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The wrong technique of waxing, plucking, or shaving pubic hair can cause ingrown hairs. When this happens, you may notice small bumps where the hair is sore or itchy. Sometimes the lumps of ingrown hairs can also fill with pus. How to solve the problem of ingrown pubic hair?
Causes ingrown pubic hair
Pubic hair is thicker, coarser, and tends to be frizzy than hair on other parts of the body. Due to its "denser" texture, shaving is wrong or rushed can risk the razor blade trapping and grabbing the hair, causing skin irritation. When this happens, the hair follicles can grow in the wrong direction and cause pubic hair to grow inward.
Dead skin cells that clog the follicles can also trigger hair growth to defect and turn into the skin layers instead of out of the skin. Pubic hair that has entered the follicle does not come back out.
The skin tissue then considers the hair as a foreign object that invades the body, so your immune system will start the inflammatory process. Eventually, a red bump that feels sore or itchy is similar to a pimple.
How to deal with ingrown pubic hair?
In some cases, ingrown hairs can be treated at home with simple methods.
First, first clean the skin area where the ingrown hairs are with a soft washcloth. Clean in a gentle circular motion. Then with sterile tweezers or pins, simply puncture the head of the lump and lift the needle to open a way for the pus to drain out (imagine you are pushing up). Remember, don't squeeze it from the bottom until the pus comes out.
The stabbing head lump will not cause pain, because you are dealing with dead skin cells. This trick will not cause further damage to the surrounding healthy skin tissue, while avoiding infection and scarring.
If the ingrown hair condition is serious and cannot be deflated by the above methods, you should contact your doctor immediately for proper treatment. Usually the doctor will prescribe drugs that can be used to treat this condition, namely:
- Steroid cream to reduce inflammation.
- Creams or drugs taken to treat infections. Antibiotic lotion can be used to treat areas that are injured as a result of scratching.
- Medicines that will help remove dead skin cells. This medication can reduce the dark color and thickness of the skin in the area of the ingrown hair.
- Retinoid creams such as tretinoin (Renova, Retin-A) to remove dead skin cells and fade dark skin patches in ingrown hair areas. These drugs can cause dry skin. However, don't use retinoid creams if you are pregnant. This medicine is harmful to babies and can cause birth defects.
