Why do I get ingrown hairs?

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An ingrown hair is one that fails to exit the skin: cut or plucked short, it grows back at an angle, pierces the follicle wall or curls back into the surface, and the body mounts a foreign-body reaction - a red, tender, sometimes pus-filled bump, often with the hair visible as a loop under the skin. The causes are removal methods and friction: close shaving - especially multi-blade razors that cut below the surface - waxing and plucking, which break hairs unevenly, and tight clothing rubbing shaved areas like the bikini line and thighs. Curly hair and coarse hair raise the odds anywhere on the body.

Prevention follows the AAD playbook for razor bumps: warm water prep, sharp clean blades, shave with the grain, leave slight stubble with clippers when possible, exfoliate gently between shaves to keep follicle openings clear, and moisturize. For a hair already trapped and visible at the surface, a warm compress softens the skin, and a sterile needle or tweezers can gently lift the loop out - pull the hair free, never yank it from the root. Deep, swollen, or non-visible ingrowns belong to a dermatologist.

See a derm for recurring crops, signs of infection - spreading redness, warmth, pus, fever - or scarring and dark marks, which are common after repeated ingrowns and treatable. Laser hair removal is the definitive answer for chronic problem areas.

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