Gillette Venus
Writer and expert • 29 Mar 2023
The best way of treating ingrown hairs is to avoid them, but if you noticed an increasing amount of skin-coloured, or red pimple-like bumps on your skin, don’t worry; There is an easy way of getting rid of them. Learn how to treat and prevent ingrown hairs.
Ingrown hairs appear after shaving. The cut hairs can curl back under the skin and start to grow beneath the surface. They can appear anywhere you shave, but most often they occur where your hair is thick, coarse and curly such as your armpits and pubic hair area. Ingrown hairs can be treated, it is quite simple. Learn how to treat and prevent ingrown hairs.
How to treat ingrown hairs?
In most cases, ingrown hairs will clear up without treatment. To help your skin recover faster, avoid touching the affected area. If you want to know how to heal ingrown hair you can also take steps to speed up the healing process.
Avoid shaving the area with ingrown hairs until they have time to heal.
Soak the area in warm water or apply a warm towel for a few minutes.
Try exfoliating to remove any loose dead skin, which can block the ingrown hair from breaking through the skin’s surface.
Apply a non-greasy moisturizer to help heal dry skin and remove any dead cells.
If you see the hair break through, try to gently pull it out with a pair of sterile tweezers.
See a dermatologist to get a prescription for an antibiotic if an ingrown hair gets infected.
How can you prevent ingrown hairs while shaving?
To protect skin from ingrown hairs, each area of the body requires some different steps when shaving or cutting hair, but below are the best practices to follow regardless of where you shave.
1. Change your razor blades frequently
Using dull razor blades causes skin irritation, razor burn and ingrown hairs. If you feel your blade pulling at your hair or if it feels rough on your skin, it is most likely dull and should be replaced.
2. Hydrate your skin
Soak the area you plan to shave in warm water via a shower or bath for at least three minutes. Hydrating your skin helps the hair cut more easily.
3. Exfoliate regularly
Since ingrown hairs are commonly caused by dead skin cells that obstruct the hair from breaking through the skin’s surface, exfoliating regularly will help remove these dead cells. In addition, use a pre-shave scrub like the Pre-Shave Sea Salt Scrub to prep your skin appropriately.
4. Always shave with shave gel or cream
Shaving dry skin can cause razor burn, irritation and ingrown hairs. Always hydrate your skin before you shave, use shaving gel and apply moisturizer post-shave to keep skin hydrated. Shop the Venus Smooth plus Olay Shave Cream for Women or our shaving gel for dry skin or sensitive skin.
5. Be consistent
To better protect your skin from ingrown hairs while shaving, it’s important to be consistent and know how to shave each individual area.
