Hair removal is an essential part of the grooming process for most of us. However, not all hair removal methods are the same, and each of us must find the one that suits us best.
Although your skin will react differently to different methods, a few outcomes are common across all, and ingrown hair is one of them.
To prevent ingrown hair, you first need to completely understand what they are and what causes them.
Although hair removal creams pose a lower risk of causing ingrown hair, knowing more about the problem can help you reduce the chances even further.
What Is an Ingrown Hair?
Ingrown hair refers to the body hair that curls inward or grows within the epidermis instead of breaking the skin and growing outwards.
Most times, you can detect ingrown hair due to its proximity to the surface or because of the bumps that form around them.
Although ingrown hair does not pose a threat to your health, it can be irritating, cause skin inflammation, or get infected if handled carelessly.
Hence, trying to prevent ingrown hair or treating them is the best course of action.
What Causes Ingrown Hair
The primary causes of ingrown hairs are improper hair removal and excessive buildup of dead cells around the hair follicle opening.
If you cut your body hair just under the hair follicle opening, the chances of hair curling inward increase.
Similarly, if you do not scrub or moisturize your skin periodically, especially after waxing or epilation, dead cells will build upon the opening of the hair follicle.
The buildup will block the path of the growing hair, forcing it to alter its direction and grow under the skin instead.
Signs You Have Ingrown Hair
While ingrown hair is easy to detect most of the time, some cases are less obvious than others. Following are some of the common signs that you have ingrown hair on your body;
- Red and slightly inflamed bumps along the skin where you removed hair from
- Outline of the ingrown hair just under the skin surface.
- Collection of small pimples or pus-filled bumps around the shaved area of the skin that are sore to the touch
- Itching around shaved area
Out of the signs mentioned above, the most concerning is the third one, in which pus-filled pimples or bumps form along the shaved area.
The pus and soreness are usually signs of a bacterial infection, and you will need to use anti-bacterial ointments to heal it.
Which are the Most Common Types of Hair Removal Methods?
Since hair removal methods are some of the most common causes of ingrown hair, let’s briefly explore them before moving on to ingrown hair prevention techniques when using hair removal creams.
1. Waxing
Waxing is the process of using a sticky substance like sugar wax or fruit wax, applying it to the skin to make body hair stick to it, and quickly removing it to pull hair from the roots.
It is one of the most popular hair removal methods because aside from pulling hair out, it also removes dead skin cells and impurities from the skin’s surface.
The overall result allows people to have longer gaps between each hair removal session and get smooth skin and clean skin.
Waxing and Ingrown Hair
While waxing is a preferred method, given its longer-lasting results and smoother skin, it is also a major cause of ingrown hair.
Pulling hair out from the roots leaves the follicle empty, and skin slowly starts to cover the opening.
Without proper moisturizing techniques and scrubbing, the follicle opening can slowly become covered with a tough skin layer, making it difficult for the hair to break.
2. Shaving
Shaving is another popular and one of the most common hair removal methods. You need to apply shaving cream to the relevant area and use a razor in the direction of the hair to remove them from the body.
Although it leaves a clean look behind, shaving only cuts hair until the surface; hence, they grow back quickly, increasing the number of times you need to shave to stay hairless.
The core reason for its popularity is its convenience. Unlike waxing, shaving is simple, quick, and painless and has a lower risk of causing injuries when deployed by someone new to hair removal.
It is also well-suited to our current busy lifestyles because you need just 30 minutes of shaving on average to get your required results.
Shaving and Ingrown Hair
Like waxing, shaving is also a major cause of ingrown hair when done incorrectly. Since the hair grows back more quickly after shaving, several of us try to cut it as close to the surface as possible, sometimes managing to cut it till it’s just under the surface by stretching the skin.
As mentioned above, these actions can cause problems with hair growth and result in ingrown hair.
3. Epilation
Epilation uses a device called an epilator to pull hair from the roots, much like waxing. However, unlike waxing, epilators do not affect the skin’s surface.
Since epilation also removes hair completely from the roots, it takes longer for them to grow back, giving you a longer duration between each session.
Epilation is generally convenient because it is less wasteful, and you only need an epilator to perform it. However, several people tend to avoid it because it is more painful compared to waxing.
Epilation and Ingrown Hair
The chances of ingrown hair after epilation are the same as waxing because the skin regrowth pattern remains the same.
4. Hair Removal Creams
Hair removal creams or depilatory creams are chemically enhanced creams whose compositions soften the hair at the surface, making it easy to remove them.
While it is also a convenient and painless hair removal solution like shaving, you need to conduct a patch test to confirm if it is right for you.
The chemicals in hair removal creams are not suitable for sensitive skin and can cause severe irritation and inflammation when used. Hence, make sure it is safe for you before using it for hair removal.
Hair Removal Creams and Ingrown Hair
Since hair removal creams soften the hair to remove them, they have a lower chance of causing ingrown hair.
The creams only remove hair until the surface; therefore, regrowth follows a regular pattern, preventing ingrown hair.
5. Electrolysis
One of the methods for permanent hair removal, electrolysis, can only be performed by a trained electrologist.
The electrologist inserts a thin wire into the hair follicle and runs a strong enough current to destroy it.
It takes between 7-8 sessions, depending on hair density in the region, but by the end of those sessions, your hair removal will be permanent, and no new hair will grow in the area.
This method is ideal for people seeking a permanent solution; however, it is expensive, and few can afford it.
Electrolysis and Ingrown Hair
Since electrolysis burns away the hair follicle entirely, the chances of ingrown hair in the aftermath are slim.
It technically depends on how quickly the hair regrows between sessions, but with minimal care, you can avoid it altogether.
6. Laser Hair Removal
Like electrolysis, laser hair removal is also one of the more permanent hair removal solutions, although it takes several sessions for the results to become permanent.
The only difference between laser hair removal and electrolysis is that laser hair removal still requires you to conduct maintenance sessions once every six months while electrolysis doesn’t.
Laser Hair Removal and Ingrown Hair
The preparation for laser hair removal will require you to shave your hair, and shaving incorrectly can cause ingrown hair to develop in the area.
However, the more the sessions progress, the weaker the hair follicles will become and the fewer chances there will be of you facing the problem.
Also don’t forget to checkout how to reduce redness on face from using hair removal cream?
Preventing Ingrown Hair after Using Hair Removal Creams
We have now addressed everything you need to know about hair removal methods and ingrown hair.
Hair removing creams have lower chances of causing them; hence, using them is ideal for preventing this problem. You can also follow the following steps to minimize further the chances of getting ingrown hair after using hair removal creams.
1. Exfoliate Skin
Skin exfoliation is an effective method for reducing the chances of ingrown hair because it removes dead cells from around the hair follicle opening.
The process gives the growing hair a clean opening to break through the surface and follow its regular growth pattern.
However, exfoliating skin makes it sensitive, and it needs some time to recover before you subject it to hair removal. Therefore, perform exfoliation at least 2-3 days before you are planning hair removal.
2. Use Ingrown Hair Post Hair Removal Products
Several creams, lotions, and body mousses help moisturize the skin enough to soften buildup around hair follicle openings.
Use them to prevent ingrown hair. If you still end up with the little red bumps, you can try a few products like Skin Doctors’ Ingrown Go to dissolve dead cell buildup and help your hair grow to the surface.
3. Give Your Skin Time to Heal
Frequent hair removal without giving skin enough time to heal in between can damage it and make it dry out.
Give yourself a week or more between hair removal sessions to prevent your skin from breaking out.
Tips on Caring for Skin After Hair Removal
In addition to the advice above, you can follow a few other tips to maintain your skin’s health after hair removal.
1. Do Not take Hot Baths or Showers.
Hair removal leaves the skin sensitive and easily irritable, so try not to take hot baths or showers two days after the session.
This time will give it enough time to heal, and you can then indulge yourself as much as you like.
If you use waxing for hair removal, you will also need to keep the area protected from the sun.
Excessive heat can cause inflammation and irritation on the skin, especially if you use hot wax for hair removal.
2. Gently Clean the Area
A major post-hair removal step when using depilatory creams is gently cleaning the area to remove the cream completely.
Allowing the cream to stay on for longer than 5 minutes can damage the skin and cause irritation.
Use lukewarm water for the cleaning process, dry it with a clean towel, and wear fabric with less friction on the skin part until the skin recovers.
3. Avoid Using Creams and Lotions on Area Right After
Most creams and lotions have chemicals and fragrances, both of which are detrimental to sensitive skin.
Therefore, avoid regular lotions for a few days after hair removal to give your skin time to recover.
You can use moisturizers that have fewer chemicals and are made for sensitive skin. So long as it does not cause inflammation, the product is good to use.
4. Keep your Skin Cool and Dry
Finally, it is critical to keep your skin cool and dry, no matter which hair removal method you use.
Your pores or skin surface get strained during the hair removal process, and heat will only cause the strain to worsen.
Furthermore, because your skin bacteria is disrupted, it is better to keep it dry to prevent infections.
Wrapping Up
In a nutshell, ingrown hair growth is a common problem you’ll face after hair removal, and sometimes without it.
It may not be dangerous health-wise, but it is still better for you to prevent ingrown hair to avoid inflammation or bacterial infections.
Hair removal creams are an optimal method to prevent ingrown hair as they soften the hair before removing it.
You can further prevent ingrown hair by exfoliating your skin, using products for ingrown hair, and moisturizing your skin.
Lastly, give your skin time to recover between hair removal sessions to prevent chances of skin damage.
We hope you enjoyed reading this blog and found it informative. You can also check out our other posts for more information about hair removal using hair removal creams.