The best way to treat an ingrown hair is to free the trapped hair from underneath the skin in two steps (listed below).Consider the following while shopping for ingrown hair treatments:
Calming irritation: Ingrown hairs can be swollen, inflamed and painful to the touch. Calming irritation before spot treating reduces pain so the treatment is more bearable, experts told me. Dermatologists recommend applying first-aid ointments along with cold compresses or ice packs.
Spot treating bumps: You can spot treat the bumps associated with ingrown hairs like you would acne, says Dr. Mara Weinstein Velez, a board-certified dermatologist and assistant professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Use products made with ingredients like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid — these chemical exfoliants get rid of dead skin around and on top of the ingrown hair, allowing the hair to free itself, says Weinstein. She recommends using spot treatments twice a day. Your treatment plan should also include using warm compresses for 10 to 15 minutes per day, which softens the skin and encourages the trapped hair to come to the surface, says Dr. Y. Claire Chang, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist at Union Square Laser Dermatology in Manhattan, New York.
To recommend the below ingrown hair treatments, I chose products that dermatologists recommend, we’ve used ourselves or are highly rated and meet expert guidance. Since ingrown hairs can occur in any hair-bearing area, I note whether each product is meant for your face or body. Make sure to avoid removing hair in the area where you have an ingrown until it’s fully healed, experts told me.
Neosporin is my go-to antibiotic ointment for ingrowns, cuts and burns. It contains bacitracin, an over-the-counter topical antibiotic you can apply to red and inflamed ingrown hair, says Dr. Joshua Zeichner, the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology and an associate professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital. The ointment also has a blend of other antibiotics that protect against infection and help heal skin, plus it can minimize the appearance of scars if you use it one to three times daily, according to the brand.
Hydrocortisone creams can help reduce inflammation and itching associated with ingrown hairs, says Chang. This option from Cortizone 10 is made with 1% hydrocortisone, which is the highest concentration of the ingredient found in over-the-counter products, according to our experts. In addition to ingrowns, I’ve used Cortizone 10 on bug bites, sunburns and razor burn, and you can apply it to eczema. The fragrance-free ointment is made with aloe, which helps soothe skin, according to the brand.
This fragrance-free salicylic acid spot treatment comes recommended by Ashley Morris, NBC Select associate SEO reporter. “It stops my ingrowns from forming into bigger bumps and fades the dark spots left behind by old ingrowns,” she says. “The rollerball applicator is my favorite part. It applies really smoothly and the tonic dries almost right away.” The rollerball applicator also allows you to target the ingrown without touching your skin and potentially transferring bacteria from your hands to the affected area. Topicals’ clear tonic contains zinc, a mineral that can minimize irritation; glycolic acid to further exfoliate; and niacinamide to brighten the appearance of the bump, according to the brand.
“I’ve used Prid’s Drawing Salve for everything — cystic acne, slivers and even ingrown hairs,” says Lauren Swanson, NBC Select editorial director. “It’s very tar-like and smells gross, but it truly is a miracle worker. I slap this stuff on over ingrown hairs, put on a Band-Aid and then go to bed. When I wake up, it’s gone.” The salve is made with natural ingredients like sulfur, which relieves itch, silicea, which draws out hair trapped underneath the skin’s surface, and arnica, which reduces pain and swelling, according to the brand. Make sure you cover the area you apply this drawing salve to with a bandage or gauze — it’s brown in color and can stain fabric.
Fur’s Ingrown Concentrate contains tea tree oil, which has anti-inflammatory properties and helps prevent ingrown hairs from getting infected, says Chang. The treatment is also made with chamomile extract to minimize redness and coconut, tamanu and grape seed oils to hydrate and soften skin, according to the brand. Before applying the concentrate, Fur recommends exfoliating with the included finger mitt in the shower. Then, once you dry off, apply a few drops to bumps.
Mario Badescu’s Drying Lotion is my favorite overnight treatment for ingrowns. It dries them up while I’m sleeping and makes them appear much less red and swollen in the morning. The lotion has salicylic acid to remove dead skin cells sitting on top of and around ingrown hairs, and calamine, an ingredient that reduces itching and irritation, according to the brand. You dip a cotton swab into the pink sediment at the bottom of the bottle and dab it directly onto the ingrown. The lotion dries quickly but leaves a light pink, chalky residue behind, which is why I prefer to use it at night.
Your skin care routine matters when it comes to hair removal, says Weinstein. If your skin isn’t in good shape when you remove hair, new hair won’t grow back normally. Preventing ingrowns mostly centers around caring for your skin before, after and in between hair removal sessions. Here are some factors to consider when shopping for products that help you do so:
Cleansing: If you’re prone to ingrowns, use a face or body wash made with benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid or glycolic acid, says Weinstein. These ingredients help reduce bacteria on skin and prevent it from spreading.
Exfoliating: This is key to preventing ingrown hairs, especially if you’re prone to them, experts told me. Exfoliating is the process of removing dead cells from the surface of the skin, essentially clearing the path for new hair to grow, says Zeichner. There are two types of exfoliants: chemical and physical (sometimes called manual). Chemical exfoliants include alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) like lactic acid and glycolic acid, and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) like salicylic acid, that help skin cells shed more easily, says Zeichner. Physical exfoliants, on the other hand, are scrubs that contain little beads or grains, which you rub into skin to manually remove dead cells. It’s best to exfoliate between shaves so skin has time to heal after coming into contact with a razor, says Dr. Jane Yoo, a board certified cosmetic dermatologist and Mohs surgeon based at her private practice in New York City.
Moisturizing: After you remove hair, hydrate the skin around the hair follicles with face moisturizer or body lotion, says Weinstein. She recommends opting for oil-free varieties — oil-based moisturizers can clog pores, unless they’re labeled noncomedogenic.
Anyone prone to ingrowns on their body may want to consider a salicylic acid body wash, which reduces the amount of bacteria on skin and ensures it’s clean before you remove hair, says Weinstein. This one is made with moisturizing ingredients like glycerin, shea butter and soybean oil. The fragrance-free body wash has a gentle, creamy, lotion-like consistency and it doesn’t get sudsy, in my experience. It comes in a pump, which I find helps me control how much body wash I’m dispensing.
If you get ingrowns on your face (especially after shaving facial hair), experts recommend opting for a gentle acne face wash like this one, which contains salicylic acid. It has a jelly consistency when it comes out of the pump, but it gets foamy as you massage it into your skin with your fingers or a facial cleansing brush, in my experience. The face wash helps eliminate oil buildup on skin and unclogs pores, according to the brand.
While experts say manual exfoliants can irritate ingrown hairs, you can use them on unaffected skin between shaves. Selfmade (one of our favorite AAPI-owned brands) sent me its True Grit Resilience Scrub to try, and it has a gentle yet gritty feel that makes my skin soft after I massage it in. The scrub contains chemical exfoliants like ascorbic acid, an AHA that’s the most powerful form of vitamin C. It also has tea tree oil to unclog hair follicles, according to the brand. I use this scrub on my legs and underarms once or twice a week, but you can use it daily so long as you don’t have dry or sensitive skin.
I use Billie’s Ultimate Skin Solution to treat and prevent ingrowns on my legs and underarms. The spray contains salicylic acid and aloe vera to dissolve built-up dead cells while calming the skin, according to the brand. I find that the spray bottle makes this solution easy to apply to large and small patches of skin, and it dries quickly. The spray also doesn’t leave behind a sticky residue and never causes my sensitive skin to sting after application.
After you shave, apply a BHA-based product to close the hair follicles that opened when they were exposed to warm water, says Weinstein. Doing so prevents bacteria or dirt from getting into the follicles. This chemical exfoliant from Paula’s Choice has salicylic acid (a BHA) and green tea extract to calm redness. The formula is lightweight and feels refreshing on my skin when I apply it using a cotton pad. It also absorbs into my skin quickly, so I can layer other products on top of it, like moisturizer. While the exfoliant is mainly meant for your face and neck, you can also apply it to other parts of the body post-shave.
Those with very sensitive skin may not be able to tolerate BHAs to close hair follicles after shaving. Witch hazel is an alternative ingredient that does the same job, but it’s gentler on skin, says Weinstein. Thayer’s Witch Hazel Facial Toner comes recommended by Cory Fernandez, NBC Select editor. He applies it with a cotton pad immediately after shaving, and when he does so consistently, he notices that less ingrowns pop up on his face. The hydrating toner has an alcohol-free formula that minimizes the appearance of pores, as well as evens skin tone and texture, according to the brand. It’s available in different versions with additional ingredients like rose petal, coconut water, lavender and cucumber.
Moisturizing should always be the last step of a hair removal session, experts told me. CeraVe’s cream is a noncomedogenic option for the body, face and hands. It’s made with hyaluronic acid to help skin retain moisture and ceramides to support the skin’s outer layer, according to the brand. The cream earned the National Eczema Association’s Seal of Acceptance, meaning it’s suitable for sensitive skin.
Shaving is the most common type of at-home hair removal, and improper technique is often the culprit of razor bumps and burns. To help you avoid both, here are some expert shaving tips. Also remember that you shouldn’t shave (or do any type of hair removal) in the area where you have an ingrown until it’s fully healed, experts told us.
Shave at the end of a shower so your skin has time to soften in the warm water, says Yoo. If skin is soft when you shave, hair is less likely to curl backward and potentially get trapped underneath the skin surface.
Shave with a moisturizing shaving cream or gel to reduce friction between the razor and the skin surface, says Yoo. Use an unscented or fragrance-free shaving cream, especially if you have sensitive skin or a recently healed ingrown hair, says Weinstein. Scents and fragrances can irritate skin.
While you’re shaving, use short, single strokes in the direction of hair growth, says Yoo.
Use razors with a built-in comb on the leading edge of the blade, which lift hair up to help cut it at an appropriate angle and length, says Zeichner. “If you cut hair above the skin surface, it’s less likely to become an ingrown,” he says.
Never use a dull razor, which tends to give hair a jagged edge after its cut and makes it more likely to curl back into and get trapped underneath the skin, says Zeichner. A single blade razor tends to stay sharp for about three to five shaves, says Yoo. If your razor has multiple blades, check the product’s packaging or the brand’s website to see how often you should swap out your razor.
Keep your razor in a dry place when it’s not in use to prevent it from harboring bacteria, says Yoo. Leaving your razor in wet, humid areas like in the shower or by the sink can cause you to transfer bacteria to your skin while shaving.
Frequently asked questions
Ingrown hair — also known as razor bumps — curls back or grows sideways into the skin instead of growing upward like it’s supposed to, says Chang. Ingrowns are trapped underneath the skin’s surface, which can lead to inflammation. They also vary in appearance — some appear as skin-colored bumps with a black center (which is the trapped hair), others look like small red pimples or large, painful pus-filled bumps, says Chang.
Most people associate ingrown hair with shaving, but it’s actually more common after removing hair via waxing, plucking, threading or epilating, says Zeichner. That’s because the deeper the level of hair removal, the more likely you are to get an ingrown.
When you shave, you cut hair level with the skin, so it’s already above the surface. But waxing, tweezing, threading and epilating removes hair from the follicle, which is deep underneath the skin, says Zeichner. Hair then has to grow back from that follicle and make its way through the surface of the skin. If that process does not happen correctly, the free edge of the new hair can become trapped, grow into skin and result in an ingrown hair, he says.
That’s not to say you can’t get ingrowns from shaving. Cut hair can still curl back under the skin and start to grow beneath the surface, especially if you’re practicing improper shaving technique, including using a dull razor, shaving in the wrong direction or dry shaving (shaving without cream or gel to lubricate skin), says Weinstein.
You can get ingrown hairs on any hair-bearing region of the body, says Chang. But they’re more likely to occur in areas where hair is coarse, like the beard area on the face and neck, at the nape of the neck if you have short hair, the pubic area, the legs, the armpits and the chest.
Anyone can get ingrown hairs. However, those with naturally curly or wavy, thick and coarse hair are the most prone to ingrowns, says Weinstein. Wavy and curly hair is more likely to curl into the skin compared to straight hair.
No, you should never pop, pick, pluck or pull at an ingrown hair, our experts unanimously agreed. Doing so can make ingrowns worse and prolong the healing process. It can also lead to infections, discoloration and scarring. Picking, tweezing and squeezing ingrown hairs also commonly results in folliculitis, an inflammation and infection of the hair follicles that looks like a bumpy rash and can be itchy or painful, says Weinstein.
You should also never attempt to dig an ingrown hair out from under your skin, even if you clearly see it underneath the skin surface, says Change. Ingrown hairs should only be removed by your dermatologist in-office using a sterile needle or scalpel.
Avoid harsh, irritating ingredients while treating ingrown hairs, which can worsen irritation and inflammation, says Chang. This includes products with heavy fragrances and strong alcohols like rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, as well as physical exfoliants and abrasive scrubs, says Weinstein. (Physical exfoliants are fine to use to prevent ingrown hairs, but not to treat an active ingrown hair.) She also recommends steering clear of homemade or DIY ingrown hair treatments like apple cider vinegar, which don’t work, in her experience.
Ingrown hairs range in severity. Mild ingrown hairs may not cause irritation, inflammation or pain, but more severe, painful ingrowns can become infected and look like pink bumps around the hair follicles (folliculitis) or pus-filled bumps. That’s when you should see a dermatologist for treatment, which can include prescription-strength antibiotic ointment or a cortisone shot to reduce inflammation in very severe cases.
You should consult a dermatologist about ingrown hairs if you get them persistently or if you get many in one area, says Chang. They may recommend a more permanent hair removal method, like laser hair removal or electrolysis. And if you develop a red bump and are unsure about its diagnosis, see a medical professional before attempting to treat or diagnose it at home.
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
Dr. Joshua Zeichner is the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology and an associate professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital.
Dr. Y. Claire Chang is a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist at Union Square Laser Dermatology in New York City, NY.
Dr. Jane Yoo is a board certified cosmetic dermatologist and Mohs surgeon based at her private practice in New York City, NY.
Dr. Mara Weinstein Velez is a board-certified dermatologist and assistant professor with the University of Rochester Medical Center.
I'm a reporter at NBC Select who writes about skin care, including articles on ingrown hair, razor burn, sunscreen for acne-prone skin and sunburns. For this article, I interviewed four experts about how to treat and prevent ingrown hair. Using their guidance, I curated a list products dermatologists recommend and those the NBC Select staff have tested.
