Have you just shaved, waxed or threaded the area, and in a margin of a few days you have small red dots. Sound familiar? This is what ingrown hair looks like, and they are a lot more common problem than you may think. An ingrown hair can seem like only a temporary inconvenience, however in the long run they can result in skin infection, hyper pigmentation, pain and the list go on. Thus, if this appears on your face, neck, legs, scalp etc. you should be armed with the correct ingrown hair treatment or prevention and save yourself unnecessary aggravation. Here it is in plain terms.
What Exactly Is Ingrown Hair?
Ingrown hair occurs when hair cannot leave the follicle properly but curls round or sideways into the skin. Here it is seen as foreign by the body and becomes red and inflamed, often developing as an irritating pus-filled lump.
Although more common in those with coarse, curly hair anyone may develop an ingrown hair from shaving, waxing or epilation. Scalp ingrown hairs may occur post hair transplant when the transferred follicle fails to emerge through the skin.
Common Causes of Ingrown Hair
But before we get to treatments, it’s interesting to briefly touch on why these conditions occur:
- Poor shaving technique: The wrong way to shave-either shaving the same area too many times, or shaving against the direction of hair growth-is a key factor.
- Clogged hair follicles: As dead skin and sebum may block the hair follicle’s opening, causing hair to grow under the surface of the skin at an angle and in a horizontal direction.
- Tight clothes: Tough fabrics pressing against newly grown hair can curly hair under the surface of the skin.
- Dry skin: if the skin is not moisturized, hair can’t get to the skin.
- Waxing or threading: under the skin some hair will be cut.
How to Treat Ingrown Hair at Home
Most ingrown hairs need proper care and treatment to heal. These treatments will help in achieving that:
1. Warm Compress
Apply a warm moist cloth over the ingrown hair twice or thrice daily for ten to fifteen minutes. This might help to soften the skin and thus help it to open up and enable the hair to come out of the skin from beneath.
2. Exfoliate GENTLY
Exfoliating will help to remove the dead skin, and will encourage the ingrown hair to grow through to the surface. Make sure you do not rub the skin very hard though; you can end up irritating it.
3. Salicylic or glycolic acid
these chemical compounds are widely available in skin care products. They remove the layer of dead skin blocking the pore and force the ingrown hair to come to the surface. These should only be applied on uninfected skin. Use as per product instructions.
4. Benzoyl Peroxide cream
If your pore has become inflamed or is leaking pustules like a pimple then a mild cream containing Benzoyl Peroxide can help. You should use thievery carefully. You have to always moisturize your skin as the cream can dry out.
5. DO NOT PICK
Don’t try to dig the ingrown hair out as it’s much more prone to infection and you’ll be left with a scar. If it’s slightly below the surface of the skin you can try to bring it to the surface with a pair of sterilized tweezers or a sterile needle, but don’t try to dig the hair out.
6. Topical steroids
You can use mild steroid creams such as hydrocortisone if the ingrown hair is causing severe swelling, pain or itching. This is only recommended if a dermatologist has previously prescribed such steroids for you.
When to See a doctor
If the ingrown hair becomes significantly painful, swollen and infected, if it seems that it is becoming deep seated, if the redness, heat, and inflammation begin to spread from the ingrown hair you need to see your doctor. Antibiotic cream or antibiotics are very likely to be effective treatments.
If you get ingrown hairs on the scalp following hair restoration surgery and these become recurrent, this is unusual and you should most definitely see your hair transplant surgeon for advice, as this differs from normal skin ingrown
Ingrown Hair After Hair Transplant: What You Should Know
In a couple of weeks following the hair transplant, a bump or pimple-like spot may develop on the scalp. This is generally due to the new implanted follicles attempting to break through the epidermis but sometimes have a problem and start to grow inward instead while trying to heal below the surface of the skin.
These bumps are quite common and are technically known as folliculitis. They typically don’t require any intervention and normally heal if warm compresses are applied twice a day. However, if they don’t heal, they become sore or numerous please contact the clinic without hesitation. At Fuse Hair patients are provided with precise information on how to deal with any similar situation. If you are considering having restoration and have been doing research on hair transplant cost in Delhi then be sure that when you do research on a clinic that not only provides great results but helps you through all the healing processes.
How to Prevent Ingrown Hair
Prevention is better than cure: a few simple changes to your hair removal regime could make all the difference:
- Shave in the direction of the hair. This reduces the chance of hairs being bent and growing back into the skin.
- Use a sharp, single blade razor, and change the blade very regularly. Dull blades snag and cause nicks.
- Pre-shave the skin. Soaking the area and using a gel or cream reduce friction, and prepare the skin.
- Exfoliate your skin on a regular basis. Once or twice weekly, this removes dead skin, and opens up the follicles.
- Moisturize after hair removal. This keeps the skin supple and allows hairs to reach the surface more easily.
- Avoid wearing very tight clothes in the hair removal area immediately after hair removal, especially bikini/thigh areas.
- Another alternative for hair removal to shaving is to have laser hair removal, which has proven to be very effective and dramatically reduce the cases of ingrowing hairs, as it damages the hair follicle.
What About Ingrown Hair on the Scalp?
Ingrown hairs on the scalp are largely obscured by the presence of hair and may go undetected as painful red lumps. The incidence of such ingrown hairs is more prevalent for people who have thinning hair or who have undergone scalp treatments.
Those seeking alternative options to surgically treat receding hair or patches may find Scalp Micro Pigmentation in Delhi to be a non-surgical alternative. Tiny dots of pigment are deposited on the scalp to replicate a hair follicle. As there is no hair growth in the process, the likelihood of issues associated with ingrown hairs will be far less likely than that of hair transplants.
A clean, moisturized, and build up-free scalp is crucial to avoid ingrown hairs on the scalp.
Ingrown Hair vs. Other Scalp Conditions
All bumps on the scalp are not ingrown hair. Sebaceous cysts, folliculitis, even pimples are a possibility. Only a dermatologist or trichologist can properly diagnose and treat your scalp bumps. Do not try to treat large, chronic or growing scalp bumps on your own after surgery in the head.
Final Thoughts
Ingrown hair is an irritant, but with the correct habits and correct care, it is easily preventable. Most instances clear up themselves with a compress and slight exfoliation. More persistent and infected instances, professional help would be the correct option.
If you have developed post procedure Ingrown Hair or are interested in a permanent solution for your hair loss problems, it is always best to speak with the experts on scalp and restoration. If you’re hoping to undergo hair restoration with an implant, considering FUE hair transplant cost in India or looking to remove the lumps, speaking with specialists will go a long way.
The health of your hair and of the scalp is a direct relation-but the health of your scalp relies directly on the actions you take each and every day.
Book your one-on-one session with the specialists of hair restoration, scalp and post procedure care, by visiting Fuse Hair – Dr A’s clinic, New Delhi.