Ingrown hairs are a popular topic this time of year.
Don't let irritated and trapped hair follicles ruin your beach day!
WHY DO WE GET INGROWN HAIRS?
Basically, the hair follicle itself is trapped by the epidermis. This is most usually due to debris (like dried skin or sebum) blocking the natural follicle opening. It is also commonly due to the natural shape of the hair itself: curly and coarse hairs are more likely to become ingrown.
HOW TO DEAL WITH INGROWN HAIR
We have to release the hair! Get in there and free the follicle! This involves breaking the skin barrier to release the trapped hair. But the next step is not so intuitive: DO NOT PLUCK or TWEEZE THE RELEASED HAIR FOLLICLE. That's right, we are NOT going to pull that sucker out from the root.
But why? And what is the best thing to do to prevent the next hair from being trapped again?
~ You are going to TRIM the released hair follicle. ~
The reason for trimming (and not removing from the root) is that we have caused some damage to the epidermal tissues in releasing the follicle from the skin. As such, the skin is going to shift into a healing process. Were we to remove the entire follicle, the skin would heal over nicely - most likely trapping the next follicle in its place (AGAIN!). Instead, we are going to trim the follicle to the skin's surface. This will allow the epidermis to heal AROUND the follicle and re-establish the natural follicle opening. In this way, we reduce the chance of recurring ingrown hairs!
PREVENTING FUTURE INGROWN HAIR
1. as above, trim instead of remove existing ingrown hairs
2. physically exfoliate the skin to remove debris buildup that can cause the hair to be trapped (think body scrubs)
3. chemical exfoliation with an Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) - depending on your skin type. Acid's can do a great job of encouraging the skin's cellular turnover & 'sloughing off' of any epidermal debris.
4. shave in the direction of hair growth - this is particularly applicable to the bikini area.
5. switch to body sugaring from waxing - sugaring is a more gentle action and works as a natural exfoliant for the skin at the same time.
5. permanent hair removal! If you don't have any hair follicles, they can't cause you any trouble! ;)
More questions?
Dealing with dark spots from past ingrown hairs?
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