Ingrown hairs can appear anywhere that the hair experiences a great deal of friction, or where the hair is shaved or waxed repeatedly, such as under the arms. The growing hair under the arms will become trapped underneath the skin, and continue growing there, while getting infected with bacteria. Pus forms inside the ingrown hair, causing the area to resemble a large acne blemish. Ingrown hairs in the underarms can be painful and irritating, but can be diminished by following a few guidelines that will prevent them from occurring again.
Step 1
Soak the underarms in hot water to open the pores, allowing the pus to drain out. Place a washcloth into very hot water, and place the washcloth onto the underarms, focusing on the area that contains the ingrown hairs. Allow the washcloth to remain on the skin until it cools down, then repeat the entire process again.
Step 2
Apply an exfoliating scrub, which will remove dead skin that could be exacerbating the ingrown hairs and preventing them from draining. While the skin is still wet from the hot washcloth, pour 1 Tbsp. of baking soda into your hand, and drizzle 1 tsp. of hot water onto it. Spread the mixture onto the wet underarms, massaging the mixture in for 3 minutes. Rinse off the skin well with water. Pat the area dry with a towel.
Step 3
Use tweezers to carefully pull out the trapped hair once the pus has drained out. Looking in a mirror, carefully place the end of the tweezers underneath the loop of the ingrown hair, which will be clearly visible after the skin has been soaked and exfoliated. Carefully and gently pull the tweezers upward, which will pull out the end of the hair that has been trapped underneath the skin. Allow the root of the hair to remain attached to the skin, which will help the skin heal more naturally.
Tips and Warnings
- Soaking the skin in hot water helps to relieve ingrown hairs by softening the skin, opening the pores to relieve entrapment, and encouraging the puss to drain out of the pores. Applying an exfoliant removes any dead skin cells or impurities that could be preventing the pores from releasing the pus and bacteria inside the ingrown hairs. When removing the ingrown hairs with the tweezers, be careful not to tear or aggravate the surrounding skin, which can exacerbate and inflame the bumps.
Things You'll Need
- Washcloth
- Baking soda
- Water
- Tweezers
- Mirror
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