Why am I Experiencing Ingrown Hairs?
One of the problems from shaving or waxing is ingrown hairs. As the hair is coming out of the skin, it can't quite break through the dead skin cells. The hair continues to grow but it is now growing under the skin and can grow like a river underneath or can grow in the circle and stay balled up. Usually ingrowns are worse when shaving versus waxing. There are a couple of reasons why you would get an ingrown hair. Here's why and what you can do about it!
Some people are just more prone to experiencing ingrown hairs. This is due to our genetics, how the skin is and what the hairs do ... under normal conditions. That being said, it's important to find a great waxer that uses proper technique and post care. Develop a relationship so that you can ask any and all questions. Your esthetician is there to help you! You can have ingrown hairs anywhere on the body, but this article will focus mostly on intimate waxing.
What should I Avoid?
When going in for a brazilian waxing treatment, make sure to follow all the after care instructions you are given. I like to say to avoid the 3 S's - Sunning, Sweat, and Sex for 24 hours.
Sunning - This means to avoid anything hot like tanning, hot tubs, saunas etc. The area may be sensitive, so some people think that heat will make it feel better. Let me assure you that this is not the case. Instead, use ice, aloe and soothing products.
Sweat - Do not go straight from your wax to your hardest workout of the week! Infact, avoid the gym for 24 hours while the hair follicle is open. (It takes approximately a day for it to close up.)
Sex - Heat, friction, etc are a recipe for disaster. Wait 24 hours for the area to calm, the hair follicles to close up and
What Should I Do?
There are also a couple things that are extremely helpful and something you can do. These include exfoliation and hydration.
Exfoliating - In order to understand why this is so important, let's talk about the anatomy of a hair. We'll use an analogy of a tree. If you are shaving, you are chopping the tree trunk down at the base, which is a thick area. The hair growing back will feel stubbly and may be itchy because it is at the base of the tree. When you wax, the hair will grow back like the tips of branch. The difference of the hairs breaking through the dead skin cells are very different with one being a trunk and another being a branch. The branch will definitely need help. Help comes in the form of exfoliating away the dead skin cells. My favorites for this are the Spa Cell (which can be used with any body wash) and the Ingrown Hair Buster (a spray using botanicals and acids.) Both are very effective at exfoliating. I like to have my clients exfoliate 2 to 3 times a week to start, while adjusting if needed.
Hydrating - In addition to exfoliating, the hair needs to be conditioned and hydrated. If the hair is not hydrated properly, it make break off while waxing. Broken hairs also have a hard time reaching the surface of the skin and may result in ingrown hairs. How do you hydrate and condition the skin? You need a moisturizer. If you use something too heavy, it can clog pores. Too light weight and it may not be enough to hydrate properly. So something in the middle is just right in this case!
One final thought on ingrown hairs. Many people wax for years, not experiencing problems and then start to have a couple of ingrowns. As the hairs are waxed, they do get weaker and finer. So this may be a problem that you experience later on. Make sure that you take the advice of your waxer and play with the frequency of how often you exfoliate and moisturize to find the right combination for you.
Don't forget to
Breathe. Let Go. Relax.
Zoey Jolley, LE