Thread: How do you prevent Ingrown hairs?

The reason for ingrown hairs is that dead skin cells clogges up the passage for the newly shaved hairs to grow out. When the hairs starts to grow it can't get passed the layer of dead skin cells ant therefore starts growing under the skin. To remove these dead skin cells you thesefore need som kind of exfoliant so the hairs can grow freely.

As I understand it straight shaving also has a exfoliating effect and thats why, at least in my case, I haven't had any troubbles with ingrowns since I started with straight razors. I read somewhere that ingrowns are also more common with people who have curly beard, most common among black people, you might have a little curly beard..even if you aren't black. What you also can do is not to shave too closely..but then you won't get the smoothness of BBS.

Originally Posted by Rawaz

The reason for ingrown hairs is that dead skin cells clogges up the passage for the newly shaved hairs to grow out. When the hairs starts to grow it can't get passed the layer of dead skin cells ant therefore starts growing under the skin.

I'm not sure thats correct. Wiki appears to disagree with this...

Ingrown hair - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Originally Posted by nickyspaghetti

If we could know what makes some people more susceptible to them then maybe we could find a solution?

A lot of the cause is simply that the hairs can be too fine. Guys with a really good wire beard rarely seem to suffer. The finer hair can lose it's way somewhat & doesn't have the tensile strength to force it's way back to the surface. There are many reasons i suspect though.
Exfoliation doesn't seem to help me too much & i simply have to pull them out.
I guess it's horses for courses though & there are different solutions for different individuals.

Originally Posted by sidneykidney

I'm not sure thats correct. Wiki appears to disagree with this...

Ingrown hair - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That's at least what I know..but also i cant see where Wiki disagrees with my statement it does not explain whet causes the hair to "curl back or grow sideways into the skin"

Correct me if i'm wrong

Ingrown hairs

Very long time since i had it, think it was in the younger days using an electrical shaver "shrugs".. after i started wet shaving with Mach's i never had that problem. Always shaved while in the shower, so convinient when you already are standing there wet and shaveready.

Another thing, my skin always got more irritated after using the electrical shaver than doing a wet shave. Maybe it's due to all dust from stubble and skin that is produced from the quick rotating blade.

Regards,

Rikard

My understanding of the reason behind razor bumps comes both from wiki and also from executive shaving.co.uk :

Razor bump and ingrowing hair - Advice on razor bumps and ingrowing hairs UK

According to that;

"This occurs when curly hair grows out of the skin, curls round and then grows back into the skin. This happens if the hair is cut too short. Normal hair cut too short will create the same problem. They result in the medical condition pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB). An ideal shave cuts the hair flush with the surface of the skin and avoids any undue friction and/or irritation to the surrounding skin."

I think a lack of razor bumps and ingrown hairs coincides with good shaving technique ie. not pulling skin too tight but pulling it tight enough, getting the right angle, not using too much pressure, using a sharp razor.

I suspect those of you that have said you no longer get them are successful because your technique has improved (as most people do over time).

The thing which I disagree with in particular Rawaz is the involvement of dead skin cells.

Poor technique will lead to cuts and nicks, into which the regrowing hair can curl into, leaving you with ingrowns.

At least, thats what i've always understood. A dermatologist could tell you more....

Well I think I need to start experimenting with slightly different shaving techniques. It could be as mentioned before that some of my hair is not thick enough to have a fighting chance getting through the skin. Thanks a lot for the comments though, it's been a great help

Dylan

I used to suffer with ingrowns. Then I met a guy at the SRP UK meet, nice fella, he's a policemen in the met but I digress....

He suggested that I exfoliate. Its something that never occured to me and something I always put down as a bit of a girly thing to do but he explained it as unclogging all of those pore and letting the ingrowns free. After trying for about a week I have to say he was exactly right.

I find the best way to avoid those ingrowns (and in fact any razor burn) is:

1) Hot shower
2) Exfoliate (whilste in the shower sometimes but I guess you didnt really need to know that)
3) Good wash with plenty of as hot water as you can bear
4) soap up
5) shave (with no waiting after the soap)
6) rinse remaing soap with hot water
7) rinse with lots and lots of cold water
8) bloc osma
9) rinse with more cold
10) let it dry naturally
11) use a bit of post shave balm

and bobs your uncle. no rash, no ingrowns just a really comfortable shave

Good luck

I think for some, exfoliating will help. For others, like me, our whiskers grow at a very shallow angle and lay very close to the skin. Some of my whiskers are 1/4" long or more by the time they come through the skin. On top of that, they're curly. I think I will always have some ingrowns. I can only act to minimize them and prevent them from becoming irritated.

Jordan

I used to get ingrown hairs all the time when I was in my twenties (I am 54 now). My hair is thick. It is straight except on my neck and jawline where it is curly and grows in swirls. All my ingrown hairs have been on my neck and jawline. When I was 31, I had an ingrown hair become infected and I had a temperature of 104 degrees.

I was given many solutions; never shave ATG, always shave ATG, use Noxema Medicated shave creme, grow a beard, change your razor blade often, and shave every day so an ingrown hair cannot get started.

What worked for me was shaving daily and changing my blade every Monday morning. I have shaved for BBS since my twenties, WTG, XTG, and ATG with twin blades. Also, I learned a light touch early on and let the razor do the work. When twin blades came out with those stupid lubricating strips, I had a lot of problems. The strips caused my razor to glide over my beard, so I had to apply pressure to get the razor to shave. The result ingrown hairs.

I haven't had an ingrown hair in over 10 years. It may be the change in my hair or my technique, but my gray hair is kinkier now than ever.

YMMV,

Dave