Thursday 16 August 2012

What is an ingrown hair?

What is an ingrown Hair?


Ingrown hair is a condition where hair curls back or grows sideways into the skin The ingrown hair condition is seen primarily among people having curly hair. It may or may not be accompanied by an infection of the hair follicle or "razor bumps", which vary in size. While ingrown hair most commonly appears in areas where the skin is shaved or waxed (Beard, chest, pubic area), it can appear anywhere.
Anything which causes the hair to be broken off short with a sharp tip can cause ingrown hair. Shaving is the leading cause, followed by waxing and tight clothing. The embedded hair causes a localised inflammation (sometimes painful). Sometimes an ingrown hair occurs without external intervention, when the pore is blocked for various reasons, hair is forced to grow sideways in this case.
Symptoms include rash, itching skin, hair which remains in spite of shaving, and infection and pus collecting under skin. Treatments for ingrown hairs include putting a warm washcloth over the ingrown hair, shaving in a different direction, tweezing, exfoliating  scrubs, or Tend Skin solution www.tendskin.com.au


                                                     

Prevention

There are a few precautions that can be taken to prevent ingrown hairs including proper shaving techniques and preparation of the skin before shaving.
When shaving, applying the proper amount of lubrication (in the form of shaving cream, gel Urban Male recommends Vitaman shave creme or Gel www.vitaman.com.au) is important to prevent the hair from being forced underneath the surface of the skin. Also the application of too much force with a razor can contribute to hair that is cut shorter than the surrounding dermis.

Treatment

There are many different treatments for ingrown hairs.
  1. They can be removed with tweezers (though this can be painful and might cause infections) or dislodged with a rotatable medical device for ingrown hairs.
  2. Some people who chronically get ingrown hairs use laser treatment or electrolysis to completely prevent hair growth.
  3. Tenskin or similar ingrown hair lotions or creams which bring the ingrown hair to the surface of the skin.

No comments:

Post a Comment