Ingrown hair? Yeah, it sucks big time. Here you are just going about your day; you decided to shave, you start feeling the surface of your newly exposed chin expecting it to be a smooth as a baby’s butt. But something is off. There’s some kind of bump interfering with the shaving satisfaction,and you know exactly what it is.
But don’t worry my fellow man. We are here to pass on our knowledge so that one more guy can learn to properly get rid of this irritating problem and never have to deal with it again.
So, What Exactly is Ingrown Hair? How Do You Take Care of It?
It all happens when a random hair strand of your beard decides for whatever reason to simply curve into the skin and just start growing there instead of doing it outside like all the other usual hair strands. As soon as this happens, the area will get bumpy and reddish. Distinguishing it from a pimple is a black point that corresponds to that hair strand.
Getting an ingrown hair is extremely common according to the Mayo Clinic. To put it in numbers, the USA witnesses 3 million cases of it on a yearly basis.
The good thing is they’re not generally painful. But they do get uncomfortable, irritating and itchy which is not far better. But in some cases, they can get infected, leaving a painful bump of pus.
But it usually never gets so bad that it would need medical attention. They disappear on their own. A typical case would only require some creams to make it go away. You’ll usually never need antibiotics unless there’s a persisting case of postulates or abscesses.
Make sure you have the self-control to keep your hands away from the spot in question. Scratching the itch will only make things worse with infections and scarring. Just let it rest on its own and avoid shaving again until that area is back to normal.
Why Are Bearded Men Plagued With Ingrown Hair?
The answer to that is pretty simple and quite obvious? Bearded men only get ingrown hair once they shave.
If you’re ever shaving your underarms, pubic area or legs, be exceptionally careful.
But black people and Latinos have it a bit harder than the rest of the beard community. That’s because they generally have naturally curly hair. And that increases the chances of getting an ingrown hair. In the matter of fact, the numbers suggest that 14 to 25-year-old black men get this issue the most, compared to other groups of people.
See also: Does shaving make hair grow back thicker?
How Can I Avoid It?
Some unfortunate fellows, get plagued by the ingrown hair so frequently that, in their desperation, plan on getting laser removal. But in case this is one of your first times with this problem, we recommend trying out other less expensive, more natural solutions.
Clean that Beard Thoroughly
One factor that can lead to an ingrown hair is the accumulation of dead skin cells that can clog the follicle and make it so that the hair grows in an unnatural direction. So the advice here is that you should try keeping your chin area as clean as possible at all times, especially right before shaving.
No Need to Get Too Close
Another factor is, of course, shaving too closely, especially if you’re a guy with curly hair. If the hair is shaved so short that the pointy cut tip of the hair can make contact with the skin, then we might get a problem.
But if a close shave is what you prefer, then there’s no stopping you. But you should still take things easy if you want to avoid the problem.
Oil for Beard
Beard oils can be such a delightful help in the fight against ingrown hair. They help by maintaining moisture and also trying to prevent the itch. Besides that, Vitamin-E rich beard oils can improve your blood flow and increase the elasticity of your skin. All of these factors make the situation of an ingrown hair much more bearable as they prevent dryness and open up clogged pores. We advise getting yourself a beard oil, made of natural ingredients and free of any hormones, GMOs or harmful toxins.