Ingrown hairs, those annoying and often unsightly red bumps that appear after hair removal. They are a fact of life for many of us, but we are here to shed some light on the causes, prevention, and treatment of ingrown hairs, so that you can achieve the best result possible from your waxing service! MKP isn’t just about hair removal, we are about body wellness care!

Causes

There are multiple factors that can make someone more likely to get ingrown hairs, and some are more avoidable than others. Dead skincells that accumulate on the skin can block hairs from being able to grow normally. People who have naturally dry skin, are more likely to run into this issue, as they will have a greater amount of dead skin cells than those with normal or oily skin. Skin irritation can also increase the likelihood of ingrown hairs and can be caused by rubbing the area that has been waxed too aggressively, or by using products with irritating ingredients. People who have thick or curly hair, a lot of hair growth, or thick skin are also at a higher risk of getting ingrown hairs (sorry guys.)

Prevention

If you suffer from ingrown hairs, prevention is key. First, work with your Wax Artist to find the best form of hair removal for your skin. Waxing isn’t one size fits all, which is why we offer three different methods in our salon. Once you find which method causes you the least trouble, stick with it! From there, it is best to make sure you are only using products that don’t irritate your skin. We also recommend taking the time to gently exfoliate 3-5 times a week. The key word here is GENTLY. Using a sugar scrub is a great way to clear up dead skin cells, without being too harsh. We offer two different sugar scrubs in our salon, the Foamy Cookie Scrub, and the Rose + Oxygen Scrub. Ask your Wax Artist during your appointment which scrub they think is best suited to your needs! Lastly, we recommend making sure the area is moisturized. If you aren’t sure what kind of product to use, our Ingrown Smooth Balm can act as a great moisturizer, that also fights inflammation! Basically, the goal is to combat all the reasons you can that cause ingrown hairs in the first place. You can’t change your hair texture or skin thickness, but you can reduce the amount of irritation to the area and you can fight dead skin cells building up with a double wammy of exfoliation to remove the dead skin and moisturization to prevent having as many dead skin cells in the first place!

Treatment

If you’ve done everything in your power to prevent ingrown hairs and still get one, leave it alone! Fight the urge to pick, scratch, or remove the ingrown hair with your fingers, tweezers, etc., as this can easily lead to infection or scaring. In most cases, ingrown hairs will heal on their own. Keeping up with your gentle exfoliation routine can help speed up the healing process. You can also apply our Ingrown Smooth Balm, or cortisone cream to help reduce inflammation. If you believe an ingrown hair has become infected, please contact your doctor or dermatologist.

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