Ingrown Hair Health Video

Video Transcript

SKYLAR ULRICH, MD: Hi. I'm Dr. Skylar Ulrich. I'm going to talk to you about ingrown hair. An ingrown hair is generally a hair which has grown underneath the skin instead of out of the hair follicle. The symptoms are a red, raised papule which may have pus at the site of the hair follicle. Treatment of an ingrown hair is to remove the hair that has grown underneath the dermis. This may require a small incision with a scalpel by a practitioner or it may be accomplished easily at home by using tweezers. It depends on the extent of the ingrown hair. Prevention of the ingrown hair is by making sure that the area where you are getting ingrown hairs is kept clean, that you change your razor blades frequently, and that you use good sanitary practices while shaving. Other ways to prevent ingrown hairs is to avoid shaving in areas where you may develop ingrown hairs. This is in the armpit and the groin typically. Avoiding very tight clothing during exercise will also help prevent ingrown hairs.