Ingrown hair curls back on itself and grows inwards rather than breaking through the skin surface and rising upwards as with the rest of body hair. Grease, dirt, oil accumulation and clogged hair follicles force the hair to grow sideways under the skin, rather than project out o the skin. Ingrown hairs can appear on any part of the body like the face, arms, legs, underarms, neck and head.
Although this condition is not serious, inflammation of the follicles can cause redness, itching and in severe cases, a lot of pain in the affected area. In mild cases however, ingrown hair produces a raised, red bump similar to a pimple. Hair growth under the skin can also form large boils that are painful and itchy. What follows is a list of remedies to get rid of ingrown hairs at home. For serious cases, it is important to visit a dermatologist for its removal.
Scrub the ingrown hair gently two times a day to remove dirt, dead skin cells and oils that have accumulated that might be trapping the ingrown hair. Exfoliation will also physically jerk the tip of the hair out of the skin. While scrubbing around the area try to come at the hair from a variety of directions to nudge it out.
You will have to exfoliate sufficiently to achieve this effect. While scrubbing, try to cover as much area as possible without being very harsh to prevent bleeding in the area. Exfoliation is a good treatment of ingrown hair and helps to rid the body of it quickly, with minimum effort.
Home scrub packs are a very useful ingrown hair treatment. Make a paste of half a teaspoon of salt in a few drops of water and apply to a loofah or scrub brush. Rub this mixture very gently in circular motions on and around the affected area. Salt is not only a powerful exfoliating agent, but also helps to increase blood circulation, which in-turn catalyzes the healing process and reduces swelling in the skin.
Another homemade scrub is a mixture of olive oil and sugar. Sugar is a gentle exfoliating agent which rids the body of dead skin cells. This mixture of a teaspoon sugar in an equivalent portion of olive oil helps to get the ingrown hair point back out of the skin. Olive oil is an effective moisturizing agent that makes the sugar scrub even smoother, making the exfoliation process very gentle yet effective.
If you are unsure of how to get rid of ingrown hair, the simplest way to rid your body of it is to use a pair to tweezers to nip it out. If a hair has curled back on itself and penetrated your skin head first, place a soft washcloth soaked in hot water over the area.
Leave the cloth on for a span of about five minutes to open up the skin pores and soften the hair. Using a pair of tweezers, gently pull the hair tip away from the skin. Once you have the hair out, use nail scissors to trim the curl.
Soak clean gauze or a napkin in warm water for about five minutes. Apply the moist compress to the affected area for a few minutes. The compress softens the skin, opens up the pores and makes it easier to access the ingrown hair.
Repeat the process about five times, waiting for the washcloth to cool down and wetting again in warm water. The warm compress treatment is used to bring embedded hair closer to the surface. Within a few applications of the compress the embedded hair breaks through the skin surface, making it easier to remove.
Those unsure of how to cure ingrown hair will be surprised to know that a simple moisturizing lotion is an effective remedy. Moisturize the affected growth area in generous measures. When you are confronted with ingrown hair, moisturize the area even if it is not dry. This helps to soothe redness, itching and irritation caused by the follicle.
Apply a moisturizing cream or lotion before you go to bed and leave it on overnight. This will keep your skin soft so that it is easy for hair to push out of the skin and for you to remove them.
If your hair is stubbornly ingrown, a wise option would be to wait for the hair to grow over a few weeks. At some point during its growth, the hair will break through the skin and rise to the surface. Continue with your exfoliation, moisturizing and cleaning processes until the hair breaks through. A waiting period of two weeks is recommended to let the hair grow naturally and bend outwards.
Use a vinegar soak as a quick fix treatment for ingrown hair. The soak applied on the affected area brings the hair to the surface. This remedy consists of one part white vinegar and one part water to form a vinegar soak solution.
Dip a washcloth in this solution and soak the affected area for about ten minutes. Gently rub over the ingrown hair with the washcloth to ensure maximum solution is absorbed by the body in the affected area. Vinegar acts as an exfoliate, kills bacteria and removes dead skin cells in the area that may to contributing to the formation of ingrown hair.
Apply a generous measure of acne medication. The salicylic acid in acne lotion or cream will help to reduce the swelling caused by the ingrown hair and aid in the breaking process of the hair through the skin.
Salicylic acid works as a disinfectant and exfoliating agent to get rid of dead cells and unclog pores.
Aspirin is another effective ingrown hair treatment. Drop two non-coated aspirins into a teaspoon of warm water and apply the resultant paste on the affected area of the skin. Aspirin is a pain relieving agent and eases the burning caused by ingrown hair.
After about twenty minutes, wash the affected area with lukewarm water. This remedy is extremely effective and can be used to eliminate ingrown hair on the legs, arms, face, armpits and bikini line.
Follow these home remedies for ingrown hair to get rid of this condition easily and quickly.
Photo Credit: http://desi4eva.hubpages.com/hub/Get-rid-of-an-infected-ingrown-hair
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