How to get rid of ingrown hairs?

A hair is said to be ingrown when it fails to penetrate the barrier of the dermis and emerge from the orifice of the hair canal. The growth of the hair therefore occurs inside the skin and not on the outside. This leads to the appearance of small red bumps inflamed that can itch, and even be painful. In cases where these bumps have become infected, most often due to their manipulation, they can swell and fill with pus. Theorigin of ingrown hairs can be various: type of hair removal, type of hair, repeated rubbing of the skin with tight clothing, etc…

Although they affect both women and men and can appear on all parts of the body, ingrown hairs are generally observed in areas subjected to repeated friction, such as with tight clothing, or areas subjected to hair removal or shaving. In men, the most affected areas are the chin, chest and neck, and in women, they most commonly occur on the legs, underarms and bikini line.

When you have an ingrown hair, the golden rule is to absolutely not touch it ! Do not attempt to extract it by tearing your skin as this risks infection and could result in folliculitis (a red spot with pus) or a scar that further increases the risk of ingrown hairs.

Furthermore, it is crucial not to re-wax a region that contains ingrown hairs so as not to exacerbate the situation. When the ingrown hair is present, we have two solutions to eliminate it:

• Apply locally to your ingrown hairs a warm water compress, but not scalding, in order to soften the skin and facilitate the hair's emergence;

• Use locally a lotion containing hydroxy acids (glycolic acid, salicylic acid, gluconolactone, etc...) which will allow the natural exit of the hair through exfoliation. Our local imperfections serum is concentrated in salicylic acid and zinc , which are powerful antibacterial actives, thus helping to fight against inflammation. In addition, salicylic acid has excellent keratolytic properties, meaning it eliminates dead cells on the surface of the epidermis.