Many women visit beauticians to receive regular bikini waxes, where a professional removes hair from the pubic region using warm wax. Waxing can lead to uncomfortable ingrown hairs. Ingrown hairs are not serious, but they can be painful and unsightly. Following a few tips, you can easily prevent and treat ingrown hairs before and after bikini waxing.
Causes
Ingrown hairs appear as small, painful red bumps on the skin. Epigee.org, a women's health site, explains that ingrown hairs occur when hairs grow back incorrectly and do not grow through the skin follicles as they normally do. Removing hair using hot wax can distort your hair follicles, which leads to ingrown hairs. While ingrown hairs are less common with waxing than with shaving, they are still a frequent occurrence, especially after waxing especially sensitive areas, including the bikini area.
Effects
According to health therapist Jane Lumb, ingrown hairs cause skin tenderness in addition to red bumps. When you suffer from ingrown hair after a bikini wax, you may also experience itching, tingling and even mild to severe pain in the area. Your skin will sometimes form pus-filled blisters at the site of an ingrown hair, which can be painful and unsightly. Chronic ingrown hair can lead to the formation of scar tissue that forms hard, prominent lumps under the skin.
Prevention
Getting a bikini wax more frequently than every three weeks can lead to ingrown hair, according to AZCentral.com. You can prevent ingrown hairs after a bikini wax by applying a specialized lotion to the area after waxing. Check your local drugstore for a lotion specifically formulated for use after waxing. Lumb recommends wearing loose-fitting clothing after a bikini wax to prevent ingrown hair. She also suggests using a topical exfoliator 24 to 48 hours after your waxing to prevent the accumulation of dead skin, which can lead to ingrown hair.
Treatment
While ingrown hairs are easier to prevent than treat, you have a few options for getting rid of ingrown hair after a bikini wax. Esta Kronberg, a Houston-based dermatologist, recommends washing your bikini area with anti-bacterial soap if you suffer from ingrown hair after waxing. Cleveland dermatologist Allison Vidimos suggests applying an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream to ingrown hair to soothe redness and irritation and aid in the healing process.
Considerations
Most ingrown hairs clear up within a week or two. If you get ingrown hairs after a bikini wax that do not heal quickly, consider seeing a dermatologist. Sometimes ingrown hair lead to infection and require antibiotics to heal and prevent scarring.
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