Wednesday 13 July 2011

How to Remove Bikini Line Ingrown Hairs

Ingrown hairs are something we are all unfortunate enough to suffer from on occasion. When one appears however, the best thing ever is to know how to remove it properly.

Many people resort to poking around with a needle to remove the hair or, worse still, scratching and squeezing at the skin. The hair may, or may not, come out but the unfortunate soul is usually left with a wound that looks ten times worse than the ingrown hair did. Worse still, many people can finish up with an infection.

There are more sensible approaches that give much better results.

Step 1
Disinfect the area thoroughly.

Step 2
Relax for twenty minutes or so in a warm, salted bath or, if you don't have the time, place a warm, damp cloth over the area for 5 - 10 minutes to soften the skin.

Step 3
Exfoliate the area to remove any build up of dead skin cells. Salt is a natural exfoliator that will also help reduce swelling so if you have some left over from the bath, make use of it here. Use your fingertips to gently massage a little salt into the skin or, if you find this too harsh, make up a salt solution with 250 ml water and 1 - 2 teaspoons of salt.

Step 4
In the opposite direction to the growth of the hair, try scraping a disinfected cotton pad over the skin to try to help the hair come to the surface.If you don't have any success with this, try using ingrown hair tweezers.

Step 5
This is where having the right tools comes in. It is money well spent to invest in a pair of ingrown hair tweezers. If you get them, you will also be able to use them to remove splinters so they are a worthwhile addition to the first aid box. Once you have sterilized the tweezers, try and grasp the hair and pull the tip from under the skin. Try not to pull the hair out completely. Just uncover the hair tip so that it can grow more naturally until your next hair removal treatment. In a day or so, you can shave or wax it as normal.

Step 6
Finally, apply an antiseptic to keep infections at bay.

Prevention is of course much better than cure so you would be better off trying to avoid them. A good, regular method of exfoliation will help considerably, as will the application of a decent moisturizer. There are now even a number of good products on sale that have been designed specifically to help avoid ingrown hairs.

If you are interested in finding out more about getting rid of ingrown hairs, check out Bikini Waxing HQ, a site dedicated to providing advice and information on home hair removal.

Monday 4 July 2011

Ingrown Hair Prevention

Hair sometimes curls back on itself and becomes trapped beneath the skin where it continues to grow. This is known as an ingrown hair. Hairs that grow under the skin in this way can end up infected or leave you with ugly bumps. A warm, damp cloth and sterilized tweezers are often enough to remove ingrown hairs.

To give our readers some of the very best advice possible, we talked with a physician about what are the best methods of getting rid of ingrown hairs or, better still, preventing them in the first place.

How to Avoid Getting Ingrown Hairs
It may be nice to get a good, close shave, but shaving too closely can irritate the skin and cause ingrown hairs. It's also key to check which direction the hair is growing so that you can shave with it as opposed to against it.

If waxing at home is your weapon of choice for hair removal, "gently" exfoliate the area regularly to keep it clear of skin debris that can clog the pores and cause ingrown hairs.

To help prevent ingrown hair around the bikini line, wear looser clothing. If hairs have to fight against tight fitting clothes, they sometimes don't have the strength to make it out of the hair follicle and curl inwards instead.

How to Get Rid of an Ingrown Hair
The easiest and most common way is with a warm cloth and a pair of sterilized tweezers. If the hair isn't too deep, simply apply the warm, damp cloth to soften the skin and then gently remove the hair with the tweezers.

Should you suffer from an slightly infected ingrown hair, treat it immediately with antiseptic. Witch Hazel and Tee Tree Oil are both very good antiseptics for treating ingrown hairs.

Many products specifically designed for treating ingrown hairs are now available and worth trying.

Products for Treating Ingrown Hairs
Don't use any product without first having studied the guidance leaflet. This way you can be sure it is suitable for you personally and how you should apply it. Many make use of harsh chemicals/acids mixed with moisturizer that can easily irritate the skin.

Test the product on a small area first. If there is no irritation, you can confidently apply it as normal.

Using these product regularly can dramatically reduce the amount of ingrown hairs you get and prevention is always better than cure.

These are just a few suggestions for dealing with ingrown hairs. Nothing beats professional medical advice so if you have any doubts, chronic ingrown hairs or infected ingrown hairs, consult a physician or dermatologist.

If you are interested in finding out more about how to get rid of an ingrown hair, check out Bikini Waxing HQ, a site dedicated to providing advice and information on home hair removal.