Ingrown Beard Hairs: How to Prevent Them and What to Do About One

An ingrown hair is a hair that curls back and grows into the skin instead of out of it. You get a red, sore bump, sometimes with a little whitehead on top. They show up most when you shave, and in the first few weeks of growing a beard, when short, freshly cut hairs are curling back toward your face.

Why they happen

• Shaving close. A blade that cuts below the skin, or a dull blade dragged over the same spot three times, leaves a sharp tip that can curl back in.
• Dead skin. It builds up and plugs the opening the hair is supposed to grow out of.
• Curly or coarse hair. The curlier the hair, the more likely it bends back into the skin. Not your fault, but you have to work a little harder.

How to prevent them

If you shave: use a sharp blade and change it often. Shave with the grain, not against it, and don't go over the same spot again and again. One pass with a sharp blade beats three with a dull one. New to safety razors? Astra Platinum blades are the forgiving ones.

If you're growing it out: the itchy, bumpy first month is when ingrowns show up most. Keep the skin moisturized with beard oil, worked down to the skin, not just the hair. Dry, flaky skin traps hair.

Either way: wash your face and beard regularly so dead skin doesn't pile up, and exfoliate gently once or twice a week. A washcloth works. You don't need to scrub your face raw.

What to do when you get one

Leave it alone first. A lot of them work themselves out in a few days.

A warm compress helps. Hold a warm, damp washcloth on it for a few minutes, a couple of times a day. It softens the skin and helps the hair work its way out.

If you can see the hair looped right at the surface, you can lift the end out with clean tweezers. Don't dig for it and don't squeeze it. Don't shave over it either. The blade irritates it and can push the hair back in.

Hydrocolloid patches, the little pimple stickers from the pharmacy, can help bring one to a head.

When to see a doctor

If it's getting bigger, hot, very painful or full of pus, or you're getting them constantly, see a doctor or a dermatologist. A badly infected ingrown hair can need real treatment, and constant ones can leave dark spots or scars.

The beard advantage

Once a beard grows past the stubble stage, the hairs get long enough that they mostly quit curling back into the skin. Plenty of guys who fought razor bumps for years find they mostly go away once they stop shaving. Keep the skin oiled, keep it clean, and give it a few weeks.