Hair Bumps & How to Get Rid of Them!

Above are some before and after pictures of one of my clients.  Of course these pictures were shared with permission.  Hair Bumps are also known as ingrown Hairs.

After a hair has been shaved, it begins to grow back. Curly hair tends to curl into the skin instead of straight out the follicle, leading to an inflammation reaction. Hair bumps can make the skin look itchy and red, and in some cases, it can even look like pimples. These inflamed papules or pustules can form especially if the area becomes infected.

​This is especially problematic for these who have naturally coarse or tightly curling thick hair. Curly hair increases the likelihood of hair bumps. If left untreated over time, this can cause keloid scarring, dark spots and other irritation.

HOW TO GET RID OF THEM!
1. Get a good light (use your phone), face tissue, a clean (disinfect both) pair of tweezers and sewing needle or safety pin.
2. Use a mild face cleanser or soapbar. Wash the area.
3. Apply a clean warm cloth for 5-10 minutes to soften the skin.
4. GENTLY break the skin of each hair bump with the sewing needle and use the sewing needle to lift the hair up out of the bump. You need to put the end of each hair on the outside of your skin so that it grows as normal. This is so that the hair can stop growing into your skin causing the bump. Use tweezers if you have to pull a little bit but DO NOT PULL THE ENTIRE PIECE OF HAIR OUT.
5. Do this for EACH bump (might take a while). Use facial tissue to wipe needle/tweezers/face area clean. Use the warm cloth to keep skin soft. Don’t try this on unsoftened skin!
6. Afterward apply Toner to your hair bump area with a cotton ball twice a day after you cleanse the area. If you find that cleansing to often dries your skin, cut back to once a day.
7. Wash and disinfect your tweezer and sewing needle. Save for later.
8. Try exfoliating with the White Willow Coconut Sugar Face Scrub or Skin Renewal Bilberry AHA Cream (great for dark spots) 1-2x/week to remove dead skin cells that can clog pores.
9. If hair bumps are on other parts of the body (underarms/bikini) use, the Sandalwood & Lavender Sugar Scrub to exfoliate. You can use our Toner on these areas as well and apply Whipped Body Butter. The Skin Renewal Bilberry AHA Cream can tingle in these delicate areas so I wouldn’t suggest it be used under the arm or bikini.

PREVENTION
Preventing ingrown hairs is all about removing dead skin and removing hairs in a way that won’t cause them to curl back. Here are simple steps to prevent ingrown hairs. To exfoliate, use the sisal cloth sack if your skin is extra sensitive and our sugar scrub if it’s extra dry. Another option is dry brushing. It’s an ancient ayurvedic technique and in addition to removing dead skin sells, it also kick starts your lymphatic system, which helps remove toxins from the body.

OTHER USEFUL INFO

BIKINI AREA: Tight clothing can cause ingrown hairs, especially tight underwear. Skin is its healthiest when it’s allowed to breathe. The elastic in tight underwear presses into the skin, trapping hair as it begins to grow back and giving way to bothersome ingrown hairs. Try wearing loose boy shorts or soft 100% cotton underwear.
WAXING: pulls hairs directly from the root. Each hair follicle is connected to a small tube, which is responsible for guiding the hair to the surface when it grows back. Waxing pulls the hair so quickly that the follicle and tube become damaged. When the tube’s lining is damaged, it can’t guide the hair. The hair becomes caught under the skin, causing ingrowns. Shaving The problem occurs when your hair starts growing back. It can become trapped below the skin, causing dead skin cells to find their way into the hair follicle. The result is an ingrown hair that’s painful and inflamed.
AGGRESSIVE RAZORS: with multiple blades were designed for coarse facial hair so they’d achieve a smoother shave with fewer passes. In other words, they’re better designed for men’s faces, not women’s bodies.
DULL BLADES: can cause the same problem. When you shave with dull blades, they leave the end of the hair jagged as opposed to a clean cut, resulting in irritation as the hair grows back.

Be Well!

Until Next Time!