Ingrown facial hairs are caused by shaving the beard area. According to the Mayo Clinic, the face is one of the most common areas for men, especially African American men ages 14 to 25, to get ingrown hairs. An ingrown hair causes an area of irritation that may be itchy and painful. While ingrown hairs will often heal on their own, it is possible to help the healing process and remove the ingrown hair.
Hair Loop
When the ingrown hair first becomes irritated, there may not be any way to remove the ingrown portion of the hair. However, you can apply warm compresses to speed the healing of the ingrown hair. Place a towel that has been dipped in hot water against your face for approximately five minutes. You can also use a benzoyl peroxide soap to wash your face to minimize the risk of infection, according to the Mother Nature website. Additionally, you can apply hydrocortisone cream to the area if it itches.
When Hair Loop is Visible
Once you can see a loop of hair that extends from the spot where the hair tip has grown into the skin to the natural hair follicle, you can remove the ingrown end of the hair using a sanitized needle. You can use alcohol to sanitize the needle before slipping it under the hair loop and gently pulling the ingrown end out of your skin. When you do this, take care not to pull the entire hair out of the natural follicle, as this may increase your risk of getting an ingrown hair in the future. Do not try to dig the ingrown hair out of the skin, as this may cause an infection that can lead to permanent scarring. Until you can see the hair loop extend out of the skin, the ingrown hair is considered embedded.
Once Removed
After you have pulled the ingrown tip hair out of your skin, you should let the area completely heal before you attempt to shave your face again. While it is healing, apply triple antibiotic ointment to the area to reduce the risk of scarring. You can also continue applying hot compresses to the area until the irritation is gone.
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