Don’t know how to prevent ingrown hair after waxing?
This is one of the biggest concerns of women who like to get their bodies waxed. As satisfying as getting soft and smooth skin is, the waxing session can easily put a damper on the good mood when it leaves you with annoying ingrown hair.
For some, it’s a bigger stressor than the inevitable pain from the actual procedure.
Let’s dive right in to discuss what ingrown hair are, what causes them, and how you can quickly get rid of them.
What Are Ingrown Hair?
Ingrown hair refers to the itchy hair that appears when hair strands curl into the skin and grow in the opposite direction after waxing.
They usually occur when you don’t completely remove hair during waxing. The remaining hair goes under the skin and starts growing beneath the surface.
You can easily spot ingrown hair as small, reddish, pimple-like bumps on your skin. They can cause itchiness, redness, irritation, swelling, and even pain, particularly in the extra sensitive, private areas.
What Leads to the Growth of Ingrown Hair?
During a waxing session, your hair strands are uprooted from the follicle to be removed easily from the surface. Often, what happens is that the hair starts growing inward.
While it is true that ingrown hair commonly occurs due to shaving with a razor, they may start growing after waxing if the hair doesn’t break the skin surface or grows back into the skin.
Generally, ingrown hair are seen in areas with thicker hair like the legs, underarms, and the bikini line.
This is because the dense hair strands in these areas easily curl back into the skin. Ingrown hair can occur in any part of the body where you remove hair.
According to beauty experts, the following factors play an important role in the growth of ingrown hair.
- Using wax containing irritating chemicals
- Using hard wax that’s too hot
- Relying on poor waxing techniques (for example, cutting the hair at the skin level instead of removing it at the root)
Let’s explore the top reasons for developing ingrown hair.
· Waxing Too Often
You may be tempted to wax as soon as you spot new hair, but you must understand that waxing too often is one of the biggest reasons for ingrown hair.
When the hair strands are shorter than ¼ of an inch, you can never get hold of it with wax or a razor blade.
Trying to get rid of them will only break them in half, which is the recipe for annoying ingrown hair.
You need to learn to be patient and allow the hair to regrow to a certain extent before waxing. This will ensure that the hair strands are pulled out by the roots and cut off at the surface.
· Not Waxing Properly
A few waxing rules apply whether you’re removing hair from your arms, legs, underarms, or bikini line. First and foremost, you need to exfoliate to prep your skin for waxing.
Go for a good exfoliator that suits your skin type and gently sloughs off the dead skin cells, leaving you with a smooth surface to work with.
Make sure your skin is clean and dry so that the wax can adhere properly. Moreover, always apply the wax in the direction of your hair growth.
After spreading the wax, you must cover it with a cloth strip and press it down firmly. Then, wait for two to three seconds before quickly pulling it off in the opposite direction of hair growth.
Once the procedure is complete, consider applying cold packs if you have pain and redness.
Apart from this, wear loose clothing, apply a nourishing moisturizer, and avoid hot baths and showers for a few days.
· Not Taking a Breather
For the next 24 hours after waxing, your skin will be extra sensitive to friction and heat. Your pores will be more open than usual, which means you have greater chances of developing an infection.
Needless to say, you need to take extra care of your skin for at least a week after a waxing session.
Here are a few things that you should NOT do.
- Work out
- Swim
- Sunbathe
- Take a hot shower
You can use an ingrown hair treatment cream post-wax to heal and prevent bumps. Apply it once a day for a week, ideally after taking a shower.
· Not Following an After-care Routine
After a week of waxing, you’ll be relieved to have soft, smooth, bump-free skin. However, maintaining a proper skincare routine is essential to keep ingrown hair at bay.
Whenever you take a shower, don’t forget to massage your skin with a scrub to get rid of pore-clogging dead skin cells.
It will also prevent hair from getting trapped. You must exfoliate the skin after every five to seven days to ensure that your hair strands grow in the right direction.
Additionally, make sure that your skin is fully hydrated and nourished when you come out of the shower.
A good skincare routine is indeed the secret tohealthy, supple, younger-looking skin.
How to Prevent Ingrown Hair after Waxing
Ingrown hair defeats the purpose of waxing, as it leaves you with rough, bumpy skin. Even if you somehow get past the sight of the hair, the redness and stinging may bother you for days.
Let’s find out how you can keep your waxed areas happy, soft, and smooth.
Getting Rid of Ingrown Hair on the Face
Did you know that you can get ingrown hair after an eyebrow waxing session?
Yes, you heard that right.
To prevent ingrown hair on your face, you must avoid doing the following.
- Applying makeup the same day after a waxing procedure (it is best to cleanse your face before starting waxing as well)
- Applying a moisturizer with artificial fragrance immediately after the waxing session
- Using skincare products containing active ingredients, such as retinol, vitamin C, vitamin E, sulfur, and AHAs during the next few days of waxing
- Scrubbing the skin too hard or rubbing a towel on the waxed area
- Using retinol products for a considerable period before the waxing session
Getting Rid of Ingrown Hair on the Arms, Legs, and Bikini Line
You should avoid two things if you want to reduce the risk of developing ingrown hair on your arms, legs, and bikini area after waxing. These are:
- Wearing tight clothing after the waxing session (it can irritate the freshly waxed skin)
- Scratching or picking at any bumps on the targeted area that may arise after waxing
Follow the tips below to achieve soft, smooth, and radiant skin after waxing.
- Exfoliate your skin regularly to get rid of dead skin cells. This will unclog the hair follicles and the surrounding area to free existing ingrown hair and prevent new growth.
- Use a nourishing waxing after-care product to ward off ingrown hair. Look for something that soothes irritation and helps kill bacteria.
What a Consistent Skincare Regimen Should Look Like
There is no timeframe for ingrown hair to go away. However, the following factors usually contribute to their longevity.
- Your skin type
- Your hair type
- The severity of skin irritation
Ingrown hair may also take longer to go away if you constantly scratch or rub the affected area. The key to quick healing is to be proactive.
This means you must follow proper before and after-care waxing routines and take optimal care of your skin in between the sessions.
With a consistent skincare regimen, you can easily prevent the itchy hair from showing up in the first place.
Go to a Waxing Professional
Waxing may seem like an easy job, but it warrants a great deal of skill, attention, and technique to pull out the hair from the root and follicle.
If you don’t have the time to do waxing at home or have noticed that the procedure causes your hair to break and leads to ingrown hair, skin irritation, redness, or infections, it is best to trust a professional with waxing.
Waxperts are trained to keep your skin silky and smooth, regardless of your skin type.
Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate
As mentioned earlier, you need to exfoliate regularly if you want soft and smooth skin.
As a rule of thumb, you should remove dead skin cells from the areas you want to wax at least two days before the procedure. You should then exfoliate again after four to seven days of waxing.
For best results, go for an exfoliator packed with the goodness of a soothing ingredient like aloe vera. It will help reduce redness and provide your skin with much-needed nourishment.
Keep Your Skin Hydrated
One of the major culprits in the case of ingrown hair is dry skin. If your skin is not hydrated properly before waxing, the hair strands will likely break at the skin surface instead of being pulled out from the follicles. This hair will regrow and quickly and curl under the skin, causing ingrown hair.
This is why it is crucial to nourish and hydrate your skin before the waxing session. Even after you’re done with the procedure, make sure your skin is not rough and dry to help the skin grow back healthier than before.
Don’t Forget to Moisturize
A good moisturizer is one of the most important items in any skincare routine. You can use body oil or lotion daily to remove dead skin cells and keep your skin soft and smooth. Proper moisturization also helps prevent ingrown hair growth.
That being said, don’t over-moisturize private areas as they tend to be naturally moist. Consider investing in a high-quality product that locks in the skin’s natural moisture and keeps your skin hydrated for longer.
Wear Appropriate Clothing
Many people don’t know this, but your clothing can affect the growth and appearance of your ingrown hair. After a waxing session, you must wear loose-fitting clothing that allows your skin to breathe.
Tight clothes generally force the hair to grow back into the skin. You must ensure nothing suffocates or rubs against the freshly waxed area if you want your hair to regrow like they should.
Can You Still Get Ingrown Hair after Regular Exfoliation?
If you get ingrown hair even after regular exfoliation, genetics might be to blame. The problem is more prevalent in people with coarse, curly hair. Straight, silky hair strands are less likely to curl back into the skin after waxing.
If you have curly hair, it’s good that you know how to prevent ingrown hair after waxing.
Warning: No Plucking!
Sometimes, you may get ingrown hair even after following a consistent skincare routine. As much as you may be tempted to pluck the pesky little hair, please do NOT do it!
We understand how itchy and uncomfortable ingrown hair can be. However, plucking may lead to scarring or, worse, a skin infection.
For immediate relief, you should consider adding skimmed milk to cold water and use a washcloth to apply the mixture to the affected areas. You can do this for several minutes after every hour or so until you feel better.
With that said, small ingrown hair strands usually disappear on their own. However, if you notice excessive growth, you must take immediate action.
If not treated properly, ingrown hair can damage your skin and cause a skin infection, for which you’ll have to seek treatment.
Wrapping It Up
Ingrown hair are unsightly and downright annoying. The itchiness, redness,and infection make things even worse.
The best possible way to get rid of them is by following a proper skincare routine before and after every waxing session.
You must use a nice exfoliator and moisturizer to keep your skin looking fresh and smooth.
If you do get ingrown hair after waxing, avoid plucking them as it may lead to irritation and skin infection.
Now that you know how to prevent ingrown hair after waxing, it’s time to say goodbye to these pesky hair and flaunt smooth, younger-looking skin!