You can see strange bumps on your legs, and on your arms too, usually a few days after a waxing session. They don’t look like pimples, nor are they blackheads. You don’t know what these dreadful bumps are, they mar your skin, they make you squirm, and you want to scream in frustration because now you can’t wear your little black dress to your friend’s cocktail dinner.
What exactly are these pimple-like bumps?
These blackish bumps that irritate so much are called ingrown hair, which curl around and grow into your skin when you trim, shave or wax to remove your body hair. They are blackish and you may often mistake them for blackheads or pimples. Sometimes wearing clothes that are too tight can also give you ingrown hair. These weird occurrences that make your smooth skin less than silky and can grow anywhere you usually have hair – legs, arms, arm pits, upper lips, and often even down under. They are irritating and messy but that does not mean you can’t get rid of them.
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Things you can do to get rid of ingrown hair
1. Anti-bacterial cream
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Anti-bacterial creams are one of the main remedies of ingrown hair. But make sure there are no infections or open cuts where you wish to apply the cream. If you notice several bumps, look out for more all over your arms, legs, and pubic areas.
2. Exfoliate
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Scrubbing your ingrown hair will do the trick. The dead cells and oils which block the hair are eliminated and you can manually pull out the hair. Any scrub will work, but if you want to go natural you can scrub using salt, or a mixture of body oil and sugar. Make sure you are gentle when you scrub, and use cotton balls instead of a loofah or a cloth.
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3. Keratolytic creams
Any acne cream or topical ointment which has ingredients like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid can get rid of ingrown hair, since they are similar to acne. Applying such a cream will reduce any inflammation, giving the hair space to grow out of the skin.
4. Compress
If the ingrown hair is swollen and causing pain, use a compress to reduce the swelling and soften the area. You could use a towel soaked in warm water and press it for 5-10 minutes on the affected area. Doing this a few times should do the job
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5. Plucking
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You might want to sit down and pluck out the annoying hair stuck in your skin. You could use manicure tweezers. Make sure the tweezers are clean. Don’t pull too hard and avoid plucking the hair out. Many people avoid plucking because there are chances of hurting your skin.
Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License
A good way to avoid ingrown hair is hydrating your skin with a shower before you remove body hair. The water will soften your hair, and removal will be cleaner. And leave a little extra time for a thorough scrub. If you keep noticing ingrown hair every now and then, consider changing your hair removal method. Your skin may be sensitive, and a different method may suit you better.
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