Ingrown Hair - 10 Ways to Get a Clean Shave
The Ballad of Iggy, the Ingrown Hair Well, early one mornin', 'bout the break of dawn,
(duh-doo-whisker-whisker-whisk, duh-doo-whisk-whisk)
Iggy, he woke up to a terrible sound.
(duh-doo-whisker-whisker-whisk, duh-doo-whisk-whisk)
A-screechin' and a-scrapin' and a-makin' a moan.
(duh-doo-whisker-whisker-whisk, duh-doo-whisk-whisk)
Closer and a-closer, like to shiver his bones.
(duh-doo-whisker-whisker-whisk, duh-doo-whisk-whisk)
Yeah, the blades caught his eye,
Yeah, they really made him cry,
Yeah, he ducked his head inside,
(duh-doo-whisker-whisker-whisk, duh-doo-whisk-whisk).
But that wasn't the end of Ingrown Iggy, folks. No sir. He burrowed his hairy little head under the skin like an ostrich in the sand and stayed there warm and snug in his little blanket of infection. He and his buddies in the Great Neck Desert thought they were safe, but one day Mr. Tweezers arrived and started plucking them out like a robin does earthworms. Mr. Tweezers seized Iggy with big steel jaws and a viselike grip and yanked him out by his roots. "You can wash me down the drain," Iggy shrieked defiantly at Mr. Tweezers, "but I'll be back, I swear, I'll be back!"
Mr. Tweezers is about the only way to get rid of Iggy the Ingrown Hair, dermatologists say, but there are ways to make him stay gone.
Send Mr. Tweezers to the rescue. If you can see little Iggy hiding beneath the skin, says University of Nebraska College of Medicine dermatologist and assistant professor of internal medicine Rodney Basler, M.D., apply a warm, damp compress for a couple of minutes to soften the skin. Then sterilize a needle or tweezers and pluck him out. Follow with an antiseptic like hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol.
Bring Iggy to the surface. If you can't see the ingrown Hair, don't go fishing for it, Dr. Basler warns, "because it might not be an ingrown Hair at all." Instead, treat it with the compress until you can see a Hair lurking there. Then use the sterilized needle or tweezers, followed by an antiseptic.
Think about growing a beard. "The curlier your Hair is, the more likely you are to get ingrown hairs," says Dr. Basler. "If it's a real problem, seriously consider growing a beard. It's a legitimate alternative." If beards are frowned upon in your job, ask your doctor to tell your boss a beard is a medical necessity for you.
Make your whiskers April soft. If there's no way you can have a beard, properly preparing your whiskers for shaving will help avoid lots of little Iggys. "Wash your face thoroughly with soap and water for 2 minutes," recommends Ohio dermatologist Jerome Z. Litt, M.D. That softens the Hair. "Rinse well, apply shaving cream or gel, and leave it on for 2 minutes to further soften the Hair."
Hide behind your shadow. Reconcile yourself to "having a continual five o'clock shadow," Dr. Basler says. Don't shave close. The best way to do this, he says, is to use an electric razor.
Don't double up. You may not care for electric razors, but double-track razors are double trouble. The first blade cuts and sharpens the Hair; the second blade cuts below the skin level, Dr. Litt says. The result: The sharpened Hair curls around and grows back into the skin. Instead, use a single-track razor and settle for a shave that is not as close.
Train your whiskers. Does your beard grow in eleventy-four different directions? Dr. Litt advises you to "train it to grow out straight." Do this by shaving in two directions: down on the face, and up on the neck (to prevent neck nicks). Don't shave in all kinds of different directions or back and forth. "You won't get as great a shave at first," he says, "but if you keep shaving down on the face and up on the neck, your beard should start growing out straight in a matter of months."
Try the aftershave special. "It's a good idea to put a damp towel on your face for a few minutes after shaving," Dr. Basler says. "It softens the whiskers so they're less able to repenetrate the skin." Use a creamy aftershave lotion, not the typical alcohol-loaded aftershave splash. "It's soothing and keeps the Hair moisturized," he says.
Fight infection. If, despite your best efforts, a whisker does manage to burrow inside, you can cut down on the amount of bacteria it carries with it. A 10 percent benzoyl peroxide solution has some antibiotic effect, Dr. Basler says, "and probably will help if used as an aftershave." Typical aftershaves contain lots of alcohol and may also help decrease the bacterial load.
Ladies, shave down instead of up. "Women typically shave their legs from ankle to knee," Dr. Litt says. This is against the grain and can cause ingrown hairs. Instead, shave down, from knee to ankle.
PANEL OF ADVISERS
Rodney Basler, M.D., is a dermatologist and assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine in Lincoln.
Jerome Z. Litt, M.D., is a dermatologist in private practice in Beachwood, Ohio, and is author of Your Skin: From Acne to Zits.
