Ingrown Hairs

Ingrown hairs are a common concern, often caused by hair removal methods such as shaving. 

They often appear are raised, red bumps on the skin which may be itchy. You may also notice that the hair is trapped underneath the skin, if you can see small, black dots under the skin. Ingrown hairs form when a hair grows back into the skin, rather than out of it. It can also be caused by a build up of dead skin in the hair follicle, which pushes the hair to grow sideways into the skin. 

Whilst you are more likely to suffer with them if you have thick and curly hair, they can happen to anyone. As well as being unsightly, ingrown hairs can be painful and large, pus filled cysts can form around the area in extreme cases. Shaving is one of the main culprits for the cause of ingrown hairs, as this method does not remove the hair from the root, but instead just cuts the top of the hair off. 

To avoid ingrown hairs, the best treatment is destroying the hair follicle completely. Laser hair removal is a fantastic way to remove unwanted hair and can help to prevent ingrown hairs from forming. This is because the hairs are targeted at the root and their growth cycle is disturbed, leading to slower and less hair growth. After 6-8 sessions, we typically see a 70-80% reduction in total hair growth. When shaving in between your laser sessions, make sure to use a fresh razor and avoid using a blunt one to prevent ingrown hairs forming.

Waxing is also another great hair removal method, which removes the hair directly from the root, giving you perfectly smooth, hair free skin.