Everything you need to know about ingrown hairs.

What is an ingrown hair?

   An ingrown hair is a hair that has been trapped under the skin.  

How do ingrown hairs happen?

   It starts off as a normal hair growing in an unsightly place. It grows at a normal pace, it is an average thickness and lives a pretty boring life. In the process of hair removal by  waxing this hair is pulled out at the root. This shocks the follicle and the growth of a new hair is a bit delayed. When a new baby hair forms it’s soft and thin. This hair must crawl before it walks so its quite slow to surface. Your dead skin cells have since collected over the usual exit door creating a barricade that this baby hair just cant push out of the way; thus causing the ingrown hair. 

What does an ingrown hair look like?

   Sometimes you can see the trapped hair at the center of a bump. Other times an ingrown hair can be just under a layer of skin and look like a splinter. Red or pink bumps, itchiness and inflammation are all signs of ingrown hairs. It is also possible for ingrown hairs to be trapped with bacteria which can result in a pimple. Everyone will get an ingrown hair at some point in their life. There are people that get them only a few times and people who have been struggling with them since puberty. 

How do I prevent ingrown hairs?

   Choose a waxing salon that specializes in Hard Wax, which is less likely to break hairs than traditional Soft Wax also known as Speed Wax. Settle for nothing less than the highest standards in sterility. An antiseptic ointment should be applied immediately after a wax to prevent bacteria from entering open pores. In the shower use an exfoliating towel or loofa to slough dead skin cells and prevent them from collecting. If you already know that your skin regularly produces ingrown hairs you can apply an ingrown treatment. YES, there are products that have been created for this very situation! You can find those products here at BOX. We are here to help.