Ingrown hairs are unsightly swollen bumps caused when shaved or waxed hair grows back into the skin after being cut or waxed, leading to irritation, inflammation, and skin discoloration.
Avoid picking or scratching these crusts as this may expose tender skin and open wounds, leading to an infection risk. Laser Hair Removal may help reduce ingrown hairs for good.
Causes
Pubic area hair tends to be thicker and curlier than that found elsewhere on your body, increasing its susceptibility to ingrown hairs. According to Anna Karp, DO, a dermatologist and clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University Langone. ingrown hairs occur when pubic hair pierces the surface of skin instead of growing outward as intended – something which Anna Karp, DO has witnessed first-hand herself as part of her clinical assistant professor role at NYU Langone.
An ingrown hair can result in red bumps, inflammation and itching if left untreated – potentially even leading to infection!
Though you cannot stop hair from growing in your pubic area, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of ingrown hairs after laser. Most importantly, avoid plucking or waxing it as this will irritate the follicle and lead to unsightly ingrowns.
Exfoliate regularly using gentle exfoliators like glycolic acid or salicylic acid; avoid anything too aggressive that could irritate skin. Furthermore, moisturize frequently to keep the area hydrated and avoid cracking and ingrown hairs from occurring.
Avoid ingrown hairs by wearing loose-fitting clothing made of breathable fabrics that fits loosely around your thighs, such as yoga pants. This will keep your skin from touching each other and creating friction which leads to heat build-up and inflammation.
If you are an avid swimmer or bather, wearing waterproof bras and panties may help protect against moisture in the environment, and will prevent your skin from chafing or burning under laser treatment.
Ingrown pubic hairs can be an annoyance and not the ideal look, but there are ways to treat them. Instead of picking, squeezing or waxing them out manually, try leaving them alone until they fall out on their own over time – regular exfoliation should help get rid of both the hairs themselves as well as skin crusting caused by them – speak to an aesthetician about scheduling maintenance laser sessions!
Symptoms
Ingrown hairs usually manifest themselves as red, swollen bumps that feel itchy and painful, depending on their severity. Left untreated, an ingrown hair could potentially result in infection that leads to scarring.
Both men and women can suffer from ingrown hairs. This occurs when a hair grows back into the skin instead of toward its surface after being removed via shaving, waxing, plucking or threading; or when an already removed shaved hair curves back inward and causes its edge to penetrate the side of skin by sticking. These ingrown pubic hairs often form small pus-filled bumps known as papules or pustules which may eventually darken due to hyperpigmentation if left untreated.
Preventing ingrown pubic hairs by keeping the area clean and exfoliating it regularly. Exfoliation helps clear away dead skin cells, clearing away clogged pores and ingrown hairs from occurring, so using an exfoliating scrub, loofah or brush should do just the trick. Furthermore, make sure that when shaving using an electric razor that gives an close shave while leaving enough length so that hair won’t curl back inward and cause problems.
If you find an ingrown hair, avoid picking or scratching at it as this will aggravate its sensitive area and risk infection or scarring. Instead, gently wash and exfoliate using warm — not hot — water in circular motions with warm — not hot — water to scrub the affected area gently. In addition, topical prescription creams like Renova/Retin-A can speed up removal of dead cells in treatment area and help clear away darker spots that have appeared due to an ingrown hair.
If an ingrown hair becomes infected, steroid ointment may help reduce inflammation. Otherwise, infected ingrowns can also be removed with a sterile needle, pin, or tweezers using rubbing alcohol as a preservative and threading the tool into its loop before lifting until one end of hair has freed from skin surface.
Treatment
After laser hair removal, your pubic area skin may be extremely delicate. To aid recovery and ensure faster healing times, avoid taking hot showers, saunas and applying heat packs directly onto this region. When moisturizing this region, choose creams with aloe vera bases to moisturize as this will soothe any redness or crusting issues in this sensitive region. Likewise, an exfoliator could be beneficial; just be wary not to overexfoliate as this could cause skin crusting or cause additional irritation.
Ingrown pubic hairs result from hair follicles being blocked, often through shaving, waxing, tweezing or the use of hair removal creams. When this occurs, the follicle cannot properly grow which leads to pain, redness and inflammation as well as potential infection of its surroundings if left to keep growing beneath the surface of skin.
For optimal ingrown hair prevention, it is wise to adjust habits that lead to them. Instead of shaving with razor blades, consider switching to electric or depilatory shaving methods or depilatory products with non-sharp edges like depilatory creams. Regular exfoliation also can prevent dead skin cells from clogging hair follicles; just be wary not to overexfoliate as overdoing it may cause increased irritation.
Visit a dermatologist for laser treatment as another alternative option to address ingrown hairs. Laser will work by disabling dead follicles to stop them producing new hair in the future, which should alleviate inflammation, bumps or itchiness associated with ingrowns.
Laser hair removal may not provide a long-term solution to ingrown hairs, but it is the best long-term treatment available. Exfoliation and moisturizing regularly is also highly recommended to maintain healthy skin and avoid future ingrown hairs from appearing.
Prevention
After shaving, waxing or any other method of hair removal, ingrown hair is always a risk. But laser hair removal eliminates hair follicles so they cannot produce hair in the future and therefore makes it less likely to become ingrown after treatment. Plus, its heat also kills bacteria that could potentially cause inflammation or other issues.
As with anything, ingrown pubic hairs cannot be fully avoided, but you can lessen their frequency with good skin care practices such as daily washing, exfoliation and moisturization of the area. Furthermore, using shaving cream or gel designed specifically for sensitive genital areas prior to shaving will soften hairs so they’re less likely to grow back into your skin and cause ingrowns.
Laser treatments can cause laser treatments in the vulva area to leave skin drying out, leading to crusting and an increased likelihood of ingrown hairs. To avoid this happening, regularly apply moisturizing lotion or cream that contains salicylic acid for exfoliation purposes and dissolving dead cells – but beware over-exfoliation as this could increase ingrown hairs as well.
One effective method for avoiding ingrown hairs is using sharp tweezers to gently release them when they’re embedded in the skin, provided you disinfected your tools first and avoided picking at them or tearing the skin as this can cause infection. For stubborn ingrowns, visit a dermatologist to have it professionally removed.
Ingrown hairs can occur anywhere you remove body hair, but they’re especially likely to crop up around the vulva region due to coarse and curly follicles which tend to curl into rather than out of your skin, becoming trapped with dead cells more readily than elsewhere. With proper care though, ingrowns can be prevented more frequently for smoother and more beautiful skin in return!
