If you have a red, swollen pimple on your neck or chin, it may not be acne. Ingrown whiskers, also known as pseudofolliculitis barbae, that grow underneath the skin rather than growing up and out of the neck or chin after shaving may become ingrown, causing a red, irritated lump. To reduce the lump, the hair must emerge from the skin. Consult a doctor before using home remedies to remove ingrown hairs.
Significance
Individuals with curly or coarse beard hair may have recurring problems with ingrown hairs, according to MayoClinic.com. When the whiskers are shaved, curly hairs may curl under and grow down into the skin. African American men ages 14 through 25 are most likely to have problems with ingrown hairs on the chin and neck, notes MayoClinic.com, but ingrown hairs may pop up anywhere you shave, tweeze or wax hair on the body.
Home Remedies
In the article "A Man's Guide to Grooming" on the Oprah website, Diana Schmidtke suggests applying a warm washcloth to the ingrown hair bump for several minutes to help the hair emerge to the surface. If you can see the hair, use a pair of tweezers or a sterile needle to pull the loop of hair out of the skin. If you can't see the hair, rub a paste of crushed aspirin tablets and water onto your skin. Leave the mixture on for 10 minutes, then rinse it off with water. Repeat once a day until the hair emerges from the skin and you can pull it out with a sterile needle or pair of tweezers.
Prescription Treatments
Your doctor may recommend a prescription medication to remove ingrown hairs from the skin, especially if your ingrown whiskers are a chronic problem. Retinoids, when applied daily, may help remove dead skin cells and allow the ingrown hair to emerge from the skin. Corticosteroids reduce swelling of the skin so the hair is able to grow normally. When the hair emerges, allow the hair to grow or remove the hair with tweezers if it continues to curl downward.
Surgical Procedures
If home and prescription remedies are ineffective, your doctor may recommend a surgical procedure, such as electrolysis or laser hair removal to remove the stubborn whisker completely. Electrolysis and laser hair removal will both remove the hair follicle and are performed by a dermatologist. Both treatments may require more than one session to be completely effective. In some cases, scarring may occur after laser hair removal or electrolysis treatments, notes the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology website.
Expert Insight
To prevent ingrown whiskers from returning, your dermatologist may recommend using chemical hair remover creams to remove whiskers because they dissolve the hair, according to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. This way, there is no sharp edge for the hair to pierce the skin with as it grows back underneath the skin and causes an ingrown hair. Do not use chemical hair removers until your current ingrown hair bumps heal -- otherwise, the product may cause irritation.
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