What makes ingrown hair go away

This essential oil from the Melaleuca alternifolia plant is well-known for its ability to improve skin health. Simply apply a drop or two of pure tea tree oil to ingrown hairs once a day to discourage infection and inflammation while promoting healing.

Wearing clothing like this over an area where you have an ingrown hair can only make the situation worse. How to prevent ingrown hairs mainly revolves around proper hair removal techniques. If you want to prevent an ingrown hair, or even worse, an infected ingrown hair, you should never shave any part of your body dry.

Always wet the area well with warm water and apply a high-quality, natural shaving cream first to soften the hairs. You can also apply a warm compress before shaving to help prevent ingrown hairs. Shave in the direction your hair naturally grows and rinse off the blade following each stroke.

Resist pulling your skin taut while shaving. The more often you replace the blade, the less likely you are to experience cuts and irritations like ingrown hairs. Some experts also recommend using a single blade razor to discourage ingrown hairs, especially on the face.

It can also help to allow the hair to grow longer prior to shaving it. Complications of chronic ingrown hair can include a bacterial infection due to scratching , permanent scarring, skin darkening hyperpigmentation and pseudofolliculitis barbae, also known as razor bumps. Josh Axe is on a mission to provide you and your family with the highest quality nutrition tips and healthy recipes in the world What Is an Ingrown Hair? More Health Dr. Axe on Facebook 22 Dr.

Axe on Twitter 0 Dr. Axe on Instagram Dr. Axe on Google Plus Dr. Axe on Youtube Dr. Some sexually transmitted infections STIs , such as herpes, can cause bumps that may look similar or be mistaken for ingrown pubic hairs, Dr. Ingrown pubic hairs are usually single bumps, while genital herpes is typically a cluster of sores or lesions. Herpes also causes other symptoms that ingrown hairs do not, such as headache and fever.

Herpes or genital wart outbreaks can go away and then return again. Ingrown hairs can happen wherever there is hair on the body, but Dr. Husain notes pubic hair tends to be thick and curly, and the skin in that area is also pretty thin and delicate, making hair more susceptible to growing back in towards the skin. Some reasons include waxing or shaving too often, not shaving in the right direction, not using a moisturizer or shaving cream when shaving, or not exfoliating the bikini line regularly.

Genetics also plays a part, per Dr. Basically, anyone who removes pubic hair is at a higher risk for ingrown hairs, and pubic hair removal is common. In one survey of 3, women published in JAMA Dermatology, 84 percent said they removed or trimmed pubic hair using scissors, razors, wax, tweezers, lasers, or electrolysis.

So it makes sense that a lot of people experience ingrown hairs. People with coarse or curly pubic hair, or those who shave, tweeze, or wax often are most at risk for ingrown pubic hairs. And those who wear tight clothing that rubs against the skin and irritates it may also be at a higher risk, Dr.

Husain says. How to recognize ingrown hair — symptoms An ingrown hair causes changes under your skin. You might notice:. If you look carefully you can see it. There may be one bump or several and the skin around them may be irritated and red. Ingrown hairs almost always will go away by themselves, but the process is over only after the hair grows out of your skin naturally. It can take from a few days even up to several weeks depending upon many factors like: how thick is your skin, if your hairs are naturally curled, or if you cut them too sharp.

The full list of causes will be below. Things like plucking or simply touching the hair may cause hair to be in much worse condition, so avoid that. Possible treatments for razor bumps include keeping the skin moisturized and discontinuing shaving, which allows the ingrown hairs to grow out. Over-the-counter OTC medications containing benzoyl peroxide or retinoids can reduce inflammation and decrease the size of razor bumps or ingrown hair cysts.

For example, a healthcare professional may prescribe a steroid cream such as hydrocortisone to help reduce redness and pain around the bump or cyst. The ultimate goal of treatment for any ingrown hairs is to reduce their occurrence by keeping the skin exfoliated and moisturized. Body washes and lotions made with gentle glycolic acid will help. However, once an ingrown hair cyst has become inflamed and starts to fluctuate in size, incision and drainage may be required to shrink the cyst and remove the ingrown hair.

Never pop an ingrown hair cyst, as this can increase your risk for infection and scarring. At this point, the hair is embedded far too deep underneath the bump or cyst for you to pull it out. Instead, you should encourage the bumps and cysts to go down and the hair to straighten upward by gently scrubbing them with a warm cloth a couple of times a day. If you develop an infection, a healthcare professional will prescribe either topical or oral antibiotics. Antibiotics will help reduce inflammation and pain while also preventing the infection from spreading and getting worse.

OTC treatments can usually help coax the hair out. They can drain the cyst and remove the ingrown hair.

You can book an appointment with a dermatologist in your area using our Healthline FindCare tool. You should also see a healthcare professional if you suspect an infection. Signs of infection include:. Razor bumps and ingrown hair cysts can take several days or even weeks to fully clear up on their own.

Timely treatment can help get rid of them and prevent them from returning. If ingrown hairs continue to form, see a healthcare professional to rule out any underlying causes.