What to use for ingrown hairs

How to treat an ingrown hair at home

1. 1Pause hair removal. Shaving or waxing over an existing ingrown hair can make symptoms worse.
2. 2Apply a warm, damp washcloth for 10 to 15 minutes, up to four times a day. The warmth softens the skin and helps the trapped hair reach the surface.
3. 3Leave a buried hair alone. Do not break the skin, squeeze the bump or dig with a needle.
4. 4Only consider tweezers if part of the hair is already sticking out. Clean the area, clean angled tweezers with alcohol, and gently grasp the exposed hair without yanking.
5. 5Arrange medical help if the hair stays trapped or home care is not working.

Which creams and ingredients can help?

Adapalene gel is a retinoid, a vitamin A medication, that can help gently exfoliate areas with ingrown hairs until the hair reaches the surface. Gentle exfoliating lotions, serums or pads are other options. Exfoliation needs restraint: irritation can cause hyperpigmentation, meaning darker marks left after inflammation, and scrubbing does not reliably free a trapped hair.2

For ingrown pubic hairs, ingredient options include glycolic acid, benzoyl peroxide, hydrocortisone and retinoids. These are options for different needs, not a shopping list to apply together. A clinician can help choose a product for your skin type, particularly when bumps keep returning.3

What can you use for ingrown hairs after shaving?

If shaving has left irritation or itching, a mild hydrocortisone cream can help relieve those symptoms. Avoid shaving again until the irritation resolves. After an ordinary shave, rinse with cold water and apply moisturizer to rehydrate the skin. For the pubic area, choose a lightweight, nongreasy moisturizer.34

What can you use to prevent ingrown hairs?

Shaving cream belongs in the shaving step, where the product name is unusually helpful. It softens hair, moisturizes skin and adds a protective layer between skin and the razor. Shaving cream is less irritating than soap; sensitive skin calls for gentle products.4

1. 1Wash with a moisturizing cleanser and warm water to soften the hair.
2. 2Apply shaving cream or gel and leave it for 2 to 3 minutes before shaving.
3. 3Use a clean, sharp razor and replace a blade when it becomes blunt or nicked.
4. 4Shave in the direction of hair growth without stretching the skin or pressing hard.
5. 5Rinse the blade frequently and aim for one pass rather than repeatedly shaving the same patch.
6. 6Finish with a cold water rinse and moisturizer.

An electric razor is another option for reducing the risk of ingrown hair cysts. Wear clothing that does not rub the affected area. If ingrown hairs keep returning, discuss laser hair removal or electrolysis with a clinician rather than repeatedly treating each new bump.13

Waxing and plucking remove hair from the root, but they can also cause ingrown hairs, folliculitis, scarring and darker marks after inflammation. Switching away from a razor does not automatically remove the risk. Avoid waxing or tweezing an area with an active ingrown hair cyst until it heals.16

Why can ingrown hairs be painful?

A hair that curls back into the skin triggers inflammation because the immune system treats it as a foreign object. This can cause itching and discomfort without an infection. Curly hair is more likely to grow inward, and friction from clothing can contribute.2

Folliculitis means inflammation of a hair follicle, the opening where a hair grows. It can be caused by bacteria, fungi or other organisms, whereas shaving bumps from hairs reentering the skin can be noninfectious. A small bump around a hair is therefore not enough to choose an antibiotic yourself.57

How do you manage ingrown hairs on your face?

Beard hairs can curl back into facial skin after shaving, causing pseudofolliculitis barbae, the medical name for these shaving bumps. Pause shaving while the area settles. When you restart, soften the hair first, follow its growth direction and avoid repeated passes. If follicles are infected, a doctor can prescribe treatment rather than treating all beard bumps alike.457

How long does an ingrown hair take to clear?

An ingrown pubic hair can take several days to a week or more to reach the surface on its own; home treatment often helps within a few days. A deeper ingrown hair cyst can last a couple of days to a couple of weeks, depending on its size, treatment and whether infection is present.13

A cyst is a sac of fluid or skin cells beneath the skin, not simply an exposed hair you can lift out. A persistent or bothersome cyst needs assessment. Treatment can include a steroid cream or injection, antibiotics for infection, or a procedure to drain or remove it.1

When should you see a doctor?

• Seek prompt help for skin that feels warm, increasing pain or swelling, substantial pus or drainage, or redness or discoloration spreading beyond the bump.
• Get medical help right away if these symptoms occur with fever.
• Have a deep, increasingly painful lump assessed instead of squeezing or trying to drain it.
• Arrange an appointment for repeated ingrown hairs despite home treatment, or a new or unexplained bump that grows, hurts or itches.

Doctors treat bacterial folliculitis with antibacterial cleansers or antibiotics applied to the skin; a large infected area can require oral antibiotics. A skin abscess is a deeper pocket of pus that can need drainage. Antibiotics are not necessary for every abscess, and a cream alone is not a substitute for draining one that needs it.57