Thinking of getting yourself waxed? Well, waxing is perhaps one of the biggest necessities of all women, especially for that soft, silky and neat look. But, there are always a few exceptions. Yes… I am talking about those bumpy ingrown hair that emerge soon after you get yourself waxed or shaved. Result, you start wearing long clothes to hide your legs, wear stalking or follow the tips and remedies suggested by the people around you. But, to help you get rid of the ingrown hair, here are a few tried and tested methods you can rely on.

So, understand the reason for the ingrown hair, how they occur and what you can do to avoid them.

Reason for ingrown hair

After you get yourself shaved or waxed, the hair curls up inside the skin and starts growing inside instead of growing outside the skin. This leads to bumpy and darkened skin.

Where do they occur?

Ingrown hair occurs after waxing, shaving or electrolysis when the hair breaks off unevenly. It may also occur when dead skin on your hands or legs clogs up a hair follicle, preventing the hair to grow outside.

The ingrown hair usually occurs under the armpits, legs, hands and pubic area. In mere words, they occur almost every place you wax or shave. However, it happens more in people with curly hair.

What to avoid?

If you have ingrown hair, always make sure that you don’t scratch them or pick them. This may cause scarring, inflammation and sometimes even infection in the skin.

Tips to cure

Gently exfoliate your body and scrub off the dead skin, excessive oil and follicles from your body. Use a warm towel to slowly massage your skin. This will help loosen the skin and hence scrub off the ingrown hair.

Use soaps and cream for acne prone skin which contain benzoyl peroxide to treat them.

Use an oil-moisturizing sun-block on the skin to avoid discoloration.

Tips to Prevent

• Regularly exfoliate your skin. This will help reduce the chances of clogging hair follicles.

• Moisturize your skin properly.

• Use mild products on your body. avoid products high in alcohol and soap.

• Steam your body before you wax or shave. This will help remove the hair easily.

• Use a fresh and sharp razor to shave yourself.

• Always shave in the direction of the hair growth. Take small strokes and clean the razor often.