Ingrown Facial Hair Guide: Causes, Do’s & Don’ts

Undoubtedly, a beard is a weapon to have a deadly manly look. But, you may encounter with some facial hair problems on the way. Ingrown facial hair is one of them. The complication with this condition is that most of the people confused ingrown hair with acne or pimples. Both of them look almost the same, but the causes and effects are entirely different. Let’s know the real things.

 

What Is Ingrown Facial Hair

Ingrown facial hair actually refers to the deviation of the route of hair growth. If the hair grows back into the skin instead of growing upward, this condition is called ingrown facial hair. As the sharp edge of the hair penetrates the skin it causes itchiness, infections, and bumps.

Facial or any hair is supposed to grow upward, ingrown hair occurs if it starts to grow sideward or downward. This is the anatomic definition of ingrown facial hair. Let’s know what they look for real.

Get Healthy Beards: 13 Effective Tips

 

What Does Ingrown Beard/Mustache Hair Look Like

Ingrown hair looks like bumps sprung onto the skin. From the outer look, they are almost similar to acne or pimples. Ingrown hair isn’t something to be worried about but it may cause irritation and itchiness to the skin.

And, most importantly, it will affect the appearance of your facial hair. Raised bumps associated with itchiness is the first symptoms of ingrown facial hair. After that, the skin around those bumps will become red and swollen. And, that’s the final look of ingrown facial hair.

 

Ingrown Facial Hair Causes

There never is a single reason behind such a complicated condition. And, it really is difficult to find out the actual reason. But, a few reasons can be enumerated depending on the common scenarios of ingrown facial hair. The causes of ingrown facial hair are as follows.

• Lack of Moisturizer: Lack of moisturizer in the skin underneath the facial hair is more prone to ingrown facial hair. Because, without the support of healthy skin, facial hair can’t grow the right way.
• Curly or Coarse Hair: If you have curly hair and shave it off often, you are likely to face this trouble. Curly hair tends to bend back and grow into the skin penetrating it with the sharp edge.
• Pore Clogging Products: This is seriously alarming for those guys who use excessive skincare products. Some of the products clog the pores of the skin and hair can’t grow through them. That’s why they change the route and grow back downward.
• Dead Skin Cell: Dead skin cells should be removed regularly to keep the surface of the skin clean. If they remain on the skin, they might hinder the natural growth of hair by creating a barrier. And, the hairs start to grow sideways or downward having nowhere to go.
• Shaving Too Closely: If you shave the beard too closely to get a cleaner shave, chances are pretty good you might have ingrown facial hair. Shaving too closely to the skin can make the edges get stuck in the skin. As a result, they never grow out and become ingrown hairs.
• Razor Bumps: Razor bumps are nothing but bumps caused by ingrown facial hair. This type of bumps develops because of regular shaving. This is common in the African-American people having thick and curly hair. When the hair strands curl and grow back after a shave, razor bumps occur.
• Usage of Wax and Tweezer: Wax is generally used for beard styling changing the direction of hair growth. Sometimes, the route changes too much and the hair starts to grow back into the skin. Some people use a tweezer to uproot hairs. This type of forceful removal can also cause ingrown facial hair.

 

How to Prevent Ingrown Facial Hair

One can prevent ingrown facial hairs very easily by following the below steps.

1. Make sure to use a single-bladed razor. The more blades you are using, the more chance of having ingrown facial hair is there.
2. Prepare the skin for shaving. You can apply warm water and lubricating gel to get a smoother and cleaner shave.
3. Shave at a slight angle following the direction of hair growth.
4. Try to complete the shave with a single stroke. More strokes will create more chances of growing ingrown facial hair.
5. Apply beard oil and take care of the skin to get a healthy skin underneath the beard. This will lessen the chance of getting an ingrown facial hair to a great degree.

 

Watch a Quick Video on How You Prevent Ingrown Facial Hair

 

What NOT to Do to Stay Safe from Ingrown Facial Hair?

Some precautions can help you stay away from the pain of having ingrown facial hair.

1. Don’t dig out the hair forcefully. If you are having problems with any strand of hair, trim or shave it off. Don’t try to uproot that.
2. Don’t use any shaving products that contain alcohol. Alcohol makes the skin dry and some skincare products block the pores of the skin. This may cause ingrown facial hair.
3. Make sure you are not shaving too closely to the skin. Let a bit of stubble. Avoid making too direct contact with skin. No matter what you are using, whether a razor or an electric trimmer.
4. Don’t forget to prepare your beard before waxing or plucking. Wet the skin with warm water to open the pores of the skin. This will prevent ingrown facial hair.
5. A great way to stop ingrown facial hair permanently is to stop shaving. Don’t shave at all. Trim the beard if needed. A regular shave is one of the most common reasons that helps develop ingrown facial hair.

Fight the Beard Split Ends

 

Problems like these can be avoided by taking precautions. If anyone takes proper care of the facial hair, ingrown facial hair problems will be long gone. Stay healthy, stay happy.