Ingrown hairs can appear as a regular part of your shaving routine, especially if you have curly or coarse hair. Ingrown hairs on the legs occur when recently cut curly hair grows back into the hair follicle, causing irritation, itching and inflammation. If your skin is prone to serious ingrown hair, there are several ways you may be able to remedy, and even stop ingrown hairs from occurring.
Shave Break
One of the easiest ways to remedy ingrown hairs on the legs is to let the hair grow out for at least 30 days, recommends Skin Sight research. This shaving break will allow hair to grow long enough to dislodge from the follicle--reduce inflammation and irritation--and return the skin to its regular state. For those who are self conscious about hairy legs, use the wintertime to take a shave break when your legs will be rarely seen by anyone but yourself.
Wetting the Hair
When you shave dry hair with no preparation, the blade catches the hair and pulls it up from the follicle as it cuts it. This allows the hair to retract into the follicle, causing it to grow inward and create a razor bump. The Mayo Clinic recommends preparing the hair before you shave by taking a hot shower or washing your legs with warm water before shaving. Keeping the hair moist creates a layer of water between the skin and the blade, allowing the blade to easily glide across the skin surface, instead of dragging. This results in a clean shave without the hairs retracting into the follicles as easily.
Shaving Habits
The way you shave your legs can also determine whether or not you will develop ingrown hairs. To avoid ingrown hairs during your shave, never pull the skin tight, as this can coax the hair back into the follicle. Also, always shave with the grain of the hair--typically in a downward motion. You should also avoid shaving the same area more than once with a razor. Always use a shaving lubricant; never shave dry.
Anti-inflammatory Medications
For ingrown hairs that become seriously infected and inflamed, your doctor may prescribe topical or oral medications that can relieve inflammation and help heal the area of skin. For example, a corticosteroid cream or antibiotic ointment may be applied to ingrown hairs to reduce inflammation. Oral antibiotics may also be used to fight off inflammation internally.
Glycolic Acid
Glycolic acid lotion may also be used on ingrown hairs and shaving bumps to speed up the healing process, according to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. Glycolic acid is a alpha hydroxy acid that can be obtained in both over-the-counter and prescription strengths.
Permanent Solutions
For reoccurring severe ingrown leg hairs, more permanent hair removal methods can help prevent the problem from occurring in the future. Laser hair removal can be used to target the hair follicle and permanently reduce hair growth on the legs. Electrolysis is another option and provides permanent removal of the hair by destroying the hair root with electric currents. These options eliminate the need to shave your legs, ending problems with ingrown hairs.
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