Ingrown Hair Nightmare!!

jack128

Hi

Just wondering does anyone else suffer with ingrown hairs???

For the last say, 2 years I've had a really bad problem with them on my legs, especially my shins.
And it's a total nightmare:mad:.

I exfoliate, I scrub, I moisturise and nothing seems to help. My legs are destroyed with little red marks and scars!!
I'm at my wits end as the Summer is nearly here although you wouldn't think it today but I'd really like to wear shorts and skirts (weather permitting) and not be self conscious.
I know there's very little I can do about the scarring, but if I could prevent anymore ingrown hairs it'd be a start!

abrr1000

Are you ever in Dublin city centre? I can recommend a great product but I only know one place to buy it...

Penny Dreadful

jack128 wrote: »

Hi

Just wondering does anyone else suffer with ingrown hairs???

For the last say, 2 years I've had a really bad problem with them on my legs, especially my shins.
And it's a total nightmare:mad:.

I exfoliate, I scrub, I moisturise and nothing seems to help. My legs are destroyed with little red marks and scars!!
I'm at my wits end as the Summer is nearly here although you wouldn't think it today but I'd really like to wear shorts and skirts (weather permitting) and not be self conscious.
I know there's very little I can do about the scarring, but if I could prevent anymore ingrown hairs it'd be a start!

I had a similar problem a few years ago. Turned out they were infected so had to take a course of antibiotics and that helped hugely. In the end though I opted for laser hair removal and it helped the scarring and now I have no hair to have ingrowns anymore.

tily

I get the odd ingrown hair but I find exfoliating helps, but you have to keep doing it for a good while before it makes any difference, have you done this?
If so I think the best thing to do would be to ask a beatuican about it first and see what they say, if you're thinking about getting laser hair removal done you should go to face and body (if you live in dublin) just off grafton street, i've gone to them for it before, they're very good and are doing a special offer at the moment, they were doing 70% off their normal laser removal prices, not sure if they're still offering that much off, their number is 01 6336640 I'm sure they could give some advice about the ingrown hairs aswell.

Hope that's some help!

*Angel*

You should try Ingrow Go by Skin Doctors, I get it in Boots (it's also on Amazon). It works quite well for me as it works by 'revealing' the ingrown hair by taking away the dead skin on top of it.

Although I'd be interested in hearing what product abrr1000 uses?!

Lia_lia

Boots (own) brand also do an ingrown hair lotion. It come in a white and green tube. I find it very good.


Here it is!

red_ice

Im a bloke and i went though a patch of about 6 months where my facial hair was growing inwards. Very soar indeed and exfoliating didnt work at all. It didnt get better, it was continually getting worse.

In the last 2 weeks of the 6 month period i was so enraged with the pain and lack of sleep that at 2am I went at them with a pin and hooked them out. Yes, i was stabbing my face with a pin pulling out the hair. To me it was worth 5-10 seconds of pain as i wasnt even able to rest my head on a pillow when the hairs got bad.

I pulled the hairs out, but didnt uproot them. I left them in the skin at the root to continue growing. Washed my face hard, then trimmed them so that they wernt too short to grow inwards again. It worked a treat. I forgot that i had them untill i saw this.

I've no scars on my face from it. Hope that helps!

<edit>Have you considered laser hair removal in the problimatic areas?</edit>

tily

I know when I get waxed my beautican squeezes any ingrown airs to get them throught the skin and then plucks them, this will get rid of the ones you have but I don't think it'll solve your problem as you will more than likely just get more then.
Be careful if your doing that though cause it breaks the skin so can cause infection.
But I do it all the time!

abrr1000

Depileve lotion for ingrown hair works for me - wipe the area with it for 2-3 days and the hair comes out. It's a product only sold in beauticians tho. So if anyone wants to know I can give you a place that sells it just pm me.

jack128

abrr1000 wrote: »

Are you ever in Dublin city centre? I can recommend a great product but I only know one place to buy it...

Yeah I'm in the city centre from time to time and would make a trip especially to try the product you recommend. I'm desperate to sort this problem.

The girl that waxes my legs has told me to exfoliate and moisturise daily, which I have been doing for months now. But it doesn't really make much of a difference.

I'm constantly tring to squeeze the hairs out or pull them out with a tweezers but this is whats causing the scarring!!!
I know I shouldn't do it but it's so hard not to.

CBFi

abrr1000 wrote: »

Depileve lotion for ingrown hair works for me - wipe the area with it for 2-3 days and the hair comes out. It's a product only sold in beauticians tho. So if anyone wants to know I can give you a place that sells it just pm me.

Can I get the exact name of that product please? Depileve seems to be a brand. I dont live in Dublin so I'll try to source it elsewhere.

Thanks!!

Do you know if it's okay to use on bikini area? it's the only area I suffer from ingrown hairs- doesnt matter if I get it waxed professionally or just shave at home, always ingrown hairs- looks awful!

CBFi

*Angel* wrote: »

You should try Ingrow Go by Skin Doctors, I get it in Boots (it's also on Amazon). It works quite well for me as it works by 'revealing' the ingrown hair by taking away the dead skin on top of it.

Although I'd be interested in hearing what product abrr1000 uses?!

Do you have to pluck the hair once it is 'revealed' by the lotion?

thanks

Table Top Joe

Ive been using PFB Vanish for 6 years now,its fantastic,bout 20-25 euro a bottle but it lasts for months and is by far the best thing out there,i used to get a really bad shaving rash and ended up having a beard most of the time,ive tried other stuff when i was off travelling too but one of them just burnt my skin and others werent great,PFB Vanish is like a roll on deodorant,you roll it on and away you go,pretty sure a shop in Dublin sells it,i order mine though....eh,cant remember,ill check my emails if your interested,i roll it on once a day,cant praise it enough(and no i dont work for them!)

abrr1000

hey just had a look the product by depoileve is called folisan - tho it says on the bottle 'for ingrown hair' also.
I pluck it when the hair surfaces but i'd imagine its up to you

tfak85

i used to go to brazilia wax on south william street and they sell little roll ons that have tea tree in them, i was told by many beauticians that tea tree is one of the best things you can use and also make sure your shower/bath is not too hot..
i know that roll on can be used in bikini area... should be able to get a tea tree scrub or even shampoo in the body shop or boots...

PaulaCuddihy

Hi Everyone,
Just a little information on Ingrown hairs - The common causes and Solution:
What they are:
Ingrown hairs are normally caused by the hair been shaved or waxed and the skin above the follicle closing over before the new hair growth can pass through freely. As a result of this the hair becomes trapped and turns back in on itself and continues to grow under the skin’s surface. Sometimes these hairs can become infected and appear as a yellow spot on the skin’s surface.
Common Treatments that can cause them:
Hair Removal Creams:
Can cause a lot of ingrown hairs especially on bikini lines and underarms as the hair is course and the cream burns the hair into the follicle and does not remove it. This allows the hairs roots to remain in place and as the re-growth is delayed the skin will heal over the follicle and obstruct the path of the new hair growth. If the hair can’t come out it will turn in and become an ingrown.
Waxing :
This depends on the wax that is used and the area of the body. It also depends on the person doing the waxing. My advice is if you want a hassle free wax go to a professional salon that uses a GOOD Quality WAX such as LYCON. There are many cheap waxes on the market at the minute and people should only use a good quality hard wax on all intimate areas (bikini, face and underarms) that protects the skin and does not adhere to the skin’s surface when it is removed. If you damage the skin’s surface waxing as opposed to just removing the hair then the skin will want to repair any damage that has been done to its’ surface and this could leave you with a higher chance of ingrown hairs. This is one of the reasons (apart from the discomfort) why you should never use strip wax on any intimate waxing areas. Most professional salons that specialise in hair removal such as Urbana, Urban Wax or Brazilia in Dublin will be able to advise you in this area and all three use a good quality waxes.
Shaving:
Shaving as it cuts the hair level with the skin’s surface can lead to ingrown hairs but if a blunt razor is used this will be significantly worse and is most common on men shaving the front of their neck.
Solutions:
The main solution to ingrown hairs is to prevent the blockage of the hair follicle after a waxing or a hair removal treatment by regularly exfoliating the area. This can be done very easily, takes very little time and is very effective in the treatment of this unsightly problem. There are 2 items that you will require – A pair of Exfoliating Gloves available from Boots €4 and a professional ingrown treatment solution as mentioned earlier such as Folisan from Deplieve available at Urbana in Dublin €25 and lasts for about 6 months. There are a number of products such as Folisan on the market that can help to treat the cause of ingrown hairs, most of these products work in the same way using an active ingredient called salicylic acid to chemically exfoliate the top layers of the skin and prevent the blocking of the hair follicle when the hair start to grow.
How to Use:
Use the Exfoliating Gloves to gently exfoliate the area in a warm shower daily for at least 10 days after hair removal treatment. When finished showering apply folisan with cotton pad to the area and allow to dry before moisturising all over.
Tea Tree was mentioned earlier by another post, Tea tree is an excellent antiseptic and although is not beneficial in the treatment of ingrown hairs it will help to kill any bacteria in the spots that may have developed because of the ingrown hair and will stop the area becoming infected.
Hope that this helps.

scoogie

My legs are covered in red dots exactly like this:

http://www.riversideonline.com/source/images/image_popup/sn7_keratosispilaris2.jpg

The hairs don't seem to grown in on themselves, and since I've been waxing a few years the regrowth is quite slow. I've epilated a few times now and my legs look much worse. Is this definitely ingrown hairs, or more visible pores / hair follicles?

It's awful because my legs are never smooth, no matter how much I exfoliate.

I suffer from a mild form of keratosis pilaris on my upper arms but have never done anything about it. I find it difficult to find treatments for it. I have heard that anything that contains salicylic acid works well for ingrown hairs - can anyone recommend any products that contain this? Also is it safe to use - it is "acid" after all! Thanks!

LadyMayBelle

scoogie wrote: »

My legs are covered in red dots exactly like this:

http://www.riversideonline.com/source/images/image_popup/sn7_keratosispilaris2.jpg

The hairs don't seem to grown in on themselves, and since I've been waxing a few years the regrowth is quite slow. I've epilated a few times now and my legs look much worse. Is this definitely ingrown hairs, or more visible pores / hair follicles?

It's awful because my legs are never smooth, no matter how much I exfoliate.

I suffer from a mild form of keratosis pilaris on my upper arms but have never done anything about it. I find it difficult to find treatments for it. I have heard that anything that contains salicylic acid works well for ingrown hairs - can anyone recommend any products that contain this? Also is it safe to use - it is "acid" after all! Thanks!

I'd love to know how to sort this; I used to describe it as looking like you shaved goosebumps! Fecking sore too when you do shave your legs

Exfoliation is not sufficient as I have been trying it for ages

scoogie

scoogie wrote: »

I suffer from a mild form of keratosis pilaris on my upper arms but have never done anything about it. I find it difficult to find treatments for it.

Keratosis pilaris disappears by itself as you get older.

Tayla

Would tendskin help at all?

scoogie

I bought Nad's Ingrow Solution and after a few weeks of using every day, it didn't do much, I'm starting to think it's actually KP on my legs not ingrown hairs after all

tan11ie

I second - Depileve It works!!!

sporina

PaulaCuddihy wrote: »

Hi Everyone,
Just a little information on Ingrown hairs - The common causes and Solution:
What they are:
Ingrown hairs are normally caused by the hair been shaved or waxed and the skin above the follicle closing over before the new hair growth can pass through freely. As a result of this the hair becomes trapped and turns back in on itself and continues to grow under the skin’s surface. Sometimes these hairs can become infected and appear as a yellow spot on the skin’s surface.
Common Treatments that can cause them:
Hair Removal Creams:
Can cause a lot of ingrown hairs especially on bikini lines and underarms as the hair is course and the cream burns the hair into the follicle and does not remove it. This allows the hairs roots to remain in place and as the re-growth is delayed the skin will heal over the follicle and obstruct the path of the new hair growth. If the hair can’t come out it will turn in and become an ingrown.
Waxing :
This depends on the wax that is used and the area of the body. It also depends on the person doing the waxing. My advice is if you want a hassle free wax go to a professional salon that uses a GOOD Quality WAX such as LYCON. There are many cheap waxes on the market at the minute and people should only use a good quality hard wax on all intimate areas (bikini, face and underarms) that protects the skin and does not adhere to the skin’s surface when it is removed. If you damage the skin’s surface waxing as opposed to just removing the hair then the skin will want to repair any damage that has been done to its’ surface and this could leave you with a higher chance of ingrown hairs. This is one of the reasons (apart from the discomfort) why you should never use strip wax on any intimate waxing areas. Most professional salons that specialise in hair removal such as Urbana, Urban Wax or Brazilia in Dublin will be able to advise you in this area and all three use a good quality waxes.
Shaving:
Shaving as it cuts the hair level with the skin’s surface can lead to ingrown hairs but if a blunt razor is used this will be significantly worse and is most common on men shaving the front of their neck.
Solutions:
The main solution to ingrown hairs is to prevent the blockage of the hair follicle after a waxing or a hair removal treatment by regularly exfoliating the area. This can be done very easily, takes very little time and is very effective in the treatment of this unsightly problem. There are 2 items that you will require – A pair of Exfoliating Gloves available from Boots €4 and a professional ingrown treatment solution as mentioned earlier such as Folisan from Deplieve available at Urbana in Dublin €25 and lasts for about 6 months. There are a number of products such as Folisan on the market that can help to treat the cause of ingrown hairs, most of these products work in the same way using an active ingredient called salicylic acid to chemically exfoliate the top layers of the skin and prevent the blocking of the hair follicle when the hair start to grow.
How to Use:
Use the Exfoliating Gloves to gently exfoliate the area in a warm shower daily for at least 10 days after hair removal treatment. When finished showering apply folisan with cotton pad to the area and allow to dry before moisturising all over.
Tea Tree was mentioned earlier by another post, Tea tree is an excellent antiseptic and although is not beneficial in the treatment of ingrown hairs it will help to kill any bacteria in the spots that may have developed because of the ingrown hair and will stop the area becoming infected.
Hope that this helps.

excellent post.

thanks a million for that

God as we age, it seems to be one thing after another with these bodies of ours..

I noticed a few brown spots on my legs recently and realised they were ingrown hairs. I tried removing the hair and then skin came off and noticed I was exposing the skin to bacteria - not good.
On thought I then realised that this was the first time i got these and consequently after I used a different hair removal cream - veet suprem essence. I will not be using it again. I was dubious about it in the first place.

Anyway I do not seem to have anymore of these brown spots but i will shave as normal and exfoliate and moisturise.

fingers crossed it is the end of them