Medicines for Ingrown hair

What it is

An ingrown hair is a hair that, instead of growing out of the skin normally, curls back or grows sideways into the skin, or a hair that fails to break through the surface as it regrows. This causes a small, often raised bump (sometimes containing visible hair, and sometimes looking like a small pimple with pus), which can be itchy, tender or painful, and the surrounding skin may be red or discoloured. Ingrown hairs are very common in areas that are shaved, waxed or plucked — such as the beard area, legs, armpits, pubic area (bikini line) and underarms — and are especially common in people with curly or coarse hair, which is more likely to curl back into the skin. Sometimes several occur together (for example as "razor bumps"). They are usually harmless and often resolve on their own as the hair works its way out, but they can occasionally become infected, and repeated ingrown hairs can be a recurring nuisance and, over time, cause irritation or scarring.

How it is treated

Most ingrown hairs are managed with simple measures and resolve on their own. Helpful steps include stopping shaving or waxing the area for a while to let it settle, gently exfoliating and keeping the skin clean and moisturised, and applying a warm compress, which can soothe the area and help the hair come to the surface. It is best not to dig out or pick at the hair with unsterile tools, as this can cause infection or scarring; if the hair is visible and near the surface, it can sometimes be gently freed. If an ingrown hair becomes infected (increasingly red, swollen, painful, or with pus), a doctor may advise treatment. For people prone to recurrent ingrown hairs, prevention is key: changing hair-removal methods (for example shaving less closely, in the direction of hair growth, with a clean sharp razor, and preparing the skin well), exfoliating regularly, or considering longer-term hair-reduction methods, all reduce recurrence. The reassuring message is that ingrown hairs are common and usually harmless, resolving with simple care, and are largely preventable by adjusting hair-removal habits.