Ingrown hairs are always the classic chicken and egg issue.

To get smooth skin, you need to devote all your time to shaving or waxing. But such treatments can create this beastly side effect where hair curls inward as it grows out. As it turns out, people who shave and those with curly hair are the most vulnerable.

Prevent:

Here’s a trick; use a good glycolic acid moisturizer, which helps release trapped hairs from the skin. The aim of this is to exfoliate dead skin so that hairs don’t get trapped under. You can also choose to scrub on less sensitive areas of your body like legs and arms and back. But for the bikini line and underarms, it really wiser to use glycolic or natural fruit enzymes to exfoliate as these areas are particularly prone to pigmentation for some people.

If you’re particularly prone to ingrowns no matter what you do, there’re always permanent solutions to think about.

Counter Strike: What you can do when it happens!

Raised, angry red bumps that look like pimples indicate that the hair follicle has started to burrow beneath the skin’s surface. The immediate thing you can do is to apply a topical hydrocortisone cream to bring the redness down.

If you can see the hair follicle that is causing this, you can opt to pluck it out yourself. Never start digging as this injures the skin and leaves a dark mark which can stay for weeks or months, go to a professional or to your regular wax technician, they will be able to extract it easily and harmlessly.

Sensitive skin that turns red at the slightest change in weather, sleep patterns, food or just about anything you do? Read our next blog.

Specials:

Permanent Hair Removal treatments up to 50% off usual prices. We now stock all the necessary products that prevent ingrown hairs as well as creams that bring down the redness when they do occur. Call frontdesk at 6221-2203 should you need assistance with this pesky issue, we’ll be glad to help!

Its a love hate relationship for sure, but choosing the right method for yourself will make things easier whether you’re on a budget or are prepared to spend less time in the toilet shaving.

Let’s see the options:

Shaving: The fastest, cheapest, and easiest thing to do at home.

The drawback is that a razor slices the hair follicle, hence leaving a sharp edge. When the hair grows, there may be a tendency to curl back towards the skin and the result is commonly known as ingrown hair. Some people are more prone to it than others, especially people with curly hair. We usually advise people with curly hair to consider other methods of getting rid of body hair.

Ingrowns can leave marks and scars on people who are prone to pigmentation, and the best way to know if thats something you’re susceptible to, just do this simple test; do your cuts and scratches turn a dark brown when they heal? Do they take a considerable amount of time to fade? If the answer to both is ‘yes’, then you’re likely to do pretty badly with ingrowns and the marks they can leave on your skin.

Waxing: So many people love waxing! The appeal lies in getting it done and forgetting about pesky re-growth for weeks. The thing to note though is that waxing is a skill that is difficult to acquire and there are really not that many good waxists around (despite the number of providers increasing) Always see a skilled professional if you’re interested in waxing.

If you’re a good candidate for waxing, though, this method will slowly damage the hair follicle to minimize re-growth. With time, hair will grow back thinner in areas that are regularly waxed.

Threading: This technique, popularized in India, uses a small thread to remove hairs one by one. It is my favorite facial hair removal method because it doesn’t involve any potentially damaging heat.

Depilatories: These cream- or gel-based products contain strong chemicals that essentially “dissolve” hair. As you might imagine, they are not good for those with sensitive skin - and even those without sensitive skin should follow the product’s directions carefully, as depilatories can give the skin a chemical burn. Clients often ask me if these products are safe in the long run, and the truth is, we don’t know: There are no long-term studies on the safety of depilatories. However, they seem to be safe in those who don’t experience immediate irritation.

Intense Pulsed Light: This light based treatment destroys hair follicles over 8-10 sessions. It gives the best effect on people who have contrasting skin and dark hair colour. We see that it worrks very well on chinese asians, caucasians with dark hair, malays and indians with fairer skin and dark hair, but not recommended for caucasians with blonde hair or malays & indians with melanin-dense skin.

Lasers: There are many types of hair-removal lasers, and they can be used in all skin types. The AFT Laser can even be used on the darkest skin, which wasn’t always possible. Right after treatment with a laser, hairs remain in the skin, so don’t expect instant gratification. Three to five days after treatments, though, the affected hair slowly falls out. Hairs will grow back, but they’ll be thinner and lighter.

For optimal results, you’ll typically need treatment every 4-8 weeks for an average of 6 sessions, and costs vary by the size of the area treated.  Treating the bikini area, underarms, and face is quick and really worth the money!

Vaniqa: This is the first prescription cream proven to minimize hair growth in women. Apply it twice a day, and after eight weeks your hair will grow slower. But it’s not a hair removal product, and therefore must be combined with another method (for example, splurge on a laser treatment, then follow it up with threading and Vaniqa, and you’ll dramatically reduce hair growth in both the short- and long-term). It’s pricey, though, so this is another method that’s best saved for the face, the area for which it’s intended. We sell a non-prescription version of this called Ultim and you can make enquiries with our staff.

It’s raining deals!: Call now to enquire about how to save 20% on your regular waxing, and up to 50% off the IPL and painless laser hair removal treatments. Ultim is also available, limited stock so hurry. You can also reach us on our live chat or by our contact us page.