Lions, Tigers, and Beards, oh my!

Whether we’re talking about bikini’s or beards, I’m going to give you tips on how to reduce ingrown hairs. An ingrown hair is a skin condition in which hair grows backwards or sideways under the skin rather than upward out of the skin. Ingrown hairs can arise due to a number of factors. Often dead skin can clog a hair follicle, forcing hair to grow in the opposite direction. This is why regular exfoliation is advantageous.

Men and women often experience ingrown hairs after shaving. A close shave leaves hair with a sharper edge, allowing it to poke back into the skin and become trapped under the surface. Those with thick, curly hair, existing razor bumps, or higher testosterone levels are more likely to experience ingrown hairs than others.

Bikini bumps are one of the most annoying skin problems to have. After spending time, energy and sometimes a lot of money on a bikini wax, the last thing you want is a painful, unattractive ingrown hair. Clothes, especially tight fitting, restrict hair from growing out of your skin the way it was meant to. When a hair rears its head out of the follicle, it generally bumps into underwear, jeans or leggings which cause it to grow sideways or turn around and grow inward.

Never fear, solutions are here!

First things first, if you have an ingrown on your bikini or beard right now, go get an ice pack and press it onto your skin for the next 20 minutes. You can ice your skin as often as you like, but never more than 20 minutes at a time. Ice will reduce inflammation, redness and a lot of potential skin reactions, like hyperpigmentation, caused by swelling much quicker than letting it work itself out naturally.

Ideally, you’d want to prevent ingrown hairs from becoming a problem in the first place. While some ingrown hairs can be removed with tweezers, this procedure is rather painful and can lead to an infected hair follicle. It is best to have these removed by a professional. However, if you have to remove it yourself, you must sterilize your tweezers. Start by washing them in soapy water, dip them into isopropyl alcohol and then, place the tweezers over a flame for 5 seconds. Remember to use gloves or scrub your hands with soap before attempting this procedure.

7 Tips to Smooth, Clear Skin

1. Wax in the opposite direction of hair growth
2. Shave in direction of hair growth
3. Give your skin breathing room at night, if you tend to wear form-fitting clothes
4. Apply topical exfoliators or use appropriate scrubs
5. Ice skin when you have a bump
6. Use a skin brightening product to reduce residual scars or potential formation of scars
7. Use an electric razor: Wet razors allow for a much closer shave, however, a thin layer of skin is removed with each pass, promoting the growth of ingrown hairs.

You can use a manual scrub to remove the superficial dead layer of cells, while the other ingredients slip down into the follicle to help remove oil, sweat and bacteria built up around the ingrown hair.

Adios Ingrown Hair, Razor Bump & Oily Skin Tonic has a blend of salicylic and glycolic acid in liquid form. Use a flat cotton pad to press or wipe your way to clearer skin in a matter of days. Clients tell me stories of how they use the Adios with a cotton-tipped applicator to spot treat blemishes, successfully.

Regular use of these products can help to prevent and decrease the appearance of ingrown hairs.

Thank you for reading The Freckle blog! Please subscribe to stay informed of all things relating to skin care. Also, check out my website and YouTube channel for product news and recommendations.

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