Ingrown Armpit Hair: Treatment, Symptoms, and More
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They form around a piece of hair that is growing into the skin instead of out of it. Treatment for ingrown pubic hair cysts or ingrown hair cysts anywhere else on the body is usually not necessary unless the cyst becomes infected. In rare cases, your healthcare provider may use a sterile surgical knife with a thin blade (scalpel) to make a small cut in your affected areas. They’ll squeeze out any pus and use sterile tweezers to remove the ingrown hair. An ingrown hair looks like a raised, discolored spot on your skin.
Best for Body
If you’ve had an underarm laser hair removal procedure done, the hair also won’t grow back for around 6 to 12 months, unless all treatments are completed. Ingrown hairs happen because as the cut hair starts to grow back, the curve of the growing hair pierces the skin next to the hair. Rather than growing outward, the hair grows downward into the pierced skin. The body mounts an inflammatory response to the ingrown hair. This is called a foreign body reaction and is similar to what happens when a wooden splinter gets stuck under the skin. Infected ingrown hairs take a bit longer to heal as your body is busy helping the ingrown hair exit the skin while fighting the infection.
Use Electric Clippers or Hair Removal Cream
Exfoliation can also help get rid of the ones that have already popped up, according to Bay Area esthetician Draci Gomez. When regular spots appear on your skin, especially those with a pus-filled head, it’s tempting to pop them. Dermatologists advise against it as it can lead to infection and scarring. You should treat ingrown hairs with the same caution and not pop them.
How can I prevent ingrown hair?
The bumps appear more like lumps, and they can be painful, drain pus and heal slowly, according to the Mayo Clinic. When they aren't treated properly, the lumps can lead to scarring. There are a few ways bacteria can get into a damaged hair follicle and cause folliculitis bumps, Dr. Garshick says. You might damage the follicle by shaving, wearing tight-fitting clothing that cause friction or lounging a little too long in your sweaty clothes post-workout, for example.
Staphylococcus (staph) infections can occur with an ingrown hair. Staph is typically present in your skin flora, but it can’t cause an infection unless it enters a break in the skin. A doctor will usually assess an ingrown hair infection by looking at the symptoms and asking about your medical history. Typically, new hair grows straight out of the follicles in the skin. As the hair matures, it exits the skin’s surface and continues to grow. But sometimes, the hair grows crooked or curls back under before it has a chance to exit the skin.
An infected ingrown hair — also known as folliculitis — typically looks like a bump, a hard lump, or a cyst under the skin. If you shave, tweeze, or wax your hair, you can develop ingrown hairs. If you shave often, you're more likely to have ingrown hairs. You're also more likely to have them if you have skin of color or your hair is thick, coarse, or curly.
How Are Infected or Recurrent Ingrown Hairs Treated?
However, it’s possible to have more than one ingrown hair at a time. Most ingrown hair infections resolve in time with good hygiene, and over-the-counter creams may also help. Picking at the hair can increase the risk of an infection spreading or worsening. If the infection becomes severe, a doctor may recommend antibiotics or other treatment.
These bumps generally are a sign of ingrown hairs, a pesky problem that is hard to avoid. In some cases, you may be able to see the hair at the surface of the bump. Ingrown hair cysts commonly form on the parts of the body that people shave, such as the armpits. Razor bumps from shaving (pseudofolliculitis barbae) are a type of ingrown hair cyst. You don't have to break the bank to take down ingrown hairs.
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Exfoliation should be approached carefully, as it causes inflammation, which leads to hyperpigmentation and may not be very helpful in resolving ingrown hairs. Apply a warm, moist — not dripping — washcloth for 10 to 15 minutes, three or four times a day. Warm compresses soften your skin and may help ease inflammation and discomfort by allowing your skin to open and drain if there’s any pus present. Redness may be harder to see on black or brown skin, but they may look a different colour to the surrounding skin.
If that's not an option, you might try other hair removal methods that lessen the risk of developing ingrown hair. If you continue having infected ingrown hairs in the same area, such as your face, you might consider other methods of hair removal, such as laser treatment. You may have a higher risk for ingrown hairs and related infections if your hair is naturally coarse or curly. These hair types are more likely to curl back into the skin when growing out after hair removal.
Ingrown hairs are sometimes called razor bumps, shave bumps or barber bumps. If you’re not sure which you have, avoiding hair removal, and treating the area with a gentle moisturizer will help. If the infection doesn’t improve within one or two days, see your doctor. They may prescribe antibiotic treatments for you to use, either topically or by mouth.
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