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Ingrown Hair Treatment: What To Do And What Not To Do
Written by Mike Jones   
Wednesday, 02 December 2009 09:23
An ingrown hair is a very common condition and generally not a serious one at all. The odd ingrown hair will not cause discomfort and will probably go away without you even knowing it was there. If you suffer from a chronic case however, you will probably want to seek out an ingrown hair treatment to ease the discomfort. The symptoms often include inflammation, rash, redness and itchiness. A small formation of pus may develop if the area around the hair follicle becomes infected.
by MikeJones


An ingrown hair is a very common condition and generally not a serious one at all. The odd ingrown hair will not cause discomfort and will probably go away without you even knowing it was there. If you suffer from a chronic case however, you will probably want to seek out an ingrown hair treatment to ease the discomfort. The symptoms often include inflammation, rash, redness and itchiness. A small formation of pus may develop if the area around the hair follicle becomes infected.

The best time to treat ingrown hairs is immediately after a bath or shower. The skin is still soft, pores are open and the hair is more likely to be closer to the surface. If you have not just stepped out of a bath or shower use a moist, warm cloth and hold it on the inflamed area for a few minutes.

Gradually manipulate the hair with a sterilized tweezer. Try to free the hair gently. Do not be too aggressive. You could do more damage if you have to pierce the skin. Try one of these treatments if you can't get the hair out easily.

Gently exfoliate the area with a soft brush, loofah or sponge. You want to free the hair gently. You should not rub too hard. You do not want to worsen the irritation. You can exfoliate your skin naturally with a mixture of one cup brown sugar and three teaspoons of honey. It is a good idea to exfoliate on a regular basis to prevent ingrown hairs from appearing.

Salicylic acid, used in acne creams, can help to reduce the swelling and give the ingrown hair a better chance of coming out. Acne cream with salicylic acid works in the same way as exfoliating does by getting rid of dead cells and unclogging the pores. You can try tea tree oil or witch hazel. They are natural products that can accomplish the same thing.

You want to make sure that the skin is not irritated further so do not shave or wax until the skin has calmed down and wear loose clothing.

You will probably get ingrown hairs again but you can minimize their occurrence by moisturizing and exfoliating the skin often. Daily cleansing and moisturizing will keep the skin supple and smooth. Ingrown hairs are most often caused by shaving. Do not pull your skin too tight when shaving. This results in the hair being cut too short which leads to ingrown hairs. Don't shave over the same area twice and shave in the same direction that the hair grows. This will also prevent the hair being cut too short and causing ingrown hairs.

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