Ingrown hairs on your bikini line are unattractive, painful and itchy, and can lead to folliculitis, an infection of the hair follicle. They usually occur when the hair is cut too short, or forced back into the skin while shaving. Luckily, you can prevent ingrown hairs on the bikini line by taking some simple precautions before you start your hair removal routine. Preparing the area carefully beforehand can save you the embarrassment and pain of bumpy ingrown hairs on your bikini line.
Step 1
Wait until you've been awake for 30 minutes before you attempt to remove the hair on your bikini line. When you sleep, your skin retains fluids and makes your skin puffy. Waiting for 30 minutes allows more of your hair shaft to become exposed as your skin becomes tighter, resulting in a cleaner shave and a lower chance for ingrown hairs, points out the Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
Step 2
Shave while in the shower. This allows the heat to soften the hair and makes it easier to remove. You can also exfoliate while in the shower to slough off dead skin cells and make hair removal easier, says Rene Andersen, owner of Lulur Day Spa in Los Angeles, in "Cosmopolitan" magazine. Use a loofah and gently exfoliate the area to fully prepare it for hair removal.
Step 3
Trim the hair on the bikini line with a pair of hair-cutting scissors or an electric trimmer. Cutting hair down to size means that you're shaving off less, and therefore have less of a chance for hair to puncture into the skin, says the PAMF. It also creates less drag for the razor and makes the hair removal more successful.
Step 4
Use a brand-new razor that is as sharp as possible. A new razor will be more precises and have less drag. The drag is what pulls the hair, rather than cutting it, causing it to go back into the skin. Use a good-quality replaceable razor over a cheaper disposable one. Apply at least a golf ball sized amount of shaving cream to the area to protect the skin from razor bumps.
Step 5
Shave in the direction of the hair growth. Working in the opposite direction forces the hair back onto itself, and ultimately into the skin. Shave upward, pulling skin taut for the closest shave with the least chance for ingrown hairs, suggests KidsHealth, an educational site funded by the Nemours Foundation.
Step 6
Use another method of hair removal if you still have ingrown hairs after changing your method of shaving. Shaving can cause ingrown hairs because it cuts the hair off at the surface or drags it back into the skin. Waxing removes hair at the root, leaving you with a lower chance of ingrown hairs. Depilatories are another good choice for the bikini line, as they dissolve hair away.
Things You'll Need
- Exfoliating cream or loofah
- Scissors
- New razor
- Shaving cream or gel
Member Comments