5 Ways to Get Rid of Ingrown Hairs
Updated: Mar. 20, 2019
If we didn’t shave, we’d have far fewer problems with ingrown hairs. But for men who don’t wish to resemble Rip Van Winkle and for women who favour glamorous gams, shaving is inevitable.
Shaving is inevitable but it can be simpler. Here are some tips so shaving doesn’t have to be a pain.
1. Use Tweezers
If a hair has curled back and grown into your skin, you’ll probably want to remove it. First, place a washcloth soaked with hot water over the area. Leave it on for about five minutes to soften the hair. Using tweezers, gently pull the tip of the hair away from the skin. Then use nail scissors to trim off the curl.
2. Get a New Razor
If ingrown hairs keep recurring, a simple shaver-swap might do the trick. If you normally shave with a blade, switch to an electric shaver. If you already use an electric shaver, switch to a blade.
3. Opt for a Single Blade
Many razors now feature double or even triple blades for an ultra-close shave. But when it comes to preventing ingrown hairs, an old-fashioned single-bladed razor is often better. Two-bladed razors tend to tug the stubble away from the skin before cutting it. Hairs “snap back” a bit, and can wind up jammed below the surface.
4. Disinfect
If an ingrown hair becomes infected and you shave with a razor, changing blades should speed the healing process by helping you avoid re-exposing your skin to the germs that caused the infection in the first place. If you don’t want to spring for a new blade each day, sterilize the blade by dipping it in rubbing alcohol. Be sure to rinse off the alcohol or you might burn your skin.
5. Prevent Ingrowns
Before your next shave, briskly rub the area with a dry loofah or washcloth. You’ll brush away dead skin cells that might block hair follicles, a process called exfoliation, and lift hairs away from their follicles.
