›› Ingrown Hair
Having an ingrown
hair can be a painful thing. When a hair grows under the skin
instead of out of it can lead to discomfort and in some cases infection.
If you have an ingrown hair there are things you can do to solve the
problem. One is to consider the method you are using to
shave. Improper shaving techniques are the number one cause
of ingrown hairs. It’s important to use a
conditioning shaving cream or lotion before you pull the blade across
your skin. This helps the hair to be exposed which aids in a clean
shave. If the blade is simply pulled across your dry skin the
hair will be cut in a rough manner which can result in a hair growing
in an awkward fashion; these are the hairs that tend to become ingrown.
Removal of an ingrown hair is dependent on a few things. If
it’s a newly formed hair, you can probably remove it yourself
with the aid of tweezers. You’ll have to poke
through the top layer of skin to reach the hair. Gently pull
it up through the skin. You can remove it now or allow it to
continue to grow in a normal fashion. It’s important before
you do this to sterilize the area you’ll be removing the hair
from as well as the tweezers.
If the hair has been growing under the skin for some time it may have
become long and twisted. The hair has continued to grow
despite the fact that it’s not growing straight
out. Instead it’s grown in a circular fashion
beneath the skin’s surface.
Over time this type of ingrown hair develops into a mass under the
skin. The mass thickens the skin and the result becomes a
cyst. Often this type of cyst will become red and
infected. If this is the case trying to remove the offending
hair will result in more problems. You’ll irritate
the area and a pustule will develop.
Your best course of treatment is to visit a physician. Although this is
the specialty of a dermatologist, your family physician will be able to
treat it. He or she will surgically remove the hair most
likely within their office setting. They may also prescribe a
course of antibiotics or a topical antibiotic cream to treat the area.
It’s important to treat ingrown hairs when you first notice
them. They can and do develop into painful cysts and if you
can address the matter before that stage you’ll save yourself
pain and time.
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A Healthy Dose of Good Advice
