Ingrown hairs are already extremely annoying, but what if it's literally in your Face? Exactly, even more annoying. If you've ever had ingrown hairs, you know exactly the discomfort this brings. You feel ingrown beard hairs when you laugh, talk, or even move your Face. Not pleasant, but it is common among all men who Shaving.
The results of these unwanted bumps can become even more grim: swelling, inflammation, and even scars (in your Face). You obviously want to prevent this, but can we do something about it? Well, fortunately, they can be prevented and removed in the right way. Before we get started, it's important to know what ingrown hairs actually are and how they occur.
How do ingrown hairs occur?
When it comes to ingrown hairs, there are actually two different types. You can divide them into ingrown hairs and razor bumps.
Ingrown hairs
During Shaving, your skin is under a lot of tension. During Shaving, it can happen that hairs are pulled, creating a 'slanted point'. This slanted point can poke into the wall of the hair follicle, blocking the exit. The hair cannot come out and continues to grow beneath the skin surface. The main causes of these ingrown hairs are:
- Shaving against the direction of hair growth
- Using a dull razor
- Too many dead skin cells on your skin
Razor bumps
With razor bumps, the hair does grow out, but then goes back into the skin. This often occurs in men with curly hair. These types of ingrown hairs actually have the same causes and solutions.
How to prevent ingrown hairs
Prevention is better than cure. Fortunately, preventing ingrown hairs is not difficult at all. These changes will even greatly improve your skin condition.
1. Shave with the direction of hair growth
We understand you want a smooth result, but shaving against the direction of hair growth significantly increases the chance of ingrown hairs. Even when you shave with the direction of hair growth, you can still achieve a very smooth result. For example, with a Safety Razor. More on that later.
2. Stop using a dull blade
Admit it, you've also shaved too often with the same blade. The duller the blade, the more resistance it creates and the more it pulls on the skin. So an ingrown Hair can develop very quickly. Always use sharp Razor Blades. Are you using disposable razors? Then only use them once and throw them away. We often hear the reaction that it's so expensive to replace your blades so quickly. But is it really? Maybe you should switch to a cheaper and much better alternative. You'll read about that in our next point.
3. Shave with a Safety Razor
A Safety Razor uses only one replaceable blade, which is much sharper than the blades from a disposable razor or cartridge system. It cuts the hairs better and the result is smoother. The replaceable blades of a Safety Razor are called ‘Double Edge Blades’ and are much cheaper than disposable blades. The purchase of a Safety Razor is often much more expensive. But it is a one-time investment that lasts a long time. By saving on blades, you often recoup that investment within 3 months. In the list of our top 10 best Safety Razors, you can filter based on your preferences and price range. There is a good match for everyone!
4. Warm up your skin before the Shaving
Make your skin warm and moist before the Shaving. Your skin and hairs will become softer and your hair follicles will relax. You can do this by rinsing well with warm water in the shower or placing a warm wet towel on your Face for 5 minutes.
5. Not dry but wet Shaving
With wet Shaving, we mean using a good Shaving Soap or Shaving Cream. No Shaving Foam as they often dry out the skin more than necessary. The foam you create with a Shaving Soap or Shaving Cream makes the hairs soft and lays a wonderful smooth protective layer on your skin so the blade can glide over it smoothly. Wet Shaving is a pleasure in itself.
6. Use a pre-shave
A Preshave is actually a special oil or Hair Gel that you apply before using the Shaving Soap or Shaving Cream. It provides an extra protective layer that softens the skin, protects against irritation, and ensures an even smoother layer. This further reduces the chance of ingrown hairs or irritation in the General. To make it easier for you, we have already made a top 10 best Preshaves with our favorites.
7. Regularly remove dead skin cells with a Scrub
Ingrown hairs can also occur because dead skin cells block the openings of the hair follicles. So use a Scrub once a week from our top 10 best face scrub for your Face to remove the dead skin cells. You will also get a beautiful Face from it.
8. Use a cream specially for ingrown hairs
If you often suffer from ingrown hairs, we recommend using a special cream that prevents ingrown hairs, red bumps, and irritations. Use these treatments after the Shaving and before applying a Day Cream. We are big fans of the formulas from Brands such as Malin + Goetz and Anthony.
9. Use a balm or Day Cream after the Shaving
You want to take care of and hydrate your skin as best as possible. This will soothe your skin after the Shaving and prevent irritations or inflammations. A hydrated skin will be less likely to encounter such problems.
10. Use Alum
You may have never heard of this, but we see this mineral stone as the 'holy grail' of Shaving Products. Alum has disinfecting properties and will help prevent ingrown hairs.
What can you do against ingrown hairs?
If you already have an ingrown Hair, you naturally want to remove it. The best ways to remove an ingrown Hair are as follows.
Loosen them with a cotton swab
When you gently squeeze the skin around the ingrown Hair, you can swipe over it with a cotton swab against the direction of hair growth. Often the hair will come loose.
Remove them with tweezers
If you can't do it with a cotton swab, try using tweezers. This is especially handy for razor bumps where a part of the Hair is visible above your skin. Grab the hair and pull it out. Always disinfect the tweezers to prevent infections. Sometimes, you might pull out the entire hair follicle. Therefore, always disinfect the skin well after pulling out the hair to prevent infections from easily occurring.
Visit a specialist
Sometimes we think we can do everything ourselves. But when it comes to your skin, you don't want to mess around, especially if it's in your Face. If you don't want to handle it yourself, call a beautician or your doctor. They specialize in this and have different equipment than we do. Then you can be sure that you won't cause any permanent damage.
Farewell to ingrown hairs
With these tips, you should be able to manage! Ingrown hairs will be a thing of the past, and those annoying bumps with stubborn hairs will disappear. If you still have questions, know that you can always contact us. We will try to help you as best as possible, whether it's about shaving techniques or products that can help you. That's what friends are for.
Good luck!
Your friends, The Alpha Men