Hair removal and skin care: 7 tips to avoid ingrown hairs
Almost every woman is experienced with an inflamed hair follicle. Here’s how to fight those annoying bumps! And for more extra effective, innovative skincare products, check here!
A hairball develops when the hair bends back under the surface of the skin towards the hair follicle as it grows. This is usually accompanied by inflammation and is typically the result of shaving. If it is only a superficial hair folliculitis, it is sufficient to remove the hair with tweezers and then disinfect the surface properly. The disinfecting power of apple cider vinegar or tea tree oil can be effective both as a preventive measure and as a follow-up treatment. However, you can also use an anti-inflammatory aloe vera gel or calendula cream, and a bath with oatmeal or a chamomile poultice can also help. However, for inflammation affecting deeper tissues, you may need to seek medical help. To avoid this, focus on prevention instead!
Cleanse and soften your skin!
Give your skin enough time to prepare for shaving! Therefore, shave at the end of your shower or bath, when your skin is clean, softened and sufficiently moist! Warm water makes your skin softer and helps the razor glide. Be careful, however, as hot water can be drying!
Erase!
Whether you’ve chosen to shave, wax or epilate, the best way to prevent ingrown hair follicles is by regularly exfoliating your skin to remove dead skin cells and clear the way for the hair to grow back. You can use brown sugar mixed with honey in the bath, a loofah sponge or a product designed specifically for exfoliating the skin, the key is to gently but effectively remove dead skin.
Clean with oil!
Less chance of ingrown hairs if you use oil before shampooing! Put a little body oil on your skin, but if you don’t have any, olive oil is just as good. Leave on for about 10 minutes to soften your skin, then wash and towel dry! If you use oil, your skin will be softer and less chance of developing hairballs. But make sure you start epilation with perfectly oily and dry skin!
Use a multi-blade, sharp razor!
A lifeless razor will only torture your skin. Dull blades tear hairs, not cut them. If you have to repeatedly drag the razor over the same area, you can cause irritation. While if you use a razor with a sharp blade, you’re less likely to cut yourself. So instead of disposable razors, use a double or triple-blade razor!
Disinfect your razor!
Using an unsanitised razor after repeated use can introduce bacteria into the micro-injuries caused by shaving. For this reason, it is very important to disinfect your shaving tools after every shave! But disinfecting your razor with rubbing alcohol is recommended not only for hygiene reasons, but also because a clean blade won’t break as quickly.
Always put on shaving cream!
Shaving without a moisturiser can irritate dry skin, while a good shaving cream contains skin-protecting ingredients and will help the razor glide over the surface to be shaved. Shaving cream can reduce friction between the blade and your skin. Shaving with less effort also means less irritation.
Avoid infection!
To prevent bacterial inflammation, use antibacterial skin care products! But there’s no need to throw away your current lotion: you can get a similar effect to what you get in the shops by dripping 1–2 drops of tea tree or lavender oil into your lotion and applying it to your skin after shaving. Avoid alcohol-based products as they irritate and dry out the skin, making it more easily inflamed.
How do you depilate? Do you have any other proven tips against ingrown hairs?
References:
https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/hair/remove-unwanted-hair
https://www.forbes.com/health/wellness/hair-removal-methods/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17722-ingrown-hair
https://www.healthline.com/health/treating-preventing-ingrown-vaginal-hair
