When it comes to most forms of hair removal ingrown hairs are almost a pre-determined part of the process. Whether you are shaving the hair back to skin level, waxing to remove the whole hair and root, or epilating the hair to achieve a similar result, your body is forced to regrow the hair by pushing it back through the skin. Occasionally, the hair gets caught under one or more layers of skin or even curls around and grows back into the skin rather than upwards. Both of these instances can cause irritation to the skin and can become inflamed, discolored, and uncomfortable.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways to reduce the likelihood of getting ingrown hairs, however, they also require regular repetition to ensure effectiveness.
- Cleaning and Exfoliation;
Cleaning and exfoliating your skin box before wax and a few days after is a great way to prevent ingrown hairs, as doing so before a treatment helps to relax your skin and open pores, as well as raise all hairs up and out from any flat-lying areas for a smooth and clean removal. Maintaining cleanliness daily and exfoliating again a few days after treatment can assist in keeping the regrowth headed in the right direction. Some ingrown hairs occur because the follicles become filled with dirt and oils, forcing the hair to grow sideways under the surface of the skin. Good hygiene and exfoliation can assist with keeping the follicles clean and clear, and help prevent this. Simply using a rough washcloth or loofah are cheap and readily available ways to accomplish this, otherwise, there are exfoliation products available at most supermarkets and chemists.
- Perfect the technique
If your wax is done with poor technique, there is a much higher chance of ingrown hairs as your skin reacts, and may become inflamed; affecting effective regrowth. This is why having waxes done professionally is often a good idea, as technicians are trained in how to remove the hair with the least amount of irritation.
- Cool the area after waxing
As discussed in other articles, waxing can be a traumatic and aggravating situation for your skin and combined with the use of hot wax especially, can leave your skin feeling inflamed, irritated and heated. By applying a cool cloth, compress, or having a cold shower after waxing sessions, you are helping the skin cool down, reducing any residual swelling and helping the pores to open up again, lessening the chances of blocked follicles.
- Moisturize
In conjunction with exfoliation, moisturizing your skin is vital to help it stay supple, smooth and soft enough to allow regrowth to come through easily. If your skin is dry, cracked or hardened through dehydration, there is a greater chance of regrowth struggling to break through the surface of the skin, increasing the risk of it getting caught under and becoming an irritation.
While one of the positive aspects of waxing is the convenience of little time investment, all of these additional steps can be easily incorporated into your skin care routine with ease, and without a need for significant time. While waxing almost always results in at least one or two ingrown hairs for most people, regularly following the steps above can help to prevent or treat them; leading to smooth and ingrown-free skin with every waxing session!