Lots of guys want to know how to get rid of ingrown face hair. Or better yet, how to prevent ingrown hair on face from ever happening. Why is that?
Ingrown hairs are uncomfortable and unsightly. Unfortunately, they’re also extremely common. If you’re a man who shaves most days, you’ve almost certainly dealt with ingrown hairs before.
What can you do to prevent ingrown face hair? What shaving methods are best for reducing ingrown hairs? And if they do happen, what’s the best way to treat them?
What Are Ingrown Hairs?
Ingrown hairs form as your facial hair grows back after shaving. Instead of growing from the follicle and out of the skin, they get stuck beneath the skin’s surface. As they continue growing, this causes a red bump that gets inflamed and itchy.
Ingrown hairs can be misidentified as acne blemishes. While they may look or even feel similar, their causes are quite different. Acne is caused by the growth of bacteria in clogged pores. Ingrown hairs grow normally from their follicles but don’t properly emerge from the skin.
While any person who shaves can potentially get ingrown hairs, some folks struggle with them more than others. Guys with curly or coiled facial hair tend to get more ingrown hairs. This is because the growth pattern is more likely to get twisted up under the skin as it comes back in.
How to Prevent Ingrown Face Hair
The way you shave - including what you do for your skin just before shaving - determines in large part how likely it is that you’ll develop ingrown hairs. Follow these tips to reduce the chance that you’ll have to deal with itchy, uncomfortable ingrown face hair.
Exfoliate First
The single best thing you can do to prevent ingrown face is exfoliating your skin pre-shave. Why is that?
Exfoliating with face scrub removes the outer layer of dead skin cells from your outermost skin layer. It also clears your pores and softens your facial hair. That makes them stand up and away from your skin and ensures that your blade can pass over them smoothly.
Think of exfoliation like a smoothing process. It resurfaces your skin so that it’s free of dips, bumps, and debris. When you stroke your razor over your exfoliated skin, it won’t snag or drag.
Use our Renewing Face Scrub for a refreshing exfoliation process that isn’t harsh or irritating. It’s made with jojoba beads and pumice - not potentially irritating or harmful micro beads like many other products. You don’t have to scrub at your skin aggressively or leave the product on your skin for an extended period. It’s a fast and easy process that will have a major positive effect on your shaving process.
Shave with Your Hair Growth
The direction you shave your skin can determine whether you get ingrown face hair or not. Shaving with the grain - in the same direction of your hair growth - massively reduces the chance that you will develop ingrown hairs.
When you shave the same way your hair grows, you cut the individual hairs at a position that allows them to grow back properly. Shaving against the grain or pulling at your skin to get a baby smooth shave is problematic. Doing so cuts your hairs below the surface of the skin. As a result, they can easily get trapped beneath the skin as they grow back.
What If an Ingrown Hair Has Already Formed?
What if it’s too late and you’ve already got ingrown face hair? Here are the important things you need to know to get rid of ingrown hairs without causing further irritation or infection.
Don’t Pop Ingrown Hairs
Just like with pimples, popping ingrown hairs will only lead to further problems. It can be tempting to scratch, itch, or pop them - especially when they’re inflamed, red, and filled with pus. But it’s a bad choice.
Picking at ingrown hairs will worsen the redness. It will also expose the hair follicle to bacteria - which can lead to infection. So do yourself a favor and exercise self control when it comes to ingrown face hairs.
Gentle Exfoliation
It’s a bad idea to scratch your ingrown hairs. But gently exfoliating them can help loosen the hair and get it free from your skin.
Exfoliating removes the outermost layer of dead skin. This both brightens your skin and loosens pores - which can be a solution to many ingrown hairs. But as with all good things, don’t overdo it. You shouldn’t exfoliate your skin more than every other day - even when using a gentle product like our Renewing Face Scrub.
Moisturize Regularly
Keeping your skin well moisturized is an important part of preventing all kinds of issues - including ingrown hairs. When you use moisturizer daily, your skin’s natural barrier remains strong and can protect you from invading bacteria and other harmful particles.
While moisturizer isn’t going to fix an ingrown hair on its own, it will help reduce the irritation and itchiness associated with this pesky issue. That’s especially true when you choose a nourishing, hydrating formula with natural ingredients - like our Daily Essential Face Moisturizer. It’s lightweight and fast-absorbing, plus it comes packed with anti-aging ingredients that replenish skin nutrients like green tea, jojoba, aloe, and hyaluronic acid.
Be Careful When Shaving
Shaving over an ingrown hair can be problematic since you may cut it or further cause irritation. For that reason, it’s best to avoid shaving over ingrown hairs whenever possible. Wait until the hair has emerged from the skin properly, then shave it using the right technique.
You should always use a clean, sharp razor when shaving. This will prevent bacteria transfer as well as tugging and pulling that can occur with a dull blade. Instead of attempting to use the same razor over and over again, be smart and switch your blade out regularly.
Manage Ingrown Face Hair the Right Way
Yes, ingrown face hairs are annoying to deal with. They can be itchy, irritating, and unsightly. And some guys struggle with chronic ingrown hairs.
But don’t give up, assume you’re stuck with ingrown hairs forever, or mistreat your skin in frustration. Instead, make an effort to use the right products and best techniques when shaving. That will keep your skin looking its best and minimize your experience with ingrown hairs.
