Shaving is something we all have to do, men and women. People prefer shaving for many obvious reasons. Shaving and epilation are the cheapest and simplest ways to get rid of body hair in a short time. Other techniques like waxing are extremely painful, and can get expensive if you go to a salon regularly (it is difficult to wax your own body!).
Our question for today is how to prevent ingrown hair. No matter how you get rid of your body hair, the trouble of ingrown hair is always there. It’s like salt in the wound when you have to spend your time shaving or epilating just to find out one of your hairs decided to grow into your skin! This problem persists even if you use the best epilator 2018 or razor in the market. So, because I hate ingrown hairs so much, I did some research to see how to prevent them. Turns out, there’s a lot of good info about this online, so I decided to compile what I learned and share it with you!
Contents
What Are Ingrown Hair?
Normally, our hair grows outwards from the surface of the skin. Ingrown hairs curl backward into the body and get trapped underneath the skin. This happens more prominently among people with curly hair, but even straight hairs can become ingrown. Some ingrown hairs are also accompanied by certain kinds of infections, although they are not dangerous and will usually show up as a red bump on your skin similar to a pimple. While the infections aren’t dangerous, they don’t look good either.
The prime causes that have been connected to ingrown hairs are tight clothing, waxing, epilating, or shaving. Any attempt to pluck out or cut the hair in an uneven way can cause ingrown hair. You can use best electric shaver in the world, but if you’re doing it wrong, it may lead to ingrown hair on your body
How To Know If I Have Ingrown Hair ?
People usually don’t know if they have an ingrown hair or a pimple. The symptoms are redness on the skin, itchiness, or irritation. It mostly looks like a small pimple or sometimes a boil if the infection is strong enough. You’ll see them most easily after shaving or epilating, since your skin will be smooth around the rough spots.
To be sure if it’s just a pimple or an ingrown hair, you can check if the bump has got pus inside it. Pus is a sign that you’ve got pimples, not ingrown hairs. Ingrown hairs don’t have pus in them, but you should be able to see the long hair just underneath your skin. Sometimes it look curled or bent over.
How Can I Prevent Ingrown Hair? 8 Super Techniques ?
So, now we have reached the most important section of our article today, how to prevent ingrown hair. Well, the sources that I have referred to and studied say that there are a few good methods that can help you. I want to highlight the 8 best methods to prevent ingrown hair:
Usage Of Tweezers
Tweezers are perfect to remove ingrown hair from your body before it has the chance to grow further. It is recommended to use sterilized tweezers, and you should remove the hair before you next wax or shave your body. Sterilization is important to prevent infecting the ingrown hair spot.
In the case where the hair is too tiny or has gone completely inside the body, it is recommended to use a needle. The needle too should be sterilized. Don’t be worried about pain, because the needle will not be poking you or leaving a mark behind.
The needle has to be poked into the hair and slowly pulled out of your skin. Usually, there is no blood at all, but that’s not guaranteed depending on how deep the hair is. This method is not ideal for the people with sensitive skin. A scar might appear on your skin if you use Tweezers or needle to take out the deep ingrown hair. Also, the process of healing is relatively slower.
Exfoliate
Even the top epilator can cause problems if you don’t know how to prevent ingrown hair. Exfoliation seems like an ideal way to get rid of ingrown hair. To be absolutely clear on this, I would say that you can’t expect it to work permanently or every time, but it’s still one of the best ways for the average person. It is a routine process and you will have to do it on the routine basis. You’ll need to exfoliate the places where you shave or epilate at least twice per week.
The main purpose is to remove the dead skin from the body. That helps to keep hairs from growing inwards, since nothing should be blocking their path. The dead skin traps the ingrown hair. So, by removing the dead skin and other gunk from your pores and hair follicles, you’ll be creating a clear pathway for new hairs to grow straight out.
There is a reason why it’s always recommended to change the razor blade monthly. The reason is that after constant usage, the blades get weak and they lose their sharp edge. When a razor blade is blunt, the hair is not cut from the skin properly.
That can cause a lot of ingrown hairs. In order to prevent these hairs in the first place, you’ll want to always use a sharp razor. Razors with more blades will stay sharp faster than those with only 1 or 2 blades.
I understand that frequently changing blades can be expensive. But, if you want to spend less time grooming yourself and more time enjoying the benefits, it might be something worth looking into. You can also look into a new razor with well expensive blades.
Epilating
Epilators aren’t new, but they certainly aren’t well-known either. But, they are one of the best ways to remove hairs quickly and keep them gone for longer.
These little machines are more expensive than razors, but they also serve you for a tremendously long period. There are different kinds of electric shavers and top epilator available in the market, but all of them can give you ingrown hairs if you don’t use them correctly.
To decrease the risk of ingrown hairs, use the epilator opposite to the direction of the growth of the hair or against the grain. It is recommended to use the machine in a consistent motion and use a light hand in the process. Exfoliating can also help in preventing the ingrown hair if you are using an epilator. You can use a hydrating lotion afterward.
Shaving Gel
I have a mixed opinion on this segment, since I believe that there is no good reason to buy a cheap shaving gel. Your body is important and it’s quite necessary that you treat it likewise.
A moisturizing and skin-friendly shaving gel always helps in keeping your skin healthy, but you can’t just buy the cheapest one on the shelf.
Trust me, there are plenty of things in which you can save your money, but shaving gel is definitely not one of them. Buying a better gel will give you better results and help with your ingrown hair problem at the same time.
I personally believe that quality shaving gels are not too expensive. Also, there is a very good reason to buy them as no matter how much they cost, they will last for ages. So, it’s a win-win situation either way.
After Shave Lotions
The standard shaving process is to use a good shaving gel or foam while you’re shaving, then follow-up with a moisturizer afterwards. A lot of people do it this way, but do you even know why you’re supposed to apply an after-shave lotion? It’s meant to provide moisture to the skin and keep it soft and supple.
Shaving can be harsh on your skin, so a quality after-shave will help you have smoother skin. Moist and healthy skin also means less dead skin to block hairs in the first place.
There are different kinds of after shave lotions available in the market. It is recommended to buy the one that helps your skin type the best. Since it’s meant to soothe your skin after you’ve just shaved or epilated, you’ll want something that really works.
Choose something that won’t react poorly with your skin and cause irritation. This is especially important if you have sensitive skin or any type of skin condition. You can also use your regular moisturizer, as long as it’s fast-acting and strong.
Hair Removal Creams
I don’t completely support hair removal creams. If your concern is only to avoid ingrown hair, then hair removal creams are a useful choice. However, I have read some pretty bad reviews on a lot of hair removal creams, so I’m hesitant to tell you to go for it.
If you’re only looking to avoid ingrown hairs, there’s no method better, easier, or more economical than this one. But, there are risks involved that may not make it a good decision for you. That’s for you to decide on your own.
Dermatologist
Have you experimented and nothing’s worked? If you are still troubled by ingrown hair, seeing a dermatologist could be an ideal choice. While each skin type will require different care, there are some pretty effective, painless, low-cost methods to remove even the most troublesome ingrown hair.
Here you can find the temporary or the easy solutions on how to prevent ingrown hair, but if you’re troubled much with them then it is better to see a doctor. They will be able to diagnose the problem and suggest a better alternative to match your specific needs. Also, they will recommend to you the best hair removal method for your skin type and body hair.
Conclusion
Ingrown hair can be troublesome for anyone. It is important to understand the basic means that will help prevent their growth. I hope I have nailed it and provided you with the right answer on how to prevent ingrown hairs. The above-mentioned methods are not at all difficult to follow. These are from my personal use, research, and reviews. I am all ears for your reviews and methods, if you want to share your secrets with the rest of us.
If you like my suggestions and they have helped you in any way, please don’t forget to give a thumbs up. We appreciate the suggestions, so please send your opinions in the comment section below!
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