If you’ve ever shaved any part of your body, you probably know the inevitable pain of ingrown hairs. Treating them is nice, but learning how to prevent ingrown hairs in the first place is even better.
Ingrown hairs can be frustrating wherever they show up, which can include basically any part of your body that has hair, like your legs, armpits, arms, and face. But they’re especially annoying when they pop up in more sensitive areas, like in your pubic area.
To learn the best ways to handle—and, preferably, avoid—ingrown hairs, we consulted dermatologists for the lowdown on why they form, what you’re supposed to do about them, and how to prevent ingrown hairs from appearing altogether.
What causes ingrown hairs?
So, get this: You have about 5 million hair follicles sprinkled across your body, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Each follicle contains a hair that grows through your skin.
Even if you remove the hair, it will continue to grow from these follicles (unless you get laser hair removal, which damages the follicles so they can’t produce hair). An ingrown hair happens when a hair that should be growing out of its follicle and away from your skin reenters your skin instead, according to the Mayo Clinic. At that point, the hair might look like a hoop with both ends embedded into your skin.
That’s a problem because it causes inflammation that can lead to solid or pus-filled bumps, pain, itching, a bacterial infection, hyperpigmentation, and possibly permanent scarring.
Although there’s potential for an ingrown hair basically anywhere you remove it, the hair on and around your vulva is particularly susceptible to becoming ingrown because it tends to be coarse and curly, Gary Goldenberg, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, tells SELF. That makes it more likely that the hair will curl into your skin when it’s growing back after you’ve removed it.
Also, if you shave, every time you drag that razor over your hair you’re creating sharp edges on each strand that can make them more likely to revert into your skin, the Mayo Clinic says.
The best way to prevent ingrown hairs is, unfortunately, to just not remove your hair. Some people might be totally fine with that, but others still prefer to do some sort of hair removal. In that case, there are still some things you can do to reduce the chances of getting an ingrown hair.
1. Always use some kind of lubrication before you shave.
Shaving dry hair can create especially sharp edges that are more prone to growing back into your skin. The Mayo Clinic recommends always letting a shaving cream or gel soak into your skin for a few minutes to soften the hair. You can also try using a warm compress before you shave.
2. Only use a sharp razor.
With a dull razor, you’ll likely have to go over the skin multiple times, raising your risk of cutting yourself, irritating your skin, and, possibly, getting an ingrown hair or infection. Your razor will typically feel less effective after a few uses, in which case it’s time to toss it or swap out the blades.
3. Shave in the direction that your hair is growing.
Going against your hair’s grain may allow for a closer shave, but the closer the shave, the easier it is for your hair to curl back into your skin, Dr. Goldenberg says. So shaving with the grain is one easy way to help prevent ingrown hairs.
4. Rinse your blade after every stroke.
Doing this will help add lubrication when you shave. And it also gets rid of any shavings clogging the blades that might make it harder to efficiently remove hair with the first pass, thus making it less likely for an ingrown hair to pop up.
5. Don’t tweeze.
It can be tempting to reach for the tweezers when you spot a stray pubic hair on your bikini line, but take a pass. If you tweeze the hair, it might leave a fragment of hair under the skin surface, which could result in an ingrown hair and cause inflammation.
6. Resist the temptation to pull at your skin for a closer shave.
Stretching your skin tight during shaving allows the tips of the remaining hair to shrink back into your skin and grow there, the Mayo Clinic explains. From there, they can easily become ingrown hairs. Do your best to let your skin sit naturally while shaving.
7. Consider using an electric razor or clippers.
Since the entire point of standard manual razors is to get a really close shave, they’re not the ideal tool for people who may be prone to getting ingrown hairs, Samantha B. Conrad, M.D., clinical practice director at Northwestern Memorial Hospital Group, department of dermatology, tells SELF. Instead, it might make more sense to use an electric razor or clippers on a setting that gives you a good shave but not the absolute closest one possible.
8. Gently exfoliate before you shave.
Products that contain a chemical exfoliant like lactic, glycolic, or salicylic acid can help dissolve dead skin cells that trap ingrowns, Dr. Conrad says. Getting rid of them—gently!—with the help of a chemical exfoliant-containing cream or lotion or just by using a washcloth in the area before removing the hair can help prevent ingrowns from forming.
