Ingrown hair

Xxxx asked about ingrown hairs, the symptoms, causes, and possible cures.

Ingrown hairs are hairs that get diverted or hung up on their way to the surface of the skin. The hair continues to grow from the root and as a result a mass of twisted hair forms under the skin. Left long enough, the surrounding skin thickens due to the irritation, walling off the hair mass to form a cyst. Like any other foriegn mass within the skin isolated from the blood supply, the mass can become infected forming a pustule.  Resolution involves professional excision of offending hair. If the hair has only recently started to ingrown, the hair can generally be freed quite easily to emerge in a normal manner and there is no need to remove it. If the hair has been growing for awhile beneath the skin form a twisted mass surrounded by cyst and scar tissue, the mass must be surgically excised.  Oftentimes, the cyst can be broken up with direct local steriod injections, avoiding a radical excision and the resulting scar. Simple new formed ingrown hairs used to be successfully removed by barbers and beauticians. With recent attention to such once common services in the light of AIDS, many states now forbid such practices. Depending on your particular state board requirements, you still might find someone who could render this service. The alternative is a skilled dermatologist.   Ingrown hairs usually are the result of two things. One is chronic friction, the other is improper shaving technique with a blade. The operative mechanism is that the hair end is left jagged slightly beneath the skin's surface which causes it to hang up. Pulling does not generally result in ingrown hairs because the hair regrows with a smooth tapered end.  The exception being is when the pulling has been severe enough to distort the follicle or form scar tissue obstructing the path from the papilla to the surface of the skin. To avoid ingrown hairs, avoid chronic friction, such as a tight fitting stocking-type wig cap and certainly don't ever shave your head with a blade unless you have the requisite training and expertise. Talcum power can reduce friction. It is also helpful to keep the buildup on the scalp to a minimum. This is what Cuticura does, and what is meant by it being anti-comegenic. *If* there is loop of hair accessible at or near the surface of the skin, inserting a sterile needle through the loop and gently pulling on it will most oftentimes free the wayward end without removing the hair. In the hair is not visible, then it is best left to the dermatologist. If you are having a problem with a waxy-like buildup on the scalp, try Cuticura or a deep cleansing type shampoo. These can be drying, so protect you scalp afterwards with aloe vera gel to avoid moisture loss without adding the grease back with other conditioners or so-called moisturizers.   Sometimes, it is helpful to remove longterm buildup by skillful and proper shaving of the scalp once or twice with a blade, afterwhich returning buildup can generally be managed with consciencious cleansing with a suituable product on a regular basis. For the face, a weak solution of an organic acid accomplishes the same purpose which is common practice for facials. However, to use such a product on cosmetic hair bearing areas may need to be carefully considered. Shaving, if properly done, is innocuous and has no effect on future regrowth nor does it produce alternations in the character of the hair, wives tales to the contrary. Shaving can, indirectly, promote hair growth in some cases by reducing scalp buildup and thus facilitating greater penetration of medications such as minoxidil into the scalp. But again, this is something one should not attempt themselves and is not generally necessary.

Of course, you should follow your doctor's advice in this and other matters of health.

Hope this helps.

Mike