The Mayo Clinic describes an ingrown hair as an inflammation or irritation that occurs when hairs that have been shaved or tweezed grow back into the skin instead of straight out. Ingrown hairs occur most often in people with coarse or curly hair. While they are most common among African American males between 14 and 25, ingrown hairs can affect anyone who removes hair from their face or body at any age. Fortunately for anyone suffering from the unsightly blemishes that ingrown hairs can cause, they are usually easily removed with a few easy steps.
Step 1
Take a hot bath or shower. While it may be tempting to try to remove the hair at some other time, the heat from a bath or shower can help to open the pores and make extracting the hair a much easier task.
Step 2
Sterilize a needle or a pair of tweezers to use to pull the hair out. The Mayo Clinic stresses the importance of sterilized objects to prevent infection of the pore with the ingrown hair.
Step 3
Use the needle or tweezers to get underneath the coil of the ingrown hair and lift it up, pulling it out of the pore. Then, remove the hair from the pore entirely to prevent it from growing back into the skin.
Step 4
Apply alcohol to the area with a cotton swab to stop the bleeding and help prevent infection.
Tips and Warnings
- Use a single blade razor or electric clippers to prevent recurring ingrown hairs. Shave in the direction of hair growth to minimize your risk of ingrown hairs. Wet the area with warm water before shaving for smoothest results.
Things You'll Need
- Rubbing alcohol
- Sterilized tweezers
- Sterilized needle
Member Comments