Ingrown hair on legs

Contents

Ingrown hair symptoms on legs
Why does hair grow
How to get rid of ingrown hairs at home
Safety measures
Funds overview
Prevention of ingrown hairs

How many women fight for flawlessly smooth skin of the legs, so much there is an unpleasant “complication” of this struggle in the form of ingrown hairs. How to get rid of them and prevent the problem?

Ingrown hair symptoms on legs

Ingrown hairs on the legs are usually not confused with anything. The skin of the legs is not oily, and if something resembling a ripening pimple appears on the lower leg or thigh, it is highly likely either an infection introduced during careless depilation or injury, or an ingrown hair that looks like a tubercle with a distinct black dot or dash under the skin.

Other symptoms include:

itching;
redness and swelling around the pimple;
unpleasant painful sensations when pressed;
with inflammation, a pimple with white purulent contents around an ingrown hair.

It all starts with the fact that the hair, which is programmed to grow up, does not find an exit to the surface of the skin. As a result, it grows under it, horizontally, creating all these unpleasant sensations.

Ingrown hair pattern.

After epilation or depilation, red dots are often visible on the skin in places of hair follicles. This is folliculitis, inflammation of the hair follicle after an injury, which can be considered a natural skin reaction to hair removal (with or without a root). As a rule, if hygiene is observed, after 1-2 days these points disappear, the inflammation disappears.

Why does hair grow

Hair begins to grow only after epilation or depilation – interference with the natural course of events. But, fortunately, this is not the case for everyone. Why does this still happen?

Hair follicle injury. For example, during electro- or waxing, the bulb has shifted at the mouth, but has not been removed. Due to the displacement, the direction of hair growth is disturbed, it is pulled out under the skin without breaking through the stratum corneum.
Incorrect sugaring (sugaring) or waxing technique. According to the rules, the product is applied in the direction of hair growth, and removed (along with hairs) – against their growth. It is physiological and less traumatic. If you do the opposite, there is a risk of ingrown hairs.
A wax strip is applied along the hair growth, and removed in the opposite direction with a sharp movement. © Healthy-Food
After traumatic shaving (depilation), the integrity of the skin is also violated. Due to damage to the surface layers of the skin and tissue displacement, the direction of hair growth may change. It is not recommended to stretch the skin when shaving (as opposed to sugaring or waxing), because the top of the cut hair may remain below the level of the epidermis and, therefore, it may begin to grow under the skin.
Too dense stratum corneum. It just prevents the hairs from breaking through and growing perpendicularly. This can be a consequence of both a physiological feature and insufficient exfoliation – scrubs are necessary to care for the skin of the body.
Too hard and thick hairs. In people with IV-VI phototypes, as a rule, hairs are removed with difficulty, so there is a high risk that even if the hair is removed, the root remains, and therefore an ingrown hair may appear. Take our test and find out your phototype.
Tight clothing is often cited as one of the causes of ingrown hair after epilation and depilation. Clothing, in principle, should be comfortable – do not rub, do not cut into the body and do not restrict movement, and after the hair removal procedure this is an indispensable condition.

How to get rid of ingrown hairs at home

Of course, you can remove an ingrown hair at home. The Internet is full of detailed step-by-step instructions with the ridiculous title “how to treat ingrown hairs.” This procedure is in many ways similar to removing a splinter with a needle. But all such methods of independent “surgical” intervention create a rather high risk of infection with all the ensuing troubles in the form of inflammation, suppuration, etc. Have pity on your legs and entrust the “operation” to a specialist who has a sterile instrument in store for such cases, and not a sewing needle.

Less radical folk methods like constant scrubbing and a hard washcloth will help get rid of an ingrown hair only if it is very close to the surface, but it will easily cause irritation and redness. If you overdo it, you can literally erase the skin to holes. For the prevention of ingrown hairs, and indeed for clean and smooth skin, a body scrub is very necessary, but you need to use it 1-2 times a week.

Safety measures

What can not be done with ingrown hair?

Ignore the problem. It is necessary to get rid of ingrown hairs, otherwise sooner or later it will lead to inflammation.
Rip out the skin. It is better to go to a beautician in a salon where hair removal is practiced.
Scrub and rub the skin strongly, if it came to an abscess – you first need to cure the inflammation.
Try to get rid of ingrown hairs without washing your hands, using a non-sterile needle or tweezers.
Forget to moisturize the skin after scrubbing and removing ingrown hairs.

Moisturizing the skin is a mandatory step in the overall scheme of epilation or depilation. © Healthy-Food

Funds overview

A whole arsenal of tools helps to avoid the appearance of ingrown hairs after shaving the legs or any other types of depilation and epilation, as well as to help in the procedure for getting rid of them.

Body Scrub.
Cream after depilation.
Shaving care.
Softening and moisturizing milk or cream.

When caring for skin with ingrown hairs, give preference to products for sensitive skin. Products designed for children are also a good option.

Body scrubs

Precious Beauty Scrub, Garnier enriched with nourishing argan, macadamia, rose and almond oils that soften the skin. The exfoliant is argan seed shell particles.

Soft body scrub with soy milk and honey aroma, Kiehl’s has a pleasant aroma and contains gently exfoliating particles. Leaves skin soft & smooth.

Let us remind you of the rules for foot scrubbing:

Moisturizing care for the skin of the legs after shaving

Soothing melting body milk with bifido complex and oat milk for dry and sensitive skin, Garnier includes a moisturizing bifido complex for sensitive skin – a good option for softening the skin.

Moisturizing lotion for dry and very dry skin of the face and body, CeraVe has a very soft and delicate texture, contains ceramides, which are an integral part of the hydrolipidic mantle of the skin, and hyaluronic acid, a powerful moisturizing component.

Intensively regenerating body milk Nutrix Royal Body, Lancôme due to the action of hazelnut peptides and shea butter, it helps to restore the skin, softens the epidermis.

Body milk Life Plankton, Biotherm It has a light texture and is suitable for sensitive skin. Intensively moisturizes. Plankton extract in the composition restores the skin.

Features of composition

All anti-ingrown hair products should contain soothing and softening ingredients:

daisy;
allantoin;
hyaluronic acid;
B vitamins.

Chamomile, calendula and other medicinal plants help soothe the skin after waxing or shaving.

Prevention of ingrown hairs

To avoid this unpleasant complication in the fight against unwanted vegetation, it is necessary to adhere to reasonable and time-tested rules.

Steam the skin before epilation or depilation.
Cleanse the skin before epilation and depilation.
Regular mechanical exfoliation.
After scrubbing, always apply cream, body milk.
After depilation, use a soothing lotion or other soothing aftershave (you can from the men’s arsenal).
Wear comfortable clothes.

What advice can you give? Please write in the comments.