4 On-Point Methods To Prevent Ingrown Hairs

Don’t you think it’s cruel that we can’t escape the routine of hair removal and on top of that, we are also compelled to deal with the after-effects of hair removal methods such as ingrown hairs?
 
I can’t even introduce gender bias here as guys too have started grooming themselves and are facing similar problems. Yeah, we’re in the same wagon now!
 
And the worst part? Regardless of which your hair removal method is, as long as it is semi-permanent, including epilation, waxing, shaving, etc. ingrown hairs are bound to appear and ruin our flawless skin.
 
I didn’t have much of ingrown hairs until before 6 months and it creeped me out mainly because I couldn’t keep my hands of those bumps, removing the hairs with my nails, and as a result, leaving a dot which stays for months to come. Naturally, my legs were covered with those dots and I had to do start the process of preventing them to turn the tables.
 
So I asked my esthetician about how I can prevent the occurrence of ingrown hairs and she gave me some tips which were downright logical. I have been experimenting with these methods and I am proud to say that I no longer have to deal with them obsessively as I used to.
 
But before I share the tips, let’s understand the mechanism of ingrown hairs!
 
How Do Ingrown Hairs Occur?
 
As the name suggests, ingrown hairs grow inside the skin. These hairs curl back and do not make through the outermost layer of the skin. Most of the times, they are not accompanied by a follicle infection but in some cases, they do, especially when the hair is accidentally pulled off.
 
Ingrown hairs can either curl back into the follicle itself or grow sideways beneath the first layer of the skin. In the latter case, you can literally see the hair trapped inside the skin.
 
Sounds horrible, right? It is horrible. And like I said, it doesn’t matter if you use epilators, shaving creams, or strip free wax for hair removal, after a few sessions if you don’t take care, they are bound to appear. Now to the tips!
 
Four Methods On Ingrown Hair Removal Techniques:

The prime issue of the ingrown hairs is that they remain as it is even if you wax or shave the entire area. It may happen that with time, the first layer breaks off and the hair comes out and that makes your hair growth uneven.
 
To avoid this, you can get a pair of sterile tweezers and try to squeeze the hair out from under the superficial layer of the skin right before your hair removal regime.
 
However, make sure you just give a little squeeze and not pluck the hair as that will leave you with a spot which might take months to heal. This method will allow your hair removal session to be thorough.
 
The only problem with this method is that it is a bit harsh as we are using a metallic tool here. Hence, this is not an advisable technique for ingrown hair removal for people with sensitive skin. You might have to try other methods if you are one of them.

There’s a continuous process which you can rely on for dealing with ingrown hairs, physical exfoliation. This is what you and I need to remove this problem from its roots.
 
Exfoliation removes the dead skin cells regularly giving space for the newer cells to grow and with it comes out the trapped hairs. You can use exfoliating gloves regularly for this purpose.
 
As these gloves are therapeutic and don’t damage the skin, this physical exfoliating method is by far considered to be the most convenient. In fact, I started off with this one to set a routine for my skin wellness.
 
You can also depend on loofahs, pumice stones, and other physical exfoliating tools for this method.

This is by far the most effective way of getting rid of the ingrown hairs but of course, they are chemicals and are to be used with caution and absolutely not in abundance.
 
Most of the chemical exfoliators contain alpha-hydroxy acids or salicylic acids and if you are planning on resorting to this method, make sure you are not allergic to these chemicals or don’t have a sensitive skin.
 
My advice is to try this method only when it’s necessary. In case of extreme ingrown hairs which you are not able to handle with the usual exfoliating methods, use of chemical exfoliators once in a while can solve your issues.
 
This is the most result-oriented method that does not demand your time and is absolutely painless. If there weren’t chemicals involved, I would have always succumbed to this exfoliation technique.

This is an effective alternative to chemical exfoliation method. You can make your own exfoliation scrub to speed the process of ingrown hair removal. The simplest way of making a DIY scrub is to add kosher salt in your shower gel.
 
With the particles that scrub the skin off with a friction, your shower gel can become your scrub any time you please.
 
There are a lot of recipes for DIY scrubs available on the internet which you can try making at home and use it at a specific interval to prevent the occurrence of ingrown hairs.
 
Sugar, Epsom salts, sea salt, etc are some of the common ingredients in any DIY exfoliating scrub. Another amazing ingredient you can use for exfoliation is walnut. You can make a half crushed walnut paste and add a moisturizing element like milk to do both the jobs efficiently.
 
So, these are some of the most trusted methods of preventing or curing ingrown hairs. Along with these methods, it is essential that you moisturize your skin regularly and never miss on using before and after-wax products, especially if you are comfortable with the hard blue wax beans.