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Help! I get ingrown hairs when I shave
Everyone knows that ingrown hairs are a pain to have around—literally (ouch!).
Ingrown hairs are formed when the hair gets trapped inside the follicle and starts to grow inside of it, leaving a painful bump under the surface of the skin. Anything that cuts the hair with a sharp tip and leaves it too short can cause an ingrown hair (like shaving!). Follow the tips below to prevent those pesky ingrowns.
Get Buff
Always, always use warm water when shaving. Warm water will encourage pores to open and will soften hair, lessening the possibility of irritation. Before grabbing that razor, gently exfoliate any area to be shaved by scrubbing off dead skin cells, which can clog follicles and block the hair from growing.
Lather Up
Make sure to use shaving gels, not foams, as gels have more lubricating agents to make your skin (and shave) smoother!
King of Shaves Woman Pamper & Moisturize Shaving Gel, $5, drugstore.com
Swap that Style
Try changing up your shaving technique! Don't shave too close to the skin, and don't pull the skin where you shave. Shaving with the grain of your hair (the direction in which the hair grows) can prevent the hair from being cut too short. Shaving against the grain increases the chances of irritation.
Already got ingrown hairs? Try exfoliating the surface of your skin to gently loosen the hairs out of the follicles. You can also try lifting the end of the ingrown out with sterile tweezers. Just don’t pluck it, OK?
By: Cameron O'Brien
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