Ingrown Hair Treatment: What To Do And What Not To Do
An ingrown hair is a very common condition and generally not a serious one at all. The odd ingrown hair will not cause discomfort and will probably go away without you even knowing it was there. If you suffer from a chronic case however, you will probably want to seek out an ingrown hair treatment to ease the discomfort. The symptoms often include inflammation, rash, redness and itchiness. A small formation of pus may develop if the area around the hair follicle becomes infected.
You should try to treat the ingrown hairs right after your shower/bath. This is when the skin is most receptive to treatment. You want the skin to be soft and warm. You will see the ingrown hairs better because warm water helps bring them closer to the skin’s surface. You could also hold a warm press on the skin to achieve the same results.
Use a sterilized needle to gently work the hair out of your skin. You should not have to dig too hard. If it is not coming out easily, then leave it alone and try one of the methods listed below.
Gently exfoliate the area with a soft brush, loofah or sponge. You want to free the hair gently. You should not rub too hard. You do not want to worsen the irritation. You can exfoliate your skin naturally with a mixture of one cup brown sugar and three teaspoons of honey. It is a good idea to exfoliate on a regular basis to prevent ingrown hairs from appearing.
Use creams that contain benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. These ingredients help to clean the skin and take off dead skin cells. They help to open up the pores. These ingredients can be found in most acne cleansers. A good natural alternative is witch hazel or tea tree oil.
You want to make sure that the skin is not irritated further so do not shave or wax until the skin has calmed down and wear loose clothing.
Keep ingrown hairs at bay by ensuring the skin is cleansed, moisturized and exfoliated regularly. Use a good moisturizer that does not clog the pores. Shaving is often the lead cause of ingrown hairs. You can avoid getting ingrown hairs after shaving if you keep from shaving the hair too close to the skin. Do not push down too hard on the razor and shave hair in the direction of hair growth. Also, try not to pull the skin tight while shaving and don’t shave twice in the same area.
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