So many men want to talk to me about ingrown hairs. Whether at a party, the gym, in line at the cafe… I find myself offering so much info and even customizing it to their specific concerns that I wonder when they walk out and go home, if they implement anything I said or if they were too overwhelmed to do anything at all.
I decided I had to blog my suggestions and dole them out in three parts so the post is not too massive and can be accessed and implemented at your own leisure. So here you go guys, take notes…
What is an Ingrown Hair?
Ingrown hairs and razor bumps are similar in that they both occur when the end of the hair shaft has been cut and then curls back under the skin, however an ingrown goes right into the same hair follicle while a razor bump curls into another nearby hair follicle (in my opinion, these are the worst). Both conditions result in an inflammatory response whether slight or extreme (redness, itchiness, and/or raised infected area) and in the latter case you may be experiencing acute folliculitis which is when the follicle becomes inflamed and bacteria, yeast, or fungus infect the skin and further irritate an already bad situation.
So, whether you have ingrowns or want to prevent them, if you heed my advice, are consistent in your regimen and patient, know you will eventually notice a clearer and healthier skin.
If you have to wake up five minutes earlier to make this happen, so be it! Prepping the skin pre-shave is crucial if you are dealing with ingrown hairs. How do you do this? Either compress it with hot towels or rinse the face many times with hot water to open the pores. Personally, I think compressing is the most effective method!
This step is important because your pores need to open up so the hairs and any debris can be excreted and not remain trapped under the surface.
After compressing/rinsing you want to continue the process and exfoliate. This means you will use either a scrub or a chemical (natural is preferred) wash to rid the surface of any dead skin cells that may also be preventing the hairs from breaking through the surface. Salicylic acid is great for getting deeper into the pores and breaking up any of that gunk that needs to be excreted. Look for no more than a 2% salicylic acid wash (i.e. white willow bark in it’s natural form) when shopping for a cleanser.
My two favorite products for exfoliating the skin are Pangea Organics Egyptian Geranium with Adzuki Bean and Cranberry facial scrub and Every Man Jack’s Skin Clearing Face Wash that contains 2% salicylic acid which is buffered with great botanical ingredients like aloe vera, rose hips, comfrey, arnica, chamomile and borage. These yummies will temper, regenerate and nourish the skin as well. 
If you are a skin foodie like me you can definitely make your own scrub mixing a little honey, brown sugar, olive oil and dried lemon zest. Store in a tight-lidded jar and keep for as long as it takes for you to use it.
That’s it for now. Stay tuned for Part II later next week when we talk about how to recognize when an ingrown is ready to be removed and how to do it using two different types of tweezers. I will also share with you how to adjust your shaving technique to make sure you are doing more good than harm to your skin.
Until then…
