Oh, those dreaded ingrown hairs. It seems like they pop up out of nowhere one morning, and by the end of the day, they’re the size of a marble. Besides being extremely painful and tender, ingrown hairs are also capable of destroying your look. These are big and red, meaning that it’s nearly impossible to not notice them on someone else’s face, even if sometimes they have a full beard.
So, what can you do about ingrown hairs? Well, fortunately, there are plenty of ways to prevent them as well as ways to get rid of them before they become massive and throbbing. And, we’re here to help you by guiding you through all of the ways to both prevent and treat ingrown hairs. This way, your beard continues to look it’s best.
What is an Ingrown Hair?
An ingrown hair is a hair that has grown back into the follicle. Once it’s back inside the follicle, the follicle becomes clogged which often leads to an infection. Once the infection has occurred, the follicle becomes extremely inflamed, causing it to become red, swollen and painful to the touch.
Also, an ingrown hair can be caused by a variety of factors. Poor shaving habits can cause an ingrown hair as shaving forces hairs to move in a certain direction. Not to mention, poor skincare habits can result in an ingrown hair. And, sometimes, they just seem to happen for no reason at all.
How Can Ingrown Hairs Be Prevented?
#1: Use a High-Quality, Sharp Razor
It’s crucial that you invest in a high-quality razor that has an extremely sharp blade. That’s because weaker blades will pull on each facial hair, making it more likely to push it back into its follicle. A sharp blade, meanwhile, efficiently cuts the hair rather than pushing it around.
#2: Moisturize Daily
Dry skin is more prone to ingrown hairs because dry skin leads to irritation, which makes it more likely that your facial hairs won’t be able to grow in the right direction. Irritation can cause facial hairs to grow sideways as the skin becomes covered in dry, dead skin cells. So, use a beard oil once each day in order to keep that skin perfectly smooth and hydrated.
#3: Exfoliate Weekly
Exfoliating is essential to keep ingrown hairs away. Exfoliating gently removes debris and dead skin that clogs the pores and follicles. If these follicles are clogged, the facial hair can’t grow in the proper direction, meaning that it will likely have no choice but to grow back into the follicle. Invest in a quality scrub that has what it takes to leave your skin perfectly smooth.
How Can Ingrown Hairs Usually Get Treated?
Treatment Method #1: Hot Compress
If an ingrown hair is only a day or two old, spend fifteen minutes three times each day pressing a hot compress against it. This will usually open up the follicle so that the hair can finally grow in the correct direction.
Treatment Method #2: Antibiotics
For more severe ingrown hairs, you may want to get a prescription antibiotic in order to kill the infection.
Treatment #3: Hydrocolloid Bandages
Hydrocolloid bandages are sold in most pharmacies. They’re essentially band-aids that have a formula embedded in them that forces an ingrown hair to come to a head. Try to keep them on as long as possible for the best results. Most times, a hydrocolloid bandage will drain and open an ingrown hair within two days.
Treatment #4: Dermatological Treatment
If nothing else works, schedule an appointment with a dermatologist so that he or she can treat the ingrown hair in their office.
Don’t Let Ingrown Hairs Mess Up Your Bearded Look in 2022!
There are few things worse than waking up to an ingrown hair. While ingrown hairs can be extremely painful, they’re not that hard to remedy. By following the tips above, you can say goodbye to those horrible red bumps on your face that can take away from how awesome your beard looks.