Ingrown Hairs: 6 Ways to Prevent Them - GoodRx (2024)

Have you ever developed red, painful bumps a few days after shaving or hair removal? Sometimes, these are razor bumps or local skin irritation from shaving. But sometimes they can be a sign of ingrown hairs, which can develop after hair removal.

Hair normally grows straight through the skin. But sometimes, when hair grows back after shaving or waxing, it can grow into the skin instead of through it. This leads to ingrown hairs. Hair can also grow through the skin and then droop down instead of standing straight up. This causes the hair to grow back into the skin, resulting in an ingrown hair.

Ingrown hairs are irritating, often painful, and can become infected. The only way to completely avoid ingrown hairs is to avoid hair removal altogether. Or you can permanently remove hair (like with laser treatment), which isn’t an option for many people. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to lower your risk of developing ingrown hairs. Here are six tips that can help you prevent future ingrown hairs.

1. Proper shaving techniques

Many people turn to shaving for hair removal. It’s convenient, painless, and relatively inexpensive. But shaving can lead to ingrown hairs. Ingrown hairs can develop anywhere on your body after shaving but are more likely to develop where hair is curly and thick like in your armpits or pubic areas.

Using the right shaving techniques may help prevent ingrown hairs. Here are some tips to follow when you shave:

• Use a sharp blade. Dull blades don’t cut as well, so you have to go over the same area a few times. This causes extra trauma to your skin, which triggers inflammation and can trap hair as it tries to grow through. Dull blades are also more likely to snag hair and not cut it evenly. This makes it more likely for the growing hair to grow into your skin.

• Switch out your blades often. Make sure to switch out disposable razors and blades after seven uses. This will help make sure they don’t become dull.

• Use a single blade. Experts caution that people who shave with razors with multiple blades are more likely to develop ingrown hairs. Opt for single-blade razors instead.

• Shave with the grain. You want to shave in the direction of your hair growth. Shaving against the grain will cut your hair at an angle. As the hair grows back, it’s more likely to grow at an angle and into your skin.

• Don’t shave too close. A close shave may look and feel good, but it also increases the risk of developing an ingrown hair because it cuts the hair so close to the skin.

2. Warm compresses

A warm compress can soften your skin and make it easier for hairs to grow through the skin. You can try applying a warm compress to any area that’s prone to razor bumps or ingrown hairs after you shave. You want to apply the compress for the next few days, not just right after shaving.

If you already have ingrown hair, the warmth can also encourage the ingrown hair to move towards the skin’s surface. You can apply the compress to your ingrown hairs 3 times a day for 10 minutes at a time.

You can buy a reusable warm compress or make your own. Here’s a way to make your own reusable compress at home using a sock and rice:

• Fill a clean sock with dry rice and tie it off at one end.

• Microwave the filled sock for 15 seconds.

• Check to make sure the sock isn’t too hot by testing it on your hand.

• Place your warm compress over your razor bumps for 10 minutes.

3. Exfoliation

Exfoliation is a process that helps remove old skin cells and other debris that lie on the top layer of skin. Getting rid of this extra material makes it easier for hair to grow through the skin. There are two types of exfoliants:

• Physical exfoliation: This involves mechanically removing dead skin cells. You can use a washcloth or exfoliating scrubs for physical exfoliation.

• Chemical exfoliation: This uses skin care products to dissolve debris from the top layer of skin. Popular chemical exfoliants include retinoids and glycolic or alpha-hydroxy acids.

Regular exfoliation before and after hair removal can help prevent ingrown hairs.

Dr. Maria Robinson, a board-certified dermatologist and GoodRx contributor offered these helpful tips:

• Save shaving until the end of your shower, after you have “been in the warm water for about 10 minutes,” she said.

• Then, exfoliate the area you’re about to shave with a scrub (like Dove Body Scrub) or chemical exfoliant (like CeraVe SA Body Wash) that “contains alpha-hydroxy acids or beta-hydroxy acids,” she advised.

• After exfoliating, use a shaving cream to help “minimize friction and protect your skin barrier,” suggested Dr. Robinson.

4. Shaving gels or creams

Use shaving gels and creams when you shave to help prevent ingrown hairs. Shaving gels and creams help minimize friction when you shave so that the razor glides over your skin smoothly. This minimizes the risk of cuts and skin irritation which can lead to inflammation and razor bumps. It’s harder for growing hair to pierce through inflamed skin.

You can try medicated shaving products if you’re prone to ingrown hairs. These products contain salicylic acid which helps exfoliate skin.

5. Moisturizer

Regularly moisturizing your skin keeps it hydrated. Hydrated skin is soft and pliable, making it easier for growing hairs to grow through. Make sure to keep your skin moisturized, especially after shaving. If you’re prone to ingrown hairs, you can use moisturizers that contain salicylic acid.

6. Alternative hair removal techniques

Waxing, shaving, and threading can all cause ingrown hairs. But chemical shaving — or using depilatory (hair removal) creams — is less likely to lead to ingrown hairs.

You can also switch to an electric shaver. Electric shavers are less likely to cause ingrown hairs than traditional razors because they don’t cut hair so close to the skin.

Can you safely extract an ingrown hair at home?

If you have ingrown hairs, resist the urge to squeeze your razor bumps or try to dig out the ingrown hair with tweezers. This can lead to skin damage and worsen inflammation. It can also increase your risk of infection.

Instead, you want to encourage the hair to come through the skin on its own. You can do this with warm compresses made from tap water, saline, or Burrow’s solution.

Once the hair has grown fully through your skin, you can pluck it out. It’s a good idea to avoid shaving and other forms of hair removal until your skin has completely healed.

When should you seek care for an ingrown hair?

You should seek care if you think your ingrown hair could be infected. Signs of infection include:

• Redness of the skin around the ingrown hair

• Pain

• Pus

• Fever

It’s also a good idea to seek care if you’re prone to ingrown hairs. There are prescription treatments that can help treat razor bumps, including:

• Antibiotic gels

• Prescription-strength chemical exfoliants

• Steroid creams

Images used with permission from VisualDx (www.visualdx.com).