Ingrown hairs develop when a removed hair grows back into the skin. While ingrown hairs can often be treated successfully with home remedies, it’s possible for them to develop into larger issues that may require a dermatologist’s care. An ingrown hair typically develops after hair has been waxed, tweezed, shaved, or otherwise removed. The issue tends to be most common in people with coarse or curly hair who also shave. Your hair’s structure and the direction in which it grows can also influence how likely you are to develop ingrown hairs.
For example, tightly curved hair follicles may be more likely to cause the hair to reenter the skin. Sometimes, ingrown hairs will disappear on their own. “If you have a particularly bothersome ingrown hair, apply a warm compress for ten to 15 minutes,” advises Dr. Jodi Ganz. “This will open your pores, which may help the hair release from the skin. If the hair does emerge, use a pair of sterile tweezers to gently pull the ingrown portion out of the skin. Avoid extracting it altogether, though, as the same issue could occur again.”
You can potentially prevent ingrown hairs from developing again in the future by using an electric razor or clipper, or applying chemical hair removers. Rarely, ingrown hairs can become infected, but they can become large, painful growths. At this stage, they may be diagnosed as cysts and require treatment from a dermatologist. Depending on whether an infection is present, you may be prescribed an antibiotic ointment or pill to take by mouth.
If you have a painful ingrown hair or any other skin care issue, turn to Olansky Dermatology & Aesthetics for personalized treatment. Our providers offer a wide range of general dermatology and cosmetic services catered to each patient’s unique needs. A few weeks ago, I saw a young man with a particularly challenging case of ingrown hairs in his beard area. It prompted me to share a social media post about the condition, and within a day, that post received more than 6,000 views. The response made one thing clear: a lot of people are dealing with ingrown hairs and are not always sure what to do about them. So I put together this more comprehensive guide.
But before we get into the details, there are two things I want you to remember: Don’t pop, squeeze, or dig into an ingrown hair yourself. Doing so can worsen inflammation, introduce bacteria, and increase the risk of dark marks or scarring. And don’t wait too long if a bump is painful, worsening, draining, or keeps coming back. What looks like a simple ingrown hair may sometimes be another condition that needs a different treatment approach.
What Is an Ingrown Hair?
Normally, a hair grows upward from its follicle and emerges through the surface of the skin. An ingrown hair develops when the hair becomes trapped beneath the skin or curves back and grows into the surrounding skin instead of outward. Your body may react to that trapped hair almost as if it were a foreign object, creating inflammation around the follicle. The result can be:
- A red or skin-colored bump
- Tenderness
- Itching
- Swelling
- A pustule that resembles a whitehead
- A visible hair beneath the skin
- A dark mark after the inflammation settles
When ingrown hairs repeatedly cause inflammation after shaving or other hair removal, the condition may be called pseudofolliculitis. When it occurs in the beard area, it is commonly known as pseudofolliculitis barbae, or razor bumps.
Where Do Ingrown Hairs Usually Develop?
Ingrown hairs can occur anywhere hair grows, but they are especially common in areas that are frequently shaved, waxed, or plucked. Common locations include:
- Beard and neck
- Chin and jawline
- Upper lip
- Underarms
- Bikini and pubic area
- Legs
- Chest
- Back
- Scalp and hairline
Why Do Ingrown Hairs Happen?
Several factors can contribute:
- Shaving Too Closely. Shaving cuts the hair near the surface of the skin. When a hair is cut extremely close, particularly if it is curly, the new growth may curve toward the skin instead of growing straight outward. A very close shave may therefore increase the chance of developing razor bumps in someone who is already prone to them.
- Curly, Coarse, or Tightly Coiled Hair. Hair texture plays an important role. Curly and tightly coiled hairs naturally bend as they grow, which makes them more likely to turn back toward the skin. The shape and direction of the follicle can also influence the way the hair emerges.
- Waxing, Tweezing, and Plucking. Ingrown hairs are not limited to shaving. Waxing, plucking, and tweezing can also lead to ingrown hairs as new hairs grow back through the skin.
- Shaving Against the Direction of Hair Growth. Shaving against the grain may give you a closer shave, but it can also increase irritation and cause the remaining hair to sit very close to or beneath the skin surface. This is especially important around the neck, where hairs may grow in several different directions.
- Stretching the Skin While Shaving. Pulling the skin tight while shaving can allow the razor to cut the hair below its natural resting point. When the skin relaxes, the hair may retract beneath the surface.
- Repeated Friction. Tight collars, clothing, helmets, or repeated rubbing can further irritate inflamed follicles.
Are All Shaving Bumps Ingrown Hairs?
No. A bump after shaving may be caused by an ingrown hair, pseudofolliculitis, razor burn, folliculitis, acne, irritant dermatitis, or infection. If you are repeatedly treating what you assume is an ingrown hair without improvement, getting the correct diagnosis becomes important.
Why You Shouldn't Pop an Ingrown Hair
It can be tempting to squeeze a bump or use tweezers or a needle to dig out a visible hair. I strongly recommend avoiding this. Picking and squeezing can increase inflammation, damage surrounding skin, introduce bacteria, cause infection, cause bleeding, increase the chance of dark marks, and raise the risk of scarring. Sometimes the discoloration caused by manipulating the area lasts much longer than the original ingrown hair. If a hair is deeply embedded or the area is significantly inflamed, a dermatologist can determine the safest treatment.
Why Do Ingrown Hairs Leave Dark Marks?
Inflammation from an ingrown hair can trigger post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). This means that even after the bump heals, a brown, gray-brown, or darker spot may remain. These marks may last considerably longer than the original inflammation, and patients with darker skin tones can be especially prone to noticeable pigment changes after inflammation.
How Are Ingrown Hairs Treated?
Treatment depends on the severity, frequency, and whether there is infection, pigmentation, or scarring.
- Reduce the Trigger When Possible. If shaving, waxing, or plucking repeatedly triggers inflammation, temporarily stopping or reducing that method may allow the skin to settle. For patients who need to continue removing hair, changing the technique may be more realistic.
- Reduce Follicular Blockage. Certain topical treatments can help remove excess dead skin around the follicular opening. Depending on the patient, a dermatologist may recommend exfoliating acids or prescription retinoids. More exfoliation is not necessarily better; aggressive scrubbing can worsen inflammation and pigmentation.
- Calm Inflammation. Persistent pseudofolliculitis may require topical or prescription treatment to decrease inflammation. Treatment should be based on the actual diagnosis rather than simply treating every shaving bump as acne.
- Treat Infection If Present. An ingrown hair does not automatically mean there is a bacterial infection. However, secondary infection can sometimes develop. Increasing pain, warmth, redness, swelling, drainage, or crusting are reasons to have the area evaluated. Antibiotic ointment or pills may be prescribed.
- Address Remaining Pigmentation. Once new inflammation is controlled, treatment can focus on persistent dark marks. The approach depends on skin tone, skin sensitivity, and the severity of pigmentation.
- Can Laser Hair Removal Help? For some patients with chronic ingrown hairs or pseudofolliculitis, reducing the amount of hair growing in the affected area can reduce recurrence. Laser hair removal may be considered for selected patients, with careful consideration of skin tone, hair color, hair thickness, treatment area, and history of pigmentation changes.
Practical At-Home and Professional Options
In the short term, stopping shaving and using warm compresses can help. In persistent cases, a dermatologist may recommend:
- Topical steroids to reduce inflammation
- Retinoids to exfoliate and repair postinflammatory hyperpigmentation
- Antibiotic creams or pills for infections
- Removal of the ingrown hair if necessary
- Laser-assisted hair removal or electrolysis for long-term reduction
Before any treatment, a dermatologist can determine whether the problem is truly an ingrown hair or another condition such as pseudofolliculitis, folliculitis, or acne. Laser treatment and careful hair removal choices should be personalized to the patient’s skin type and hair characteristics.
How to Prevent Ingrown Hairs When Shaving
For many patients, changing shaving technique can reduce recurrence. Consider:
- Shave with the direction of hair growth, especially on the neck where directions vary
- Avoid an extremely close shave; leave a small amount of hair or use an electric clipper
- Avoid repeated passes over the same area
- Don't stretch the skin while shaving
- Soften hair with warm water and use a suitable shaving cream or gel
- Keep razors and clippers clean and replace dull blades regularly
- Avoid picking between shaves; don’t squeeze or dig at bumps
- Consider depilatory products if you are prone to ingrown hairs
When Should You See a Dermatologist?
An occasional ingrown hair often resolves on its own. However, see a dermatologist if you have:
- Frequent or recurring bumps
- Significant pain, pus, or drainage
- Increasing redness or warmth
- Numerous inflamed follicles
- Persistent dark spots or scarring
- Bumps that repeatedly develop in the same location
- Symptoms that do not improve after changing shaving habits
A board-certified dermatologist can determine whether the problem is truly an ingrown hair or whether you are dealing with pseudofolliculitis, folliculitis, acne, infection, or another skin condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Should I pull out an ingrown hair? Avoid digging into your skin or trying to extract a deeply embedded hair yourself. Manipulation can worsen inflammation and increase the chance of infection, pigmentation, and scarring.
- Can an ingrown hair become infected? Yes. Secondary infection can sometimes develop. Increasing pain, warmth, redness, swelling, or drainage should be evaluated.
- Why do I keep getting ingrown hairs in the same place? The direction of the follicle, hair texture, shaving technique, and repeated irritation can cause certain areas to be affected again and again.
- Can waxing cause ingrown hairs? Yes. Shaving, waxing, tweezing, and plucking can all contribute.
- Can ingrown hairs scar? Repeated inflammation, infection, squeezing, and picking can increase the risk of permanent scarring.
What You Need to Remember: Ingrown hairs are common, but they should not become a repeated cycle of shaving, inflammation, picking, discoloration, and scarring. Don’t pop or dig at an ingrown hair yourself, and don’t ignore a bump that is painful, worsening, draining, repeatedly returning, or leaving significant discoloration. Sometimes adjusting your shaving technique is enough. Ingrown hairs are a pesky skin problem that occur after shaving, plucking, tweezing, threading, or waxing hair.
Illustrative Notes on Treatments and Outcomes
To treat ingrown hair, stop shaving, tweezing or waxing until the condition improves-usually 1 to 6 months. If you wish, trim a beard with scissors or electric clippers. Don’t start shaving again until all the skin has cleared and ingrown hairs have gone. Medications may include retinoids, antibiotic creams, or oral antibiotics depending on the infection and inflammation. Laser hair removal and electrolysis may be considered for longer-term solutions, though each has considerations related to skin tone and hair characteristics. In some cases, a sterile surgical knife may be used to make a small cut to release the embedded hair and drain pus, followed by sterile tweezers removal of the hair.
If you’ve ever dealt with a painful ingrown hair infection, you know how frustrating it can be. The redness, swelling, tenderness, and sometimes pus make even simple movements uncomfortable. For many people, ingrown hair infections feel like a never-ending cycle. A simple ingrown hair occurs when a hair grows sideways or curls back into the skin instead of rising out of the follicle. An infected ingrown hair develops when bacteria enter the trapped hair follicle. Recurring ingrown hairs are rarely random. People with curly or coarse hair are especially vulnerable. Additionally, thicker or less flexible skin can trap hair beneath the surface, preventing it from breaking through normally. This explains why old ingrown hair sites often become repeat problem areas.
When symptoms worsen instead of improving, waiting it out is no longer safe. Moderate to severe infections require professional care. Laser hair removal reduces ingrown hair infections by targeting the hair follicle itself. Breaking free from recurring ingrown hair infections is possible with the right approach. When you understand why they form, treat infections safely, and focus on prevention, not quick fixes, you protect your skin long term. If ingrown hair infections keep returning in the same areas, temporary fixes may not be enough.
Summary
Ingrown hairs stem from hair removal practices, hair texture, and follicle directions. They manifest as red bumps, itchiness, and sometimes dark spots. Preventive strategies emphasize correct shaving direction, gentle exfoliation, proper equipment, and when necessary, seeking dermatological care for persistent or recurrent cases. Laser or electrolysis may offer longer-term relief for frequent ingrown hairs, particularly in individuals with curly or coarse hair.
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