How to deal with ingrown hairs?
How to deal with ingrown hairs?
I get a considerable ammount of ingrown hairs when I shave, with some being quite nasty (very inflamated and sensitive, laser is out of reach for now, I was considering waxing and epilation but still a out of reach now, I mostly want a way to help prevent ingrown hairs from appearing in the first place or making them go away faster
Waxing will only slow the ingrowns you get if you get them that bad. Switching to epilating definitely helped a little for me on my problem area, which is my thighs, but the biggest difference for me was making sure that I started a chemical exfoliation routine. It's not perfect, but I use a glycolic acid('The ordinary' brand 7% works great for me) exfoliator daily and it reduced the amount of ingrowns I got by like 95%. Also make sure you're moisturizing as well!
I'll try your method maybe the exfoliators you're using is better than what I've tried👍
It's not super expensive if you do want to give it a try. About $8 for a month supply at ULTA(in the US at least) with daily use on a pretty large area. Hope it works for you!
I will give glycolic acid a try
Good luck! It might also help it you give us some details on what your shaving process(prep, shaving method, aftercare, etc) is and where you get the problems too. What works for legs won't necessarily also work or be viable on a sensitive area like your face or genitals. Ultimately finding what works for your body is going to be a process and a combination of different changes likely.
Switching to epilating definitely helped
how do you not die from pain!? I tried my sisters epilator (spelling?) and after like 6 inches it hurt so bad i quit and she just taught me how to shave my legs correctly lol
Are you sterilizing your razor? "ingrown hairs" might be razor burn for example, the follicle getting infected. Try using 70% isopropyl alcohol to sterilize your razor and see if that helps. Also, getting the skin nice and soft with really hot water helps as well, sometimes I wet a rag and put it in the microwave and then put the rag against my face and let it rest there until the skin is really warm. Using a proper shaving soap and knowing how to make a proper lather can also help.
Exfoliation is mostly to prevent ingrown hairs from developing AFAIK, I am not sure if it will actually help once you have them.
No I am not sterilizing my razor, I will give that a try
It depends on where, your skin varies across your body. I shave after showering and exfoliating. I use sensitive shave gel and moisturize right after shaving. I try and do so around once a week or once we every two weeks and find that I dont get many ingrown hairs maintaining this routine. I also change the razor blade frequently, once every month or so.
+1 for moisturizing after shaving, shaving after a shower, and changing the blade frequently
I've tried both physical and chemical exfoliation and found that neither seems to help with ingrown hairs.
I'm also hoping that someone here might know some solutions
I tried physical exfoliation and it just made my skin so dry, even with mostirizer, it seem like it helped a bit with the ingrown hairs
Depends on where you want to epilate. Epilation should not be used on sensitive areas.
Agreed, I've tried epilators on my face and oh boy it's not possible. Even with lidocaine cream and edibles it was still quite painful >n<
I use an epilator on my neck just for convenience and haven't had any issues. I'm transmasc though, so maybe there's a difference?
When someone mentions hair removal I always have to pop in to proselytize about sugar waxing. It's similar to "normal" waxing but it's a fraction of the cost, it's gentler and easier to clean up and you can make it yourself at home. The main cost is time, but you can essentially take a spa day every three months or so and enjoy smooth skin without much need for daily upkeep. It's usually able to get all the thickest, roughest hairs by the root and over time (about a year or two) those hairs will just stop coming back. The softer thinner ones will tend to break and come back eventually but they're also easier to deal with and not as prone to be troublesome.
Basically you need a set of reusable muslin cloth strips, a bottle of lemon juice, sugar, a pot and stove and some time. You can use a wax warmer but it's not strictly necessary if you don't mind microwaving now and then. I highly recommend at least trying it once and seeing how it works out before doing anything more expensive like laser.
i really want to give that a try, any guides/tutorials you recommend?
This one is good
I use the soft wax method and a slightly different recipe, but otherwise all of her comments and directions are exactly what I would say :)
My recipe is 2 cups of sugar, 3tbsp of water and 3 tbsp of lemon juice boiled on the stove just until the bubbles turn off white. I'll take it off and on the stove and let the bubbles die down so I can see the color, and it's done when it just turns a soft champagne, buttery yellow. Use stainless steel not non stick so you can see better, it's easy to wash because it just dissolves. Let it sit off heat for maybe two minutes to thicken and carry over cook a bit, then pour it into an >8 oz jar (glass is great because you can microwave it). Once in the jar it should be a warm golden honey color. I've found that that recipe results in a nice soft wax that just has to be somewhat warm to work. Her recipe might be fine too but I've had some issues with the higher liquid content ones not setting up right.
If you have any questions let me know!
Thanks for the write-up. Guess I'll have to try this for my chest 😬 Any alternatives to the Muslin Cloth? I'm in germany and have never heard of that :D
Muslin is just a type of woven cloth. Look for 100% cotton woven waxing strips, they're usually sold to be used with traditional waxing. Good luck!
Hard to give specific advice without knowing your technique and what gear you're using, but it is generally a good idea to wet, warm and scrub the skin before starting to shave.
When shaving, make sure the razor isn't tugging on your hairs, which can be done by pressing a couple of fingers on the skin behind the razor. Try no to shave against the direction of the hair growth on the first go. I shave three times for my sensitive areas, along the growth direction, then 90 degrees and lastla 180 degrees (against the growth direction).
Changing your shaving cream can also help, for some, finding a shaving cream with aloe vera can help.
If you're using a safety razor, changing to a slanted bar can also do wonders.
After the shave, I would recommend an after sun gel, preferably with aloe vera in it, don't go for after shave directly, unless it is a very good balm.
I shave in the shower with a new blade once a week. I use Gillette Sensitive shaving cream with Harry's Razors, short passes, rinsing in a plastic container with hot water each pass. Right after getting out, air dry (I have a fan in my bedroom) then use aloe vera wherever I shaved. I tried lotions and other aftershave creams, but a giant bottle of aloe vera works wonders on my skin and feels amazing.
The next day after shaving, I do IPL with a Braun Pro 5. After 4 weeks, the hair growth slowed significantly, the ingrown hairs are mostly gone. I do a touch up every 2 weeks, but I'm very happy with the results so far. YMMV. I have light skin with dark hair, so the IPL works well for me.