're often referred to as razor bumps. Hint: we've got something to help with that.

Shaving

Advertisers often tell usa that the more blades, the better. That first started when plastic manufacturing was introduced. Companies realized they could produce more low-quality products for less that had to exist replaced more often. Because of that tendency, 2 billion plastic razors cease up in landfills today.

In gild to give y'all the polish shave razor companies hope, multi-bract razors are designed with a "lift and cut" system. Ane bract lifts the pilus, the next cuts the pilus below the skin line as you shave. The trouble occurs when your pilus starts growing back. Information technology tin can go trapped beneath the pare, causing dead skin cells to find their manner into the hair follicle. The result is an ingrown hair that's painful and inflamed.

Aggressive razors with multiple blades were designed for coarse facial pilus so they'd achieve a smoother shave with fewer passes. In other words, they're better designed for men'due south faces, not women's bodies.

Slow blades can cause the aforementioned problem. When you shave with dull blades, they leave the cease of the hair jagged as opposed to a clean cut, resulting in irritation as the hair grows back.

Waxing

Waxing pulls hairs straight from the root. Each hair follicle is connected to a pocket-size tube, which is responsible for guiding the hair to the surface when it grows back. Waxing pulls the hair so speedily that the follicle and tube become damaged. When the tube's lining is damaged, it can't guide the pilus. The hair becomes caught under the skin, causing ingrowns.

Epilating

A like occurrence happens when epilating. An epilator is similar to an electrical shaver. It has a rotating head of tweezers that traps hairs and pulls them from the root every bit it is run across the skin. This creates the same dissentious event as waxing.

Tight clothing

Finally, tight vesture can cause ingrown hairs, peculiarly tight underwear. Skin is its healthiest when it's allowed to exhale. The elastic in tight underwear presses into the skin, trapping hair as it begins to grow back and giving way to bothersome ingrown hairs. Try wearing loose boy shorts or soft 100% cotton wool underwear.

How to Treat Ingrown Hairs

Ingrown hairs volition typically become away on their own if y'all get out them alone. Simply if they don't or if you lot have a fabled beach 24-hour interval ahead of y'all, here are 4 steps to speed up the process.

Step one: Stop all hair removal attempts . Don't endeavour to pluck, pull, shave, wax, or cut pilus in the area where ingrown hairs are. Don't try to squeeze it out either. Yous'll only make your pare angrier and peradventure introduce an infection.

Stride two: Apply a warm compress and gently exfoliate . Using a soft washcloth soaked in warm - not hot - h2o, gently press into the irritated expanse for 10-fifteen minutes to soften skin. Then use tiresome, round motions to very gently exfoliate for only 10-15 seconds. Skip exfoliating if information technology hurts or makes your skin more irritated.

Step iii: Remove the ingrown pilus . This step only applies if you lot can see the looped hair growing into your pare. Don't get digging for treasure or you'll crusade dark spots or scarring. If you can't run into the tip, skip to step four.If you tin see the hair, employ a clean, sharp tool similar pointed tweezers to remove information technology. Gratuitous it from the skin kickoff. If it comes out easily, gently pull the entire pilus out. Brand sure your tweezers are strong enough to get the whole pilus and so you don't have to repeat the process all over again. If it doesn't come out easily, leave it be. Information technology'll exist set before long. Afterwards the hair becomes free, the redness and swelling should subside quite speedily.

Step four: Employ an exfoliating and anti-bacterial oil . Now that you've dealt with the hair itself, use a topical exfoliating oil to calm and soothe the skin while helping to prevent more than irritation.

Other herbs that can assistance with inflammation include primrose oil, fenugreek, and turmeric, according to this Livestrong article . We personally simply love the smell of lavender. This Healthline article claims that tea tree oil and lotions with oatmeal calm irritated skin as well.

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Is It Infected?

Your ingrown hair will likely but become infected i f you continue to irritate it with pilus removal or by picking at information technology. You'll know yous have an ingrown hair infection if it gets progressively more than cerise and irritated, if information technology swells, itches, or feels warm to touch.

(We were going to post a photo of an infected ingrown hair simply they can be pretty jarring. We suggest Googling it and checking out a medical website y'all trust.)

If those symptoms apply to you, endeavor taking the treatment steps above. If your symptoms don't get better, see a doctor.

How to Prevent Ingrown Hairs

Preventing ingrown hairs is all well-nigh removing dead skin and removing hairs in a mode that won't cause them to curlicue back. Here are simple steps to prevent ingrown hairs.

Shave With a Sharp, Single-Bract Razor

The National Wellness Service of UK says a single-blade safety razor is the best razor for ingrown hairs . In fact, switching to a precipitous, unmarried-blade razor is the most important matter yous can exercise to prevent ingrown hairs.

A sharp and clean safety razor will cut off the hair bluntly in one pass without communicable or dragging hairs. The razor won't clog (because information technology'due south one blade!), meaning less leaner buildup.

Exfoliate

Some other effective affair you can do to prevent ingrown hairs is to exfoliate. Exfoliating removes the expressionless skin cells that could potentially clog pores and helps lift the hairs away from the pare, allowing the razor to cut closer to the skin. It's important to exfoliate no matter what, but particularly before you shave.

To exfoliate, utilise a washcloth if your pare is extra sensitive and a hydrating scrub if it'south extra dry.

Some other option is dry brushing. It's an ancient ayurvedic technique and in improver to removing dead skin sells, it also boot starts your lymphatic system , which helps remove toxins from the torso.

Prefer a new shaving technique

Exfoliate first then soften your hair with water . A warm shower helps soften pilus, making information technology easier to remove.

Moisturize . There should always exist a hydrating barrier between your skin and the blade to absorber the contact when the razor meets your pare. Effort a shaving oil or cream . Using just water or even soap and h2o tin cause the razor to drag on your hairs and pare. Shaving oil lubricates your skin and blade and softens your hair, creating a smoother surface for your blade to glide over. It protects your skin and leaves information technology super moisturized. For the more than budget conscious, we as well really like using coconut oil every bit a shave cream. Just brand sure it's organic!

Press lightly . Nosotros've been conditioned to press the razor into our skin to become the closest shave. Don't. Pressure level contributes to the irritation we experience after shaving. The handle of the Oui Shave razor is weighted and so you don't have to apply pressure.

Shave with the grain . If your skin is extra sensitive, start past shaving with the grain (the management in which your hair grows). Shaving against the grain seems intuitive to become the closest shave but it can cause irritation. When shaving with the grain, there's less risk of cutting pilus below the skin. Brand certain to rinse your razor oft so there's no gunk or hair on it.

Pay attending to your razor angle . If your pare is less sensitive, there's less need to focus on which direction you're shaving in. When shaving your underarms, stretch the peel taut by placing your arm loftier above or behind your head. Shave upward and down, simply also try an 10 pattern. Since our hair grows in multi-directions, this helps to catch every footling bit. When shaving your legs, make sure the razor is at the xxx-degree bending so the blade gently grazes your skin. Take short strokes and keep your touch light. To get the knees, bend your leg to tighten the pare.

Change your blade frequently . Once you feel like the razor is tugging at your hairs rather than cutting them quickly and sharply, it's time to change the bract. Anybody'south pilus is different (fine, fibroid, thick), so the timing will vary for each individual.

Peep this brusk video demonstrating the nigh constructive mode to shave:

Alternative Hair Removal Options

Depilatory (it ways 'removing the pilus') creams are less likely to cause ingrown hair than other hair removal techniques bachelor but they're clogged of chemicals . We don't similar putting annihilation on our skin that nosotros can't eat.

Electrolysis or laser pilus removal is another option if yous can afford information technology. If there's no hair growing, no ingrowns can occur. However, information technology's pretty painful and a large investment upward front.

Avoid Tight Underwear/Clothes

We already explained why tight clothes cause ingrown hairs. Try to avoid them, especially right later shaving or waxing. Permit your skin breath, baby!

Final Thoughts

Summer is around the corner and now is a groovy fourth dimension to go your skin sundress fix. Start by giving your skin some time to breath. Endeavour going a few days or longer without shaving. Then ditch that pink, plastic razor and show your skin the respect it deserves!

Have questions? We're happy to nerd out almost natural skin care any time. Shoot us a note at how-do-you-do@ouishave.com or DM united states on Instagram .