If you shave your head, you may experience ingrown hairs. Once the hair is shaved, the tip becomes sharp. As the hair grows out, it may curve toward the skin and pierce the skin. Your body then treats the hair like a foreign object and the area becomes red and inflamed. The bump over the ingrown hair may hurt and itch.
Step 1
Grow your hair out. If you must keep it short, use barber clippers or scissors to trim it instead of shaving it with a razor. The University of Mississippi Health Care recommends keeping the hair 1/8 to ¼ inch from the surface of the skin.
Step 2
Avoid wearing hats, helmets, scarves, or anything else on your head. Sweat and objects rubbing against the ingrown hair bump will irritate it and prevent the ingrown hair from healing quickly.
Step 3
Shampoo your hair daily to remove dead skin cells and keep the scalp clean. Even if you don’t have hair, still wash your scalp daily. While you are shampooing, rub your scalp with a toothbrush or rough washcloth to try to tease the ingrown hair out of the skin.
Step 4
Place a hot compress on your scalp for fifteen minutes three times per day. Hot compresses will help the bumps to drain, according to MedlinePlus.
Step 5
Apply hydrocortisone cream to the bumps two to three times per day, suggests the U.S. Marine Corps. Be sure to rub it in well, so that it doesn’t dry on your hair as it will leave a white film on your hair if it dries. The hydrocortisone cream will reduce the inflammation and help to control itching.
Step 6
Resist the urge to pick at the ingrown hair, since you can’t easily see it. Hyperpigmentation and scarring can result from trying to dig out a deeply ingrown or embedded hair.
Tips and Warnings
- If the ingrown hairs don’t respond to self-treatments, contact a dermatologist to determine if you need prescription medications. MayoClinic.com notes that some ingrown hairs may need to be treated with antibiotics, corticosteroids or retinoids.
Things You'll Need
- Barber clippers
- Scissors
- Shampoo
- Toothbrush
- Washcloth
- Hot compress
- Hydrocortisone cream
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