Ingrown hairs (also known as razor bumps) are unsightly and painful. They result once the shaved hair gets trapped inside the follicle or grows back in skin. It can cause scarring, redness and swelling (its medical term is Pseudofolliculitis Barbae or PFB).

We have developed this comprehensive approach that may solve probably the most stubborn conditions or occasional ingrown hairs. You need to follow all of the steps in this regimen for many weeks.

1. Treat with active ingredients

– There are many services and products that claim to help treat ingrown hairs, but the reality is that Salicylic acid is the one active substance that can visibly improve razor bumps. It’s a dermatological-grade ingredient that exfoliates, moisturizes, clears treatment for acne and will help prevent infection. Make use of a post-shave product with salicylic acid so that it remains on your own skin all day every day (see below).

– Only use a non-acnegenic shaving cream specially formulated for sensitive skin, with plenty of lubricating agents (foam-based shaving creams can dry and irritate the skin).

– Don’t use any product that has alcohol, it will seriously worsen ingrown hairs by drying your skin and closing the treatment for acne.

2. Improve your skin’s surface

– Exfoliating (removing the top of layers of dead skin) is indispensable to control ingrown hairs. Daily use of a gentle face scrub with glycolic and salicylic acid is specially effective.

– Make use of a soft-bristle face brush and liquid cleanser in a circular motion on your beard to dislodge the tips of ingrown hairs, eliminate dead skin cells and clear follicles to permit hairs to surface unimpeded.

3. Adjust your shaving technique

– We hate to be the ones to share with you this, but shaving too closely is among the triggers for razor bumps. Hair stubs cut too closely can get trapped in the hair follicle and dig inward or sideways. Don’t worry, the disappearance of unsightly ingrown hairs will more than replace with the “five-o’clock shadow” appearance.

– To prevent shaving too close, don’t pull skin whenever you shave; don’t put too much pressure on the blades; shave with the grain and use a single-blade razor.

– You will need to maintain this approach with time, as you extra-close shave will be enough to result in a recurrence of ingrown hairs that will simply take weeks to heal.

4. Treat already ingrown hairs

– Carefully lift the ingrown end out with tweezers, but don’t pluck the hair out; this may only make the hair regrow deeper.

– Azulene and Allantoin may help reduce the redness and swelling.