Ingrown hairs on the neck are a common ailment, especially for those with naturally curly hair. Not only can ingrown hairs cause unwanted blemishes on your neck, they can also be painful. Understanding more about ingrown hairs can help you prevent and treat the problem before they develop into razor bumps or become infected (folliculitis).
Definition
Ingrown hairs are curling hairs that are sharp enough to bend around and penetrate back into the skin. This causes the body's immune system to react to the hair by causing inflammation around the affected area. Ingrown hairs typically occur anywhere shaving or other hair removal methods are used, such as the back of the neck and beard areas, but can occur anywhere there is hair growth.
Causes
Ingrown hairs can occur on the neck for a variety of reasons, including having curly or coarse hair, shaving too close to the skin, not using a protective shaving cream or gel, or shaving against the natural grain of the hair. Infection of an ingrown hair (folliculitis) can make the situation worse, and according to the Mayo Clinic, is caused by damage to the hair follicle through sweat, friction, shaving, abrasions and open skin wounds such as acne lesions.
Treatment
Unless infected, most ingrown hairs are nothing to worry about and will go away on their own. If ingrown hairs are a reoccurring problem, your doctor might recommend electrolysis or laser hair removal to destroy the offending hair follicle and prevent it from growing hair in the future. Your doctor might also recommend a nightly application of a lotion containing glycolic acid, which according to the New Zealand Dermatological Society, exfoliates the skin cells and can help prevent ingrown hairs from progressing into folliculitis or pseudofolliculitis barbae (shaving bumps).
Prevention
Ingrown hairs on the neck can be prevented in several ways. First, you can let your neck hair grow for at least 30 days between shaving when ingrown hairs occur. After the 30 days, use a single blade razor instead of multiple blades to prevent the shaver from shaving too closely. You might also want to experiment with other hair removal methods, such as a depilatory cream or waxing, to see whether it helps produce fewer shaving bumps. Taking care of your skin in general by regular exfoliation and cleansing (especially after activities that cause you to sweat) can also help prevent ingrown hairs.
Warning
Not taking care of ingrown hairs as they occur can allow the ingrown hair site to progress to serious infection (folliculitis). Although mild cases of infection do not typically cause health problems, serious cases of folliculitis can lead to furunculosis (boils), scarring, and even serious bacterial infections such as cellulitis, which can spread through the body.
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