What do ingrown hairs do

The new hair may grow sideways and eventually curl back down. When this happens, the hair follicle can close over the hair so it becomes stuck, or ingrown. The skin responds by becoming inflamed, treating the curled-back hair as a foreign object. You may also be at greater risk for developing bumps with ingrown hairs if you have naturally curly hair. The primary goal of treatment is to reduce surrounding inflammation and decrease your risk for infection.

Possible treatments for razor bumps include keeping the skin moisturized and discontinuing shaving, which allows the ingrown hairs to grow out. Over-the-counter OTC medications containing benzoyl peroxide or retinoids can reduce inflammation and decrease the size of razor bumps or ingrown hair cysts.

For example, a healthcare professional may prescribe a steroid cream such as hydrocortisone to help reduce redness and pain around the bump or cyst. The ultimate goal of treatment for any ingrown hairs is to reduce their occurrence by keeping the skin exfoliated and moisturized.

Body washes and lotions made with gentle glycolic acid will help. However, once an ingrown hair cyst has become inflamed and starts to fluctuate in size, incision and drainage may be required to shrink the cyst and remove the ingrown hair. Never pop an ingrown hair cyst, as this can increase your risk for infection and scarring.

At this point, the hair is embedded far too deep underneath the bump or cyst for you to pull it out. Instead, you should encourage the bumps and cysts to go down and the hair to straighten upward by gently scrubbing them with a warm cloth a couple of times a day.

If you develop an infection, a healthcare professional will prescribe either topical or oral antibiotics. Antibiotics will help reduce inflammation and pain while also preventing the infection from spreading and getting worse. These medicines can cause dry skin. This medication is dangerous to the baby and can cause birth defects.

If the ingrown pubic hair gets infected , the bumps may be painful and filled with pus. To treat the infection, you may need to see your doctor. Your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic ointment or wash. If the infection is severe, you might need to take an antibiotic by mouth. A few over-the-counter OTC and home remedies can relieve bumps and possibly prevent ingrown hairs.

Here are a few to try. If you do continue to groom your pubic hair, follow these steps to prevent future ingrown pubic hairs. Treating the pubic region before using a razor to shave may reduce your risk for ingrown hairs when the hair starts to grow back. First, wash your skin with a mild soap. Some razors are designed to reduce the risk of ingrown hairs. You can try one of these special razors , or just buy a single-bladed razor. If your razor is several uses old, replace it with a fresh one.

Though expensive, laser hair removal is a long-lasting solution to ingrown hairs. Laser hair removal removes hair at a deeper level, damaging the hair follicle. In most cases, that prevents the hair from growing back. Laser hair removal requires several treatments over the course of a few weeks and months, but the results are usually semi-permanent.

Chemical hair removers are an option, but they can irritate sensitive skin. Test the hair remover on a small patch of skin on another part of your body before using it on your pubic area. Page last reviewed: 07 August Next review due: 07 August Ingrown hairs.

Check if you have ingrown hair Credit:. To help prevent ingrown hairs, avoid shaving, tweezing and waxing. If that's not an option, use these tips to make ingrown hairs less likely:. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview An ingrown hair occurs when a shaved or tweezed hair grows back into the skin. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Pseudofolliculitis barbae Open pop-up dialog box Close. Pseudofolliculitis barbae Razor bumps pseudofolliculitis barbae affects men with curly beards.