What Does An Ingrown Hair Look Like?

What does an ingrown hair look like? This is a common question for the many men and women who experience this irritating condition. With a little know-how, however, it is easy to spot, treat and prevent ingrown hairs.

In most cases, an ingrown hair is a sore bump that pops up after you've shaved or waxed. Ingrown hairs happen when the hair curls and grows sideways into your skin. This infection may become itchy and may result in a pus-type collection under the skin called razor bumps. Ingrown hairs can pop up just about anywhere. Most commonly, this condition affects recently shaved areas of the body like the legs, armpits and bikini line.

If you have a lot of leg hair or body hair that is curly, you are susceptible to ingrown hairs. This is why it is important to use sharp razors and shaving lotions soothe the skin and pores. If you use a dull razor, you will have to go over sections of skin more than once or twice, and this can irritate the skin and push follicles so they grow at a slant. After shaving or waxing, be sure to add lotion to the area to keep it moisturized and hydrated. Additionally, regular exfoliation can help protect against ingrown hairs.

There are many ways to treat ingrown hairs. For example, placing a warm cloth over the infected area can do a world of good. Additionally, when you shave, try shaving in different directions. Drinking as much water on a daily basis and hydrating the skin with daily application of lotion will help you rid yourself of a nasty ingrown hair. Take the time to exfoliate the infected area as well as applying creams with glycolic acid. To relieve pain and swelling, take ibuprofen. With consistent ingrown hair care, you should be fully healed in a week or two.

Shaving Tips for Women

Kiss razor burn, unwanted hair and cuts goodbye with the shaving tips for women that will help you get a smooth, close shave every time.

A good shave starts with the tools you use. A sharp blade is less likely to irritate your skin than a dull one, so choose a sophisticated razor with multiple blades and replace the blade regularly, especially if you have sensitive skin. You should also use a shaving cream or gel-the richer the lather, the less likely you'll be to cut your skin.

Before you even touch your razor or pick up the shaving cream, let the hair on your legs soften. Begin the process by washing your skin. Then, whether you're in the bath or the shower, wet your legs with hot water and wait a few minutes. After you apply shaving cream, you wait a few more minutes; this will help your blade last longer and makes hair easier to remove.

To avoid razor burn, you'll want to shave in the direction of hair growth on your legs. However, when you're shaving your bikini line, you can go upward against the grain-carefully-to get a closer shave. Similarly, the hair in your armpits grows almost vertically, which means that you can shave in either an upward or downward motion.

Be sure to take extra care around tricky areas, such as your knees and ankles, to avoid nicks and cuts. While you're shaving, keep an eye on how much hair is collecting in your razor. You should rinse the hair out frequently under running water.

Though it may surprise you, even the time of day you shave can affect your results. If you can, shave at night. Shaving removes dead skin cells; although that is a natural and healthy process, it is one that can make your skin extra sensitive for several hours. You should also apply body oil or a soothing moisturizing on your skin after shaving to achieve the smoothest and softest skin.

How to Prevent Ingrown Hairs?

Learn how to prevent ingrown hairs for a comfortable shave and blemish-free skin. Shaving is one of the primary causes of ingrown hairs, but when you follow a few simple tips and techniques, you can reduce the likelihood of getting these painful irritations.

How Ingrown Hairs Are Formed

Shaving causes ingrown hairs, whether on the face, armpit, legs or other part of the body. When the razor blade glides over the skin and hair, it slices the hair shaft close to the skin. The end of the hair is sharpened and can occasionally retract back into the hair follicle. As the hair starts to grow, the tip of the hair curls back down into the follicle rather than grow outward through the surface of the skin. The result is an infected, irritated and inflamed area.

Preventing Ingrown Hairs
To avoid ingrown hairs, shaving should consist of the right equipment and supplies as well as proper technique for achieving a smooth shave without enhancing the conditions for ingrown hairs to form.

1.   Wash the skin thoroughly before shaving. Exfoliating the skin will also slough off oils, dirt and dry skin.

2.   Allow the hair to soften, if possible. For example, a man shaving his face may wrap a hot wet towel around his face so the moisture can penetrate the facial hair.

3.   Apply a shaving cream or gel. Proper lubrication allows the razor to glide over the skin and avoid irritating the surface.

4.   Shave in the direction the hair grows. For example, a woman shaving her legs should shave down rather than up. This is because the hair will be more prone to grow out straight rather than curly.

5.   Use a fresh blade because dull blades will not cut the hair shafts evenly or smoothly.

6.   Keep the pressure on the blade light. Aggressive shaving can press the blade down farther than intended into the skin, causing the hair to be cut of lower than what is comfortable.

7.   Avoid running the blade over the same area of skin once it has been shaved to reduce irritation and bumps on the skin.

8.   Keep the area soothed and moisturized when shaving is finished. Applying specialized lotion can keep the skin from swelling up around the hair follicle.

How to Prepare For Your First Bikini Wax

Yes, a bikini wax is going to hurt, there's really no getting around that. Most women say the pain is just temporary and the results are well worth it. You can have the best possible experience with the following tips:

·         Exfoliate your bikini area the night before your wax. This will remove any dead skin cells and allow the wax to stick the best.

·         Don't get a bikini wax three or four days before or after your period. You are the most sensitive during these times, so the pain may be increased.

·         Take an over-the-counter painkiller like ibuprofen or acetaminophen about 20 minutes before your appointment to head off some of the pain.

·         Relax! The more nervous you are, the more you will tense up, and this is not going to make things any easier. Just breathe deeply and relax. Take a deep breath in when the wax is applied, and then breathe out when the strip is pulled.

·         Your hair needs to be about 1/4" long so the wax can grab it. If you have been shaving or using a hair removal cream, you will need to let the hair grow a bit before you get your bikini wax.

·         Don't wear tight jeans or panties. After your bikini wax, you don't want to wear anything too constricting, as your bikini area is going to be sensitive. Avoiding tight clothing for a day or so can help you avoid ingrown hairs as well.

·         Be sure to shower before your bikini wax, but not immediately before. You want to be clean, but, if you are still damp, the wax won't be as effective.

·         If you begin your bikini wax and truly decide that you can't go through with it, just speak up. It's your body, and, if you change your mind, that's OK. Keep in mind that your first bikini wax will be the most uncomfortable. After that, the hair grows back in finer and thinner, and future waxing is easier.

Tips for a Bikini Wax

If you are getting a bikini wax for the first time, you may be a little nervous. Getting the answers to common bikini wax questions can relieve your anxiety and help you know what to expect.

What Is a Bikini Wax?
A bikini wax is the process of using hot or cold wax to remove the hair from your bikini area, which is everywhere that is covered by your swimsuit bottom or panties. That includes the hair on both your front side and your backside, leaving you with smooth, hairless skin underneath your panties.

There are three types of bikini waxes: hot, warm or cold wax. Hot wax tends to be the preferred method, especially if you have your bikini wax done in a salon. The heat from the hot wax helps open the hair follicle and soften the surrounding skin, so the hair lets loose and is easier to remove. Cold waxing is preferred by women who are particularly sensitive, and it can be a good idea if you are doing a bikini wax at home. Warm wax is a happy medium; it works better than cold wax, but isn't as hot as a hot wax. Cold wax techniques sometimes bypass the use of a cloth strip. Instead, you peel up a corner of the wax and just pull.

There is another option known as "sugaring" that doesn't use a wax, but a sticky sugary substance that has honey, molasses, sugar and other organic ingredients. It makes for an easy cleanup and the results are equal to waxing.

When you use the hot wax method, the wax (usually paraffin or beeswax) is heated and then applied to the area where you want to remove the hair. Next, a piece of cloth, often muslin, is applied on top of the wax and firmly pressed down. This allows the wax to spread evenly across the area and surround each hair. After the wax has cooled, the cloth strip is removed in a quick, smooth yank, and the hair comes off with the wax.

Home or Salon?
You can purchase at-home wax removal kits and do your own bikini wax. Remember to follow the directions to the letter. It is also a good idea to consider a cold wax for an at-home bikini wax to avoid burns.

However, it is usually recommended that you get your first wax at a salon. A technician can also ask you questions about your skin type and can figure out the most effective procedure for you.

The cost of a bikini wax will vary, but expect it to run between $25 and $100. Yes, this is a huge price variation, but it really depends on where you live and what type of salon you visit. If you choose to buy an at-home kit, you will probably spend about $15 to $25 for a one-use kit and upwards of $75 for a professional wax pot with everything you need for several waxes.

One huge advantage that waxing has over shaving or hair removal creams is that waxing will keep you hair-free for four to six weeks, rather than just a few days. Shaving and creams simply remove hair at the surface, but waxing removes the entire hair, including the root.

Underarm Waxing For Men And Women

Underarm wax treatments are easy, safe, and fast. Waxing acts as an exfoliant by removing dead skin cells, which cause dry skin and in-grown hairs. In addition, waxing thins your underarm hair, making it softer, finer, and weaker. Each time you have your underarm hair treatment, it becomes even easier as waxing weakens the hair roots and represses hair growth. This means your underarm waxing treatments become fewer and further between.

Everyone who does it knows that shaving their underarms is a hassle, and that it can result in nicks, irritation, and redness.

Underarm shaving also causes other little miseries like ingrown hairs, the clean shave “shadow”, and itchy skin as the hair grows back. Also, each time you shave, you strengthen the hair follicles and the hair comes back faster and thicker.

Unless you live in other countries or within other cultures where underarm hair is the norm, yours constitutes unwanted body hair.

Preparation Tips For Waxing

For those looking to wax for the very first time, there are a few body waxing tips that you should follow to help make your experience less traumatic. How your body reacts to waxing is entirely different than your neighbor, but these tips will help to minimize the pain and take care of your skin afterwards. By taking care of your skin before and after waxing you are sure to have a pleasant experience rather than dealing with pain and negative after effects.

·         Your hair length should have grown slightly longer than normal to allow the wax to bond to the hair for removal. Many women find it hard to let their hair grow in order to allow it the proper length to wax, but it should not take an extremely long amount of time for your hair to get slightly longer.

·         Be clean before your waxing treatment .Skin that has natural oils on it or even dirt will be harder to wax. By taking a hot shower or applying a warm cloth to the area that is to be waxed will help your skin’s pores open up and make it easier for the hair to be removed.

·         Using a body or face scrub in the shower will help remove any dead skin cells in the desired area as they may cause more pain when it comes time to waxing the hair.

·         There are many different types of numbing sprays to help with the discomfort of the waxing process. Some may find that taking a Tylenol or acetaminophen anywhere from 30-45 minutes before waxing also helps deal with any pain caused.

·         Some women may find that the skin is more sensitive around the time of their menstrual cycle. If this is the case, waxing should be scheduled earlier or later to avoid any unnecessary pain.

·         If acne is a problem, wait until the skin has healed before hair waxing to avoid further irritation.

·         If you choose a bikini wax, make sure it’s not a last-minute decision. Last-minute holidays might be spontaneous and fun but a last minute bikini wax will make you red and sore for the beach. Bikini waxing should be done at least 24 hours before you wear a bikini. Do not expose waxed area to sun for 24 hours to avoid darkening.

After the procedure:

·         Avoid wearing tight clothing over freshly waxed areas to minimize the risk of irritation and ingrown hairs.

·         After 24-48 hours, exfoliate the skin with a Loofah sponge to prevent the dead skin from accumulating.

·         You will not want to exercise the next day to avoid getting sweaty and having your pores become clogged with dirt and oils.

·         Do not try to pop the pimples you may see from waxing as this can spread bacteria on your skin and create more unwanted pimples.