Oh…how we miss the days when we could go and have our legs waxed regularly. Maybe you still do, maybe you haven’t been as often since the pandemic started. Or maybe you were never a fan and have always shaved. Regardless of the category you fall into, you’ve likely wrestled with an ingrown hair or two.So, what causes these nasty little guys? According to the American Academy of Dermatology, you have roughly five million hair follicles on your body. Each of those follicles has a hair that grows through your skin.An ingrown hair happens when a hair has curled around and grown back into the skin. The area that the hair enters isn’t a follicle and views that hair as an intruder. That intrusion causes inflammation that can lead to solid or pus-filled bumps, pain, itching, a bacterial infection, hyperpigmentation, and possibly scarring.Every time you drag a razor over your hair, you’re creating sharp edges on each strand that can make them more likely to revert into your skin causing an ingrown hair. The only way to ensure that you never have an ingrown hair is not to remove the hair. I don’t know about you, but for me, that is just not an option. Laser hair removal is also effective, but if you’re pale like me and have blonde hair, you’re once again out of luck. The laser needs contrast in order to work. It needs to see dark hair against paler skin. So, if shaving is your only option, how do you avoid them?  

Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate

Dead skin cells on top mean it’s a lot more likely the newly grown hair won’t be able to poke through easily. If it meets resistance, it’s going to curl and head back toward the skin. In order to free its path, you need to exfoliate the dead skin before you shave. Remember to ditch the salt scrubs on shave day. If you use a salt scrub prior to shaving, you are likely to feel the sting. “Don’t pour salt on the wound” is a saying for a reason. Use a sugar or other beadlike exfoliator to avoid the burn. 

Shave in the Direction of the Growth

It’s tempting to shave in the opposite direction of the hair growth. It’s easier to feel the super close shave.  But that enjoyment will be short-lived when all the little bumps appear from the trapped hairs.  

Use a Shave Cream

Shave creams are designed to give the razor just enough slip without impeding the shave. Soap and shower gels may seem like they do the job, but they aren’t providing the skin the protection it needs from the razor. Invest in a good shave cream. 

Apply an Aftershave

Aftershave isn’t just for men. Making sure to use an anti-bacterial product that includes a bit of alcohol will not only kill bacteria but close the pores to ensure no other irritants can enter.Follow these steps and you can kiss those ingrown hairs goodbye for good.