HOW TO...
Prevent and Treat Ingrown Hairs
M
uch like wearing SPF and drinking
more water, keeping the skin hair-
free is always more of a priority
during the summer. Whether it’s on your face,
legs or underarms, every shave comes with the
chance of an ingrown hair showing up uninvited,
but there are ways to prevent these annoying
red bumps from appearing.
What to do after…
When it comes to shaving, the smoothest finish
is all in the preparation. Start by gently exfoli-
ating the skin using either a mild scrub or a low
percentage AHA to remove the top layer of dead
skin cells. With these gone, your razor has a
much better chance of gliding evenly over the
skin and there is less chance of pulling or
tugging at the hairs, which can cause irritation.
Next, make sure your skin is warm so that it is
soft, supple and ready for shaving. Once you’re happy with the way your skin feels,
it’s time for a little after-care. If all has gone
well, simply apply a light moisturiser to the skin
to hydrate and soothe it after going through the
trauma of shaving. You could also apply some
Aloe Vera-based gel to further calm the area. If
things haven’t gone as planned and you are faced
with a series of red, angry bumps covering the
skin post-shave, here’s what you can do. Gently
cool the area using a cold washcloth and apply
lots of the aforementioned Aloe Vera gel; this
will help reduce any swelling and visible redness.
If the skin is still bumpy, apply a targeted spot
treatment – the same one you would apply to a
painful pimple on your face – to the affected
area. Salicylic Acid can help to clear out the
affected hair follicle and shrink the inflammation
that can restrict the affected hair’s growth which,
if left untreated, will make matters worse.
Although it might feel strange, most experts
recommend shaving in the direction of the
hair growth not against it for the cleanest and
smoothest shave. That applies to any area of
the body where you are removing the hair and
always remember to apply a cream, balm or
oil to give the razor extra slip over the skin.
This extra moisture will also prevent any nasty
nicks or snags. If you can see the ingrown hair clearly and it’s
close to the surface, you can try and pull it out
using sterilised tweezers, but don’t force it.
Digging deep into the follicle will aggravate the
condition further and cause more harm than
good so it’s best to leave it to the professionals
once it reaches this stage. If the ingrown hair
continues to worsen and still hurts after a few
days, visit your doctor for more advice.
What to do before…
ISSUE #12 | 2019 | SkinHealthMagazine.com 13