Why You Should Never Pop an Ingrown Hair

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If you find yourself looking at your freshly shaved or waxed body only to find that there are angry red bumps glaring back at you — some of which that kind of look little zits — you’ve got ingrown hairs, and they need tending

Ingrown hairs (also known as razor burn or a shaving rash) are hairs that, after they’re lopped off with a blade (or pulled out at the root through waxing or tweezing) grow back, but don’t poke out of the surface of the skin.

Instead, a hair keeps growing, but under the skin, either in a curl, in a downward direction, or to the side under the surface of the skin. Usually an ingrown hair looks like a red bump, but sometimes you can see the hair through the skin, and it may have a white pus-filled head.

What causes ingrown hairs?

Hair removal is the root cause of ingrown hairs, since they occur when hair starts to grow back and curves to burrow into the skin. Shaving is a big culprit because pulling on your skin as the razor glides can draw hair back into the skin, and shaving also gives hair strands a sharp edge that makes piercing the skin easier.

The structure of the hair and direction in which they grow also play a role in ingrown hair development. For instance, tightly curled hair will have a curved hair follicle, which is believed to encourage the hair to reenter the skin once the hair is cut and starts to grow back.

Who does ingrown hairs affect?

Ingrowns are not exclusive to women, of course — anyone who waxes or shaves can get them, especially if they’ve got thick or coarse hair, says Amy Wechsler, M.D., FAAD, a dermatologist and psychiatrist in New York City. Curly hair also lends itself to becoming ingrown, which explains why the swimsuit area is particularly prone. “Most hairs when they grow back in the swimsuit areas are a little bit curly,” says Dr. Wechsler. “You want the curl to happen after the hair has cleared the skin — you don’t want it to curl back on itself.” Ingrown hairs can happen in your pits, too or anywhere you shave or wax or tweeze — men often get them on their necks and chins.

We can all agree, it's best not to get ingrown hairs in the first place, so here's how to prevent ingrown hairs — and what to do if you wind up with one or more.

What gets rid of ingrown hair fast?

If you do get an ingrown, the following steps can help it heal quickly.

Calm the inflammation

If your skin is really red, apply a cold compress, advises Dr. Wechsler — an ice pack wrapped in a soft cloth. If you’re in a pinch, you can apply some 1% hydrocortisone right after the wax or close shave, and then one more time the next day, which may take some of the redness out. “You should not use this more than two or three applications at most,” she says, as hydrocortisone can thin the skin and cause stretch marks.

1% Hydrocortisone Creme

Itch Relief Ointment

1% Hydrocortisone Cream

Protect the area

Treat the rashy region super-gently, says Dr. Wechsler, keeping it clean and moisturized. “If it’s in the swimsuit area, be careful not to have elastic rubbing in the area where there’s an ingrown, because you don’t want to irritate it,” she says. It should clear up between 24 hours and a week or so. “Just like a splinter, the hair can sometimes work it’s way out on its own.”

Consider a warm compress

This may help coax the hair up and out through the skin if you can see the hair and if it’s very close to the surface, says Dr. Weschler.

See a dermatologist

If nothing helps, and especially if your rash doesn’t go away within a week (it may be something else), or if you believe you have an infection, make an appointment. “Do not pick or squeeze!” says Margarita Lolis, M.D., a dermatologist with Skin & Lasers Surgery Specials in New York and New Jersey. “You can schedule an appointment with a dermatologist. Injecting it with a tiny amount of steroid can help bring down the inflammation, and sometimes an antibiotic and/or an incision and drainage might be required.”

Should you pop an ingrown hair?

A big NO on that one, says Dr. Wechsler. You may be tempted to if you see a whitehead on top of the red bump, but you should sit on your hands.

“This is called a pustule and occurs because there is a buildup of bacteria, or an infection,” adds Dr. Lolis. The bacteria can come from what’s naturally on the surface of the skin, or you may drag bacteria into a razor bump if you pick at it or try to dig it out on your own, says Dr. Wechsler. “Don’t try to pop them and don’t try to pick them,” she warns.

If you do decide on self-surgery — again, a really bad choice, Drs. Wechsler and Lolis both emphasize — you can wind up with an infection. “If you have an ingrown that’s red, hot, swollen or getting worse, or if you have a fever,” it is likely infected and you need to get to the doctor. “Most of the time when I see this in my office, the person says, ‘I had an ingrown and tried to pop it and made it worse,” she says. Occasionally, infections can turn into an abscess and need to be drained. You may also need antibiotics.

How to prevent ingrown hairs

Exfoliate regularly

“It is advisable to exfoliate and use a clean sharp blade,” when shaving, says Dr. Lolis. Exfoliating — either with a cloth, gentle scrub or other product — sloughs off dead skin cells, which prevents them from blocking follicles and causing hair to grown inward. “I recommend using exfoliating body washes in the shower two to three times a week,” she says. Finding one that works for you may involve some trial and error, says Dr. Wechsler. “Some people can use them and their skin can tolerate it, but stop using them if your skin is pink, red or itchy, or gets inflamed.”

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Try an acid product

Lotions or toners that contain certain gentle acids work as chemical exfoliators, which likewise remove dead skin so the hair stands a better chance of popping out from your skin. “You can also consider using salicylic acid creams.” Dr. Lolis says, adding that products containing glycolic acid or lactic acid can serve the same purpose.

Check out some of the Good Housekeeping Institute experts' picks:

KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub Exfoliant

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Daily Nourish Body Lotion with 5% Lactic Acid

Use the right razor

Of course you want a close shave, but if you’re prone to ingrown hairs, stick to a razor with two blades, max. “Each additional blade after two, the lower you cut or shave the hair,” Dr. Wechsler says, the greater the likelihood that the hair will curl back on itself before surfacing. Frequency of shaving is also a factor, says Dr. Lolis, who advises shaving less frequently. This single-blade razor from Oui the People was one of the Good Housekeeping Institute's top razor picks for 2023.

Or remove hair permanently

“The solution is laser hair removal, or electrolysis, the only two real permanent hair removal or reduction methods,” says Dr. Wechsler. Both of these methods zap the follicle, so it does not grow back at all, eliminating the risk of an ingrown. Even if you don’t have the money or the time for the seven or so treatments you’d need to have zero hair, after two or three, you are highly unlikely to have ingrowns. “With each treatment with the proper laser, the hair becomes thinner and it won’t be ingrown.”

The cost of laser hair removal depends on how big the area being treated, how many treatments you need, and the going rate in your area, among other factors. The average is $389 per treatment, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Electrolysis — when a technician zaps each follicle with electricity, killing it — can be very painful but works well for small areas like the chin. How much it costs depends on a bunch of factors as well — a single treatment can be around $50-$100.

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