First thing's first: How you get them.
"Ingrown hairs are basically caused by three things. One, skin being pulled while shaving, causing hair to point in the wrong direction when it starts to grow. It grows instead into the skin and the body thinks it's an invader. It goes to war and boom, major zit with a hair inside."
Second, friction from clothes that have any kind of texture, like denim, or lace or mesh underwear. You walk around or exercise with these textures rubbing constantly, your skin responds as your pores get more and more irritated, and the hair can't come through the swelling. Some of the worst cases of ingrowns I've seen have been on people who wear thong or go commando with jeans.
Third, pressure from tight clothes worn while sitting, whether in a car for long periods or cross legged at your desk."
What are the different kinds of ingrowns ?
"From irritation, small or large red bumps with or even without a hair inside. These are the ones that hurt like hell whether you squeeze them or not. They very often get infected. The remedy is to calm the skin with a combination of Salicylic Acid, anti-inflammatory products (not hydrocortisone, though, that thins the skin over time), using corn starch to absorb moisture (talc is not good for us down there !), and wearing only smooth cotton underwear that covers all affected areas at all times (sorry, ladies).
From pressure, bumps that look like large blackheads that occasionally get red, that only hurt when you squeeze them. The stuff that comes out is actually blackhead material. The remedy for these is a combination of Benzoyl Peroxide which you can experiment with in either a wash or a topical lotion, exfoliation every shower with a pair of exfoliating spa gloves (the poofy "loofa" thing isn't enough and scrubs can't get everywhere and can lead to irritation because they're too scratchy), Alpha Hydroxy Acid either gel or lotion in a concentration of 10-15% (remember only 10% or less can be used on the face), and wearing only smooth cotton underwear that covers all affected areas at all times (sorry again, ladies)."
So as you can see, if you go to a derm doc and you're told it's from waxing, wrong answer. It's either shaving or your clothes. For more info, go to Daniela's web site to read more and check out her amazing products here : http://www.daniela.com/All_About_Ingrown_Hairs.html. You can even order samples to see how it goes, all you pay is shipping (if you're ordering only one or two samples, you can email Daniela and she'll send 'em out at no charge). Enter Discount Code "Privydoll" at checkout and get $5 off your first order ! If you make an appointment in her Chicago location, tell her PrivyDoll sent you!
