Both unsightly and atrociously painful, ingrown hairs occur anytime shaved hair becomes trapped deep down inside the hair follicle. Also known as razor bumps, when they grow back into the skin, you may see scarring, swelling and redness in the area. The medical name for ingrown hairs is Pseudofolliculitis Barbae or PFB. While reading about this stubborn condition, you’ll uncover a few simple steps to help you treat occasional ingrown hairs pain free and quickly.

The first step in learning to care for ingrown hairs is to use active ingredients. Studies show that salicylic acid has properties that work wonders in improving razor bumps. When you use it on your face, it will exfoliate, moisturize, clear and clean every pore to stop infection. After shaving, use a product that lists salicylic acid as an active ingredient so that it stays on your skin and works throughout the entire day. Steer clear from products containing alcohol because they can make our ingrown hairs worse. Alcohol drys the skin and closes the pores.

To treat hairs that are already ingrown, lift the ingrown end out with tweezers and do not pluck the hair. The reason being is that it will cause the hair to regrow deeper. Products that have azulene, witch hazel, and allantoin will decrease redness and swelling. By following these steps you will be able to get rid of ingrown hairs before they become even more of a problem. Remember never to pluck the hair and use salicylic acid to exfoliate the skin and keep infection from spreading.