How Is Ingrown Hairs Treated?

Pause shaving, waxing, or tweezing the affected area while it settles. Gentle cleansing and a warm, damp compress can soften the skin and ease tenderness. Do not dig under the skin, squeeze the bump, or pull at a trapped hair, because this can cause a wound, scarring, or spread bacteria.

A clinician may recommend a topical medicine to loosen dead skin, calm inflammation, or treat a bacterial infection when one is present. Several tender bumps around shaved hair-bearing skin may be razor bumps, also called pseudofolliculitis barbae, rather than a single isolated ingrown hair.

When the skin is no longer sore, use a clean razor, shaving gel, and light strokes in the direction of hair growth. Avoid very close shaving and tight clothing that rubs the area. If recurrent bumps continue, discuss changing hair-removal methods; laser hair removal may reduce future hair growth for some people after a suitability assessment.

Arrange a medical review if redness, warmth, swelling, or pain is spreading, if pus develops, or if you feel unwell. Seek prompt care for severe pain, rapidly worsening swelling, or skin discoloration. Repeated bumps, draining lesions, or marks that do not settle deserve assessment for folliculitis or another skin condition.

Ask whether the bump is an ingrown hair, folliculitis, or razor bumps; which topical treatment suits your skin; and whether a different hair-removal method could prevent recurrence.