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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffTo help prevent ingrown hairs, use hair removal methods that make ingrown hairs less likely.
If you shave:
- Wet the hair to be removed with warm water
- Avoid close shaves
- Use a lubricating shave gel
- Use a single-blade razor
- Use a sharp blade
- Don't pull your skin taut while shaving
- Shave in the direction of hair growth
- Rinse the blade after each stroke
- Apply cool compresses to the shaved area when you're finished
Other methods of hair removal include:
- Electric razor. Avoid the closest shave setting.
- Chemical hair remover. The chemicals may irritate your skin, so test on a small area first.
- Eflornithine hydrochloride cream (Vaniqa). Not actually a hair remover, this prescription cream decreases hair growth in women. It must be used with another hair removal method.
References
- Coley MK, et al. Managing common dermatoses in skin of color. Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery. 2009;28:63.
- Gadeliya A, et al. A prickly problem. American Journal of Medicine. 2006;119:413.
- Pseudofolliculitis barbae. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec10/ch124/ch124d.html. Accessed Nov. 24, 2009.
- Perry PK, et al. Defining pseudofolliculitis barbae in 2001: A review of the literature and current trends. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2002;46(suppl):S113.
- Habif, TP. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 5th ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00018-3--s0255&uniq=176698590&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&sid=933780854. Accessed Nov. 25, 2009.
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