Ingrown beard hair are the small bumps you may notice on your face after shaving. They may appear reddish, inflamed, painful or itchy. In this article, find how ingrown facial hair comes about or forms, symptoms and measures to avoid, stop or prevent these stubborn hairs. In addition find out how to remove at home, treatment options plus more.
How does Ingrown Beard Hair Form?
Hairs that curl and grow towards your skin rather than rising from it are what we call ingrown hairs. In this case, it is around the beard area: the front(chin), side of the face (cheeks and cheek line, sideburn, neckline or the mustache area
When a hair follicle is clogged, it prevents the hair from growing outwards and instead, the hair grows inwards. That is one way through which ingrown hairs form.
There are individuals whose hair is naturally curly. If you are in that group of people, you should be careful on how you shave your beard since, once the beard hair’s sharp end pierces the skin, there is a likelihood that an ingrown hair can form. [1]
Pictures-How ingrown beard Hair looks- Face Chin & Cheeks
Ingrown Beard Hair Causes & Symptoms
Causes
There are several reasons people get ingrown beard hair. Above all, anyone can have this kind of hair. First of all, ingrown hairs are common to men with curly hair. This has to do with your genes. Compared to straight hair, curly hair easily curls backwards towards the skin, thereafter resulting to an ingrown hair.
Hormones– Apart from genes, too much hair is another reason people get ingrown hairs on the beard area. There are people who have sex hormones that stimulate growth of too much hair, in this case, beard hair. In most cases, some of the hairs end up growing inwards as they push for space.
Too much shaving & poor shaving Techniques– Poor hair removal techniques in the chin area is the most common cause of ingrown beard hair. This includes shaving against the grains, not preparing your skin, using the wrong tools etc. How often you shave also matters. When you barber your hair on face too much, the skin is also at risk of being pierced which leads to formation of ingrown hairs.
Symptoms
There are many signs that show you have ingrown beard hair. Some of these include;
- Several bumps on the chin after shaving
- Inflammation
- A boil like sore that could have pus
- A pimple like structure that is itchy and painful
- Redness[2]
How to Remove and Treat Ingrown Beard
Here are some steps you can follow to get rid of embedded beard hairs under skin
Exfoliate
Firstly, you should exfoliate the area. The main reason you do this is so as to get rid of the dead skin cells. A mixture of honey and baking soda as well as sugar can be used in the exfoliating process. This helps prevent the ingrown hairs from becoming very painful bumps.
Use Tweezers & Sterile Needle
The most common way to remove or get rid of trapped beard hair is to use a sharp device. The best device that is specifically designed for this task is a pair of tweezers.
It is a metal tool consisting of two narrow sharp arms joined at one end. If used correctly, it will not disappoint you… Make sure you do this when the hair is closer to the surface of your skin.
In place of tweezers, you can use a sterile needle. The tweezers should be cleaned, probably using alcohol to prevent any possible infections.
Further Reading:
When using a pair of tweezers or sterile needle, avoid digging into the skin for the embedded hair as this may lead to injuring your skin which eventually will make it more prone to infections.
Dealing with inflammation
After removing the embedded beard hair, you most likely would want to bring down the inflammation.
Here, you could choose to use natural anti-inflammatory ingredients such as tea tree oil, aloe vera and even witch hazel. This mixture when applied on the affected area helps remove any ingrown hairs without causing any irritation.[3]
Medication, Best Creams Serums & other Products for Ingrown Beard Hair
An ingrown hair can go away without any treatment. However, you may want it gone too soon and hence you wish to seek medical attention. Usually, an ingrown hair leaves dark spots on your face. The ingrown hair could also become infected. These could be some of the reasons you wish to get rid of ingrown hairs. In the case where you prefer use of medicines, the following are recommended;
- Use of Retin A. These help reduce the possible changes in your skin pigmentation following growth of hairs inwards. Retinoids also help in removal of dead skin cells.
- To bring down the swelling and irritation due to ingrown hairs, you can use anti-inflammatory medicine.
- In case of an ingrown hair infection, you could use antibiotics, either to be rubbed into the skin or to be taken by mouth. [4]
Home Remedies for Ingrown Facial Hair
You may choose to treat your ingrown hairs at home. The following are the most effective home remedies.
Warm Compress
Simply apply heat to the beard region with ingrown hair bump.The heat is an enemy to the bacteria.
You can heat the region by using a cloth that is dipped into hot water. After doing this for a couple of times, the skin becomes soft and hence pores open making the ingrown hairs to come out. For effective results, you should heat the area by allowing the cloth dipped in hot water to be in contact for up to ten minutes.
Use of salt
Salt has several uses. To begin with, salt helps reduce any swellings. It also helps improve circulation and it acts as an exfoliating agent. To heal ingrown hairs, salt can be used and the following procedure is to be followed;
- Into a cup of warm water, add a tablespoon of salt
- Dip a cotton cloth into the cup and ensure it absorbs the salted warm water. Use the cotton cloth to rub the beard area in a circular motion
- Allow time for the skin to absorb this mixture then rinse with water. Do this at least three times a day
Use of tea tree oil
The ability of tea tree oil to prevent and heal infections of the skin lies behind its properties. Tea tree oil has antiseptic and antibacterial properties. It also has anti-inflammatory properties. The following steps should be followed when using tea tree oil for your beard region;
- Using antibacterial soap, clean the beard region
- Into two tablespoons distilled water, add four drops of tea tree oil
- On the beard area that is already cleaned, apply the diluted tea tree oil mixture
- After ten minutes, rinse that area with warm water. You could do these two times a day
Sugar scrub can also be used:
Ingrown hairs can come about as a result of dead cells clogging the skin pores. Sugar is good for exfoliating such dead skin. By exfoliating the skin, you are able to remove the ingrown hairs. The following steps could be followed;
- Make a mixture of olive oil and white sugar
- Add to the mixture several drops of lavender oil. Tea tree oil could also be used in place of lavender oil
- Apply this mixture on the beard area that is affected. This should be done gently
- Rinse the area after fifteen minutes using warm water. This should be done at least once a day
Aspirin
Like tea tree oil, aspirin has special properties. It reduces inflammation, any swelling and helps to heal any skin infection. Aspirin is also good when scrubbed on the affected area as it helps get rid of the dead skin. Getting rid of the dead skin is one way of removing the ingrown hair. The procedure below can be followed;
- Form a paste like mixture by dissolving two aspirin tablets into warm water
- Add a teaspoon of honey to make a better paste
- On the affected area, apply the paste
- After ten minutes, use warm water to wash it off
- This should be done two times in a week
Use of baking soda
Since baking soda has anti-inflammatory properties, it is good for soothing the skin where the beard grows. It exfoliates the area hence getting rid of the itchy feeling caused by embedded hairs. You should follow the following steps for the best possible results;
- Into one cup of water, add a tablespoon of baking soda
- Take a cotton ball and dip it into the mixture
- Use the wet cotton ball to rub the area with ingrown hairs
- After about ten minutes, wash the area with cold water
- In a day, this should be done three times. Note that, oatmeal can also be added to the mixture for better results[5]
Tips to Prevent Ingrown Beard Hairs on Men’s Face
It is possible to prevent occurrence of ingrown beard hairs altogether. The following tips are helpful;
- Always use a single bladed razor that is sharp enough anytime you wish to shave your beard. That helps prevent continuous shaving before the hair gets cleared hence preventing possible scratching of the skin that pushes hairs back to the skin.
- To avoid the hairs curling backwards to the skin, you should be careful enough to see that you shave in the direction your hair grows.
- Ensure that you minimize on the number of razor strokes used in shaving as that prevents the beard from slipping back into the skin. Also ensure that you rinse razor after each stroke.
- You can also tease any possible ingrown hairs by rubbing your beard region each morning with a wet wash cloth. The shaving is best done in a circular motion.
- To prevent possibility of ingrown hairs, you are advised not to hold the shaving razor too close to your skin. In case you choose to use an electric razor, be sure to hold it at a distance from the skin. This also helps prevent the hair from slipping backwards as would be the case when shaving is done too close to the skin.
- You are also advised that before shaving, ask your hairdresser to wet the beard area with warm water and apply some lubricating gel for easier shaving.
- To reduce irritation which is a sign of ingrown hairs, you should apply a cool washcloth around the shaven region.
- If you are a man and ingrown hairs get you very uncomfortable, you could opt for other ways of removing your beard hair those do not involve shaving. These include; Use creams such as depilatory creams that get the hair dissolved, laser that permanently removes the hair follicle or electric current. [6]
[1] http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/skin-disorders/hair-disorders/ingrown-beard-hairs
[2] http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/ingrown-hair-causes-symptoms-treatment
[3] http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ingrown-hairs/Pages/Introduction.aspx
[4] https://www.bustle.com/articles/57123-how-to-remove-an-ingrown-hair-quickly-easily-and-without-any-lasers-whatsoever
[5] http://www.top10homeremedies.com/home-remedies/home-remedies-ingrown-hair.html
[6] http://asmoothlife.com/how-to-prevent-ingrown-hairs/
