6 Natural Ways of Ingrown Hair Removal at Home

Sheetal Rawal, Founder, Apsara Skin Care

Left: Sheetal Rawal, scientist (human genetics) & founder of Apsara Skin Care

By: Sheetal Rawal & Alex Raffanti

Ingrown hairs can be very annoying and hard to get rid of, but what exactly causes them? Shaving is one of the main reasons for ingrown hairs. Shaving irritates the skin and causes the hair to grow back into the skin, rather than grow out. These are also known as razor bumps but sometimes can happen independently of shaving. They are sometimes filled with a little pus, which makes them look like pimples, but just like pimples, you should not pick and dig at them as they will get more inflamed and irritated.

Other than shaving, procedures like threading and waxing can also give rise to ingrown hair. Both threading and waxing can cause a thickening of skin in the area which can trap growing hair, causing

Ingrown hair removal

them to become ingrown. The easiest way to think about ingrown hair formation is to imagine a scenario where hair is growing back (after being removed) while old layers of skin are piling up on the skin as well (old skin cells constantly surface to the top on their way to being shed). These continuously forming new layers of skin can trap the growing hair since it does not keep pace with the process of skin cell renewal.  

"I really love using [Apsara Skin Care products], and I would like to buy more and more and use more and more products. I would suggest this to any of my family members and friends."

Here are some home remedies to help keep ingrown hair formation to a minimum.

Be More Aware When Shaving: Do not go against the grain: This is a pretty general rule to avoid ingrown hairs, which are usually the cause of shaving too frequently. Shaving is a fiction-heavy process and causes the skin to become thicker and scabby. This may not be clearly evident to the eye but does tend to happen all the same. This increases the possibility of hair being trapped under the skin. To avoid this irritation, do not shave against your hair growth. We are taught to shave against the grain to get the closest shave, but if you want to avoid those pesky razor bumps it is suggested that you shave in the direction your hair grows and not too often. Right after shaving, use a good quality massage or body oil to prevent the skin from becoming dry and thick. Massage oils are far superior compared to lotions because they are more nourishing and leave a protective film on the skin, which prevents moisture loss, dryness, and thickening of the skin.

Warm Compress: If your ingrown hair isn’t too irritated and deep, most likely it will pop out with just a warm compress. Warmth softens the skin over the ingrown hair and helps it pop out of the surface easier. Soak a hand towel in warm (NOT HOT) water and place it on to your ingrown hair until the towel starts to cool down. Then use a dry towel to gently exfoliate the top skin that is trapping the ingrown hair. Use gentle and circular strokes to accomplish this. Follow with a few drops of olive oil to nourish and protect the skin.

Sugar: Sugar is a great exfoliant and also scrubs the skin, which helps push out the ingrown hair.

Sugar for ingrown hair

Before bed, mix ½ teaspoon of powdered brown sugar with 1 tsp. of olive oil; dab it onto the affected area. Massage in with gentle and circular strokes for 2-3 minutes. You can do this 2 times a week. Wash with lukewarm water and follow with your serum and lotion right after. Do remember that undernourished skin tends to be imbalanced and this can also affect or slow down the pace at which skin cells shed (this also happens naturally with age). Therefore more chances to develop ingrown hair.

Want to learn another sugar scrub you can use to exfoliate your face? Watch this video to learn more. Enjoy and don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel!

Black Tea Bags: Black tea has a high concentration of tannic acid which reduces inflammation and redness, while also leaving the skin smooth. Steep a black tea bag in hot water and then let it cool down; then place it on your ingrown hair for about 5 minutes daily. Tannins are also known to tighten up the skin, which I feel might cause the ingrown hair to pop out more easily.

Coffee: Coffee has acidic and skin tightening properties that make it easier for the skin to expose

Coffee for ingrown hair

the ingrown hair to surface. To 1 tsp. of coffee grounds, add enough warm water to make a thick paste. Apply it to the area prone to ingrown hair. Massage in gently for about 3 minutes. Wash with lukewarm water and then follow with serum and lotion for your skin type.

Tea Tree Oil: Tea tree oil is an effective remedy for redness and swelling. Therefore it is very useful for ingrown hair that is also infected and inflamed. As the redness and swelling decrease, it becomes easier for the ingrown hair to surface. Add one drop of tea tree oil to a tsp. of olive oil. Massage this mixture into your skin 2-3 times a week before bed.

Green Papaya: This fruit is awesome. It is a source of papain, which is speeds up the rate at

Papaya for ingrown hair

which the skin exfoliates. This means the top layers trapping the ingrown hair shed quickly and that reduces the occurrence and severity of ingrown hair. Having a daily and weekly exfoliating product as part of your skin care routine is an awesome idea for those that are prone to ingrown hair due to threading or waxing of areas like the chin or upper lip.

As for using papaya as a homemade aid, get a tsp. of mashed up green papaya and add a tsp. of powdered brown sugar to it. Now massage this mix into your skin for 3 minutes and leave on for another 10 minutes. You might have to add a few drops of water to thin out this mix until it can be easily massaged into the skin. Do this 1-2 times a week and then follow with serum and lotion.

I hope you found all these ingredients and tips very useful to reduce and minimize ingrown hair.

Feel free to share your thoughts with us in comments below.

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