Homemade Treatments for Ingrown Hairs

Ingrown hairs can be a real nuisance. In fact, if they are not treated, they can turn into painful infections. True to their name, ingrown hairs are hair shafts that grow into the skin instead of out, as they normally do. There are many causes of this skin condition. Guys tend to have problems with ingrown hairs moreso on their faces. Because, their whiskers are usually coarse and sharp. Gals, on the other hand, tend to find ingrown hairs on their legs. Since hair follicles cover the majority of our bodies, ingrown hairs can be found anywhere, though. The next time you experience this problem, try these homemade treatments for ingrown hairs:

If you can see the ingrown hair, you can use a pair of tweezers to carefully pull it out. (Don't use a needle or other object to try to dig it out. You can cause further problems to your skin.) Then, after the hair is gone, apply a liberal amount of rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to the area with a sterile cotton ball. Do this a couple times a day. The infection should clear up right away.

Another homemade treatment for ingrown hairs is to use a natural exfoliant at least once a week. Oatmeal, sea salt and rice powder are three good examples. Exfoliants are useful for removing dead skin cells. They can also help loosen up hairs that are starting to grow into your skin, thus avoiding infections beginning.

Or, you can clean the area of your skin that contains at least one ingrown hair. Use an antibacterial soap or cleanser. Blot dry, then dab some Witch Hazel on the spot two to three times a day until it clears up.

To treat really inflamed ingrown hairs, you can use hot and cold compresses. Place a clean cloth in very hot water. Remove the cloth and wring it out loosely. Then, place it directly on the problem area. Hold the cloth in place for three minutes. Then, follow this with a cold compress. Place another clean cloth in a pan of ice water. Loosely wring it out and place it on the ingrown hair for another three minutes. Repeat this process to help soften up the skin around the hair shaft. Using hot and cold compresses will also help draw the infection out.