Battling ingrown hair can be annoying and bothersome anywhere on the body, but when it appears on your face, it can be embarrassing too. Ingrown facial hair as a result of an attempt to remove facial hair can bring attention to the areas on your face that you'd rather minimize, like the upper lip. Because the best way to get rid of ingrown facial hair is through prevention, make sure that next time you use careful measures to ensure the best results while removing hair.
Significance
Facial hair is typically thought of as a masculine feature, so it can be especially embarrassing if, as a woman, you have facial hair too. Trying to pluck, wax or shave your facial hair may seem like a good idea, but it can result in ingrown facial hair, which can manifest as painful, swollen bumps around the area where you had facial hair, such as the upper lip, chin or eyebrow.
Symptoms
Ingrown hair usually manifests as a small, red bump near where you've attempted to remove facial hair. The red bump may swell and become painful as the ingrown hair continues to grow. At times, ingrown hair can become infected and ooze a yellowish discharge, much like a pimple or a whitehead, so you may mistake a facial ingrown hair for typical acne. In some cases, ingrown hairs will crop up together, making a small patch of red bumps.
Cause
Ingrown hair is caused when the hair grows incorrectly within the follicle, notes TeensHealth from the Nemours Foundation. This occurs when the hair grows into the wall of the follicle, instead of up and out the pore. Ingrown facial hair can be caused by a shave that is too close and cuts the hair below the surface of the skin or waxing that presses hair back into the skin with rough handling.
Prevention
The best way to rid yourself of ingrown facial hair is to prevent them altogether. If one facial hair removal method tends to give you ingrown hair, switching to another method may be a better idea. For instance, shaving your face too closely could produce ingrown hair, so try plucking next time instead. Never pull at your skin when you remove hair; it could give you better initial results but it can crop the hair too short and exacerbate your risk for ingrown hair. Always wash your hands and tools in antibacterial soap before you touch your face to avoid the risk of ingrown hair infection.
Treatment
If you already have an ingrown hair that is bothering you, proper removal ensures pain relief with a minimum chance for infection. Your first instinct may be to locate the hair and pluck it out, but doing so leaves the follicle broken and open to infection. Instead, locate the loop of hair, insert the smaller end of your tweezers or a sterile needs and gently lift out the ingrown end of hair, without plucking the entire hair, suggests MayoClinic.com. Apply an antibiotic ointment to the area to foster healing.
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