Ingrown hair on the legs is really not a good sight to see and, also, not a good sensation to feel. Hence, I can surely understand you if you are asking for tips on how to get rid of ingrown hairs on legs today. This article will guide you through understanding ingrown hairs, getting rid of them, and preventing them from coming back.
The Causes of Ingrown Hair
There are a couple of causes known to contribute to the growth of ingrown hair on the legs. Usually, it is a result of applying one of the many hair removal methods, such as electrolysis, laser hair removal, plucking, shaving, or waxing. If wrongly applied, these methods could irritate the hair follicles and when the dead cells start to accumulate at the site of the irritation, they trigger ingrown hairs. As a new hair grows, the hair will be trapped under the skin and is prevented from growing off the skin as it normally would. The hair curls back into the skin, growing its way through the skin layers, causing inflamation and pain.
Besides these aforementioned causes, there are still more factors that can trigger ingrown hairs. This includes lack of moisture on the skin, stiff hair growth, curly hair, and oils embedded in the hair follicles. Genetics can also make someone more prone to ingrown hair, especially when dead skin cells start to gather in the surface of the skin and inside the pores.
to sum up, the underlying causes of ingrown hairs are:
- wrongly applied hair removal methods
- dry skin
- stiff hair growth
- curly hair
- oily hair follicle glands
- genetics
Getting Rid of Ingrown Hairs on Legs
There are certain ways on how to get rid of ingrown hair on the legs. Check out these following solutions:
- Tweeze the ingrown hair out. Ingrown hair lies just beneath the first layer of the skin. Hence, it will be easy for you to coax the hair out using a pair of tweezers (no needles!). Scrape the skin gently and lift the hair out if you can. At this point, you can either pluck the hair to remove it, and treat with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. However, if you do this, infection and scarring could come in the picture. Alternatively, you leave the hair once you have gotten it ‘above ground’, and give the skin the time to heal before irritating the hair follicle again.
- Let the ingrown hair free itself. If you are patient enough, wait for the ingrown hair to eventually free itself. As the hair grows, it will eventually grow out of the skin trapping it.
- Reduce the redness and swelling of ingrown hair. Products that contain salicylic acid, witch hazel, or azulene can help reduce the swelling and redness of the ingrown hair. These products can also moisturize and exfoliate the skin, not to mention yet that they can clear clogged pores for better healing.
- Massage the skin with a loofah or mesh sponge. After submitting to hair removal methods, exfoliate the skin regularly using a loofah or sponge. This process will take off the thin layer of the skin trapping the ingrown hair.
- Use antibacterial soap. Speed up the healing and inflammation of the ingrown hair by using antibacterial soap containing benzyl peroxide at least twice a day. This will be more efficient if coupled with the application of hydrocotisone cream on the bumps.
Preventing Ingrown Hairs
One of the best ways to prevent ingrown hair is to adjust your hair removal procedures. If waxing and shaving gives you a lot of ingrown hair on the legs, you must make an effort to know how to properly use waxing and shaving methods to make sure you don’t get ingrown hairs again. Shave in the direction of the hair growth, use a shaving gel instead of shaving cream, and start exfoliating your skin. You can also submit yourself to permanent hair removal options such as laser, electrolysis, and hair removal cream products. It follows that when you don’t need to pluck, shave, or wax hair again, there is no chance anymore of getting ingrown hair.
Another way to prevent ingrown hair is to always moisturize and exfoliate your legs. Using moisturizer every day will make sure that your skin is soft and your hair will grow softer. This will prevent the hair from boring into the skin. On the other hand, a gentle exfoliation everyday can remove dead skin cells and so prevent them from clogging the skin surface and the pores. Cleansers, loofahs, and mild scrubs are only your few options when exfoliating your skin.
Ingrown hairs can be very itchy, painful, and irritating. In addition, there are risks of infection and scarring. Hence, there is no point for you not to take action. As early as possible, learn how to get rid of ingrown hairs to free yourself from frustrations and a lot of other troubles in the future.
Did you suffer from ingrown hairs before, and have a solution to share? Let us know in the comments below.
