How To Avoid Ingrown Hairs

How to avoid ingrown hairs?

What are they?

Itchy, irritating little lumps that appear shortly after shaving. Ingrown hairs are caused by hair growing sideways or backwards under your skin, instead of up and out. This occurs either due to a build-up of dead skin cells clogging the follicle or because of the angle the hair has been cut.

How to avoid them?

The first step towards avoiding ingrown hairs is to exfoliate your skin. A light rub with a washcloth or body scrub helps to keep dead skin cells at bay and prevents your follicles from getting clogged. Next, make sure to use a sharp blade and reduce friction with good-quality shaving cream; this prevents newly cut hair from catching under the skin.

A quick note on the direction in which you shave! 

The direction in which you shave can play a role in the likelihood of developing ingrown hairs. Shaving against the grain can result in hairs being cut too short and growing back into the skin. Shaving with the grain, or in the same direction as hair growth, helps minimise this by leaving the stubble longer. It’s a toss up between having a really close shave or leaving it longer to avoid ingrown hairs. That being said Pure Shave Shaving Cream can really help combat this. Other factors like skin type, hair texture, and shaving techniques can also contribute to the formation of ingrown hairs.

Finally, apply moisturiser to dry areas, which will help the skin retain moisture and prevent future follicle issues.

For a more in depth article, click onto our other blog piece, What Are Ingrown Hairs And How To Avoid Them.