A razor bump in the armpit is caused when hair that is shaved, tweezed or chemically removed grows out and curves around back into the skin. The armpit area is one of the most common areas in which women get ingrown hairs. This can cause irritated, painful, red bumps that may be pus-filled and itchy. In most cases, ingrown hairs improve on their own with time; however, it is possible to speed the healing along.
Step 1
Stop hair removal efforts in the armpit area, until the ingrown hair heals. This may take three to four weeks, according to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.
Step 2
Wear loose shirts while you have the ingrown hair to minimize the chance of sweating.
Step 3
Place a hot compress in your armpit three times per day. Wet a washcloth in hot water, and place it in your armpit.
Step 4
Apply 1 percent hydrocortisone cream two to three times per day after applying the hot compress to help control itching in the area. Apply this before you put deodorant on, so the cream is applied directly to the skin.
Step 5
Remove the ingrown hair using a sterilized needle when you can see the loop of hair that extends from the hair follicle to the spot where it has grown into the skin. Place the needle in alcohol for five to 10 minutes to sterilize it. If you can't see the hair loop, ask a friend to check for you.
Step 6
Put triple antibiotic ointment on the affected area according to the manufacturer's directions to minimize the risk of infection.
Tips and Warnings
- Contact your doctor if you notice signs of infection, which include increased pain, yellow or yellowish-green discharge, increased swelling, and the area feeling hot to the touch. You should also call your doctor if you get ingrown armpit hair almost every time you shave. You doctor may prescribe corticosteroids, antibiotics or rentinoids to help manage the ingrown hairs, explains the Mayo Clinic.
Things You'll Need
- Loose shirts
- Hot compress, hot washcloth
- Hydrocortisone cream
- Needle
- Alcohol
- Triple antibiotic ointment
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