An ingrown hair forms when a hair that should grow straight out of a follicle, curls on itself and then grows into the follicle itself. Another way an ingrown hair can develop is when the hair does not grow out of the follicle at all but stays embedded inside the skin. Ingrown hair may result from frequent shaving or epilating. If you shave too close to the skin, you may end up damaging the hair follicle, therefore causing hair to grow inside the skin. Such ingrown hair, which appears to be a little red bump on the skin may become infected and can be very painful. You should alternate between waxing and shaving to allow hair to grow properly from a follicle. Make sure that you use adequate shaving cream or gel when you shave to avoid damaging your hair follicles. Apply moisturizer every time you shave as the skin is very dry after a shave and the hairs that grow again tend to be rough and bristly. It is also advisable to exfoliate periodically to avoid ingrown hairs. Regular exfoliation keeps your pores clean and ensures that ingrown hairs will rise to the surface.
One important method of avoiding infection is to change your blade regularly. Changing your blade will help reduce the chance of infection and will help prevent any further ingrown hairs from developing. Wear loose clothing to help prevent clothes and sweat from rubbing against your skin and causing more ingrown hair. Tight clothing is not only abrasive but also allows bacteria and sweat to accumulate in the pores of the skin and in hair follicles, thereby increasing chances of ingrown hairs and infection.
Since your ingrown hair has already become infected, it is best to take steps to disinfect the area first. Use an antibacterial soap or any other disinfectant to clean the area. If the ingrown hair is very close to the surface of your skin, then you can apply a warm compress to soothe the skin surrounding the area and the infected hair follicle. Once the skin has become visibly softer, use sterilized tweezers to pull out the ingrown hair. You can sterilize the tweezers using alcohol and then very gently pull the ingrown hair out of the follicle and immediately allow the other accumulated fluids to drain. Take care not to damage your skin while removing ingrown hairs as this may worsen your infection. If you are unable to remove the ingrown hair and if it is not too close to the surface, visit your dermatologist immediately.