Irritating ingrown hairs are more likely to crop up around the bikini line than other parts of the body. Waxing can exacerbate the hair follicle and cause dead skin cells to build up inside, resulting in unattractive, itchy red bumps. The curly, coarse pubic hair around your bikini line is more likely to curl back inward as it grows back, increasing your chances. Ingrown hairs after a bikini wax may be inevitable, but there are strategies that can decrease your chances.
Step 1
Use a skincare product that contains salicyclic acid, such as Completely Bare Bikini Bump Blaster, on a daily basis to ensure that the top layer of skin is continually sloughed off, advises "Cosmopolitan" magazine. When the hair around the bikini line returns, this allows the hair follicle to grow outward, rather than back into the skin.
Step 2
Loosen it up. If you tend to get red bumps along your bikini line, wearing loose clothes may reduce your chances. The Mayo Clinic urges you to avoid tightly-fitting clothing, such as jeans and athletic wear, which chafe your skin and irritate the hair follicles.
Step 3
Keep your eye on the spot. If ingrown hairs form, Beauty Brains states than an aspirin-based anti-inflammatory, such as Tend Skin or Paula's Choice Skin Relief, may be helpful. Avoid scrubbing at ingrown hairs that are inflamed.
Step 4
Take a break from waxing to let your skin heal and the hair grow out. Rather than using waxing or shaving to clean up your bikini line--two methods of hair removal the Mayo Clinic cites as common causes of ingrown hairs--consider a hair removal technique that results in more permanent results, such as laser hair removal.
Tips and Warnings
- "Cosmopolitan" magazine mentions that exfoliating before you wax (rather than after) can reduce your chances of getting ingrown hairs along the bikini line.
Things You'll Need
- Skincare product containing salicyclic acid
- Aspirin-based anti-inflammatory
- Loose clothing
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