HOW TO ELIMINATE ARMPIT INGROWN HAIR ONCE AND FOR ALL
BY MADAME SWEAT
Ingrown hairs on the armpits are incredibly common and chances are you’ve either experienced this at some point in the past (perhaps poorly timed with a beachside vacation), or this is a recurring issue you always struggle with.
Not only can armpit ingrown hair be very itchy, painful and sometimes lead to infection, but they can quickly take down a sleeveless outfit and leave you with what I like to call “t-rex arms” especially in the summer months… which if you are picturing a t-rex, you can imagine the visual of keeping your arms down at chest level throughout the day so you don’t expose the angry and inflamed spots on the underarms.
If you read that so far, nodding along, then I’m happy to share that I’ve put together a comprehensive guide on dealing with ingrown hairs on the underarms, and how to bid them farewell, forever.
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HOW DO I KNOW IF THIS IS AN INGROWN HAIR?
Before we get into the nitty gritty, it’s important to explain what an ingrown hair is as oftentimes it can be confused with other types of irritation in the underarms such as razor burn, contact dermatitis (irritation from products), cysts, boils or pimples.
Ingrown hairs happen when a hair grows back into the skin, getting trapped and potentially causing irritation and inflammation. Ingrown hairs and razor bumps are the same thing.
They are most common on the armpits, face, legs and of course the bikini/pubic region.
WHAT CAUSES INGROWN HAIR ON THE ARMPITS?
HAIR REMOVAL METHODS
The #1 cause of armpit ingrown hairs is hair removal – especially shaving but it can also happen as hair grows back after waxing or tweezing/plucking.
Shaving it the most notorious as hair doesn’t get removed from the follicle and poor shaving techniques make it much more susceptible for the hair to grow into the skin instead of out.
TIGHT CLOTHING
Another major culprit for ingrown hairs in the armpits are tight clothing that stick to the underarm skin. When hair is growing out of the skin, it needs space to grow outwards, but if you always wear tight fitting shirts you are trapping the hair as it grows out so oftentimes it curls back in and grows into the skin instead of out.
This is also why ingrown hairs are very common in the bikini area as the skin is often confined by tight undergarments or leggings.
ARMPIT HAIR IS COARSE & CURLY
Hair on the body that tends to be curly and coarse is more prone to causing ingrown hairs. This is because curly hair doesn’t grow straight out of the skin, it tends to want to go back into the skin. Unfortunately, this means the armpits, pubic hair and men’s facial beard hair is all very prone to ingrown hair.
Additionally, if you tend to have curlier hair, you can experience them more severely or frequently than others.
BUILDUP OF DEAD SKIN AND COMEDOGENIC PRODUCTS
Accumulation of dead skin cells in the hair follicle or using armpit products with comedogenic ingredients such as aluminum or coconut oil (very popular in natural deodorants) will clog the hair follicle and lead to ingrown hairs as they also prevent the hair from growing out straight, forcing it back into the skin.
HOW TO STOP ARMPIT INGROWN HAIRS FOREVER
Now to the reason why we’re all here: this is where I tell you how to get rid of armpit ingrown hair once and for all. Since there are numerous reasons for ingrown hairs as I’ve outlined below, you’re going to have to tackle the issue from multiple angles to get the best results.
First, starting with the easiest change, wear clothing that fits more loosely in the underarm region, and anywhere else you experience ingrowns. Also opt for breathable materials such as cotton, linen and bamboo as this will also help with odor issues in these dark, moist areas of the body (underarms and bikini area).
EXFOLIATE, EXFOLIATE, EXFOLIATE (BUT GENTLY)
I said it three times to emphasize its importance, however don’t mistake this to mean exfoliate aggressively or over-exfoliate the area.
Armpits are oftentimes neglected in the beauty routine, aside from deodorant and shaving, however it’s incredibly important to take care of the delicate underarm skin as it can cause a lot of trouble if it’s neglected. This means incorporating a regular exfoliation of 1 to 2 times per week AND before shaving, using something that is gentle.
I recommend my all natural ingrown bar – it has salicylic acid and microexfoliating volcanic sand to provide both a chemical and physical exfoliation. This is the gentlest way of getting rid of clogged hair follicles and removing surface dead skin cells.
DISINFECT PRIOR TO HAIR REMOVAL
One of the biggest reasons ingrown hairs occur on the underarms after shaving is the skin was not properly exfoliated AND disinfected. This makes the issue worse as surface level bacteria and impurities easily make their way into the open hair follicle after shaving causing not only ingrown hair issues but also inflammation, irritation and infection!
Use something with a naturally disinfecting ingredient like tea tree oil as a pre-shave exfoliation and cleansing. I added this to the ingrown bar so it offers exfoliation and disinfection.
SHAVING TECHNIQUE IS EVERYTHING
I know I’ve said the last two points were important, however this is equally important as the way you shave has everything to do with how severe your ingrown hairs may be. It determines how the hair is shaved, how far under the skin it gets cut and whether you will end up with trapped hair or not. I’ve put together a comprehensive shave guide that I encourage you to check out:
SHAVING TIPS TO PREVENT ARMPIT INGROWN HAIRS
SHAVING DOs:
- Trim long hair before starting
- Exfoliate with the ingrown bar before shaving
- Use clean, sharp razors
- Shave with the grain (in the direction of hair growth)
SHAVING DON’Ts:
- Pull the skin taught
- Press down into the skin
- Use multi-blade razors
- Pass over the area multiple times
WHAT YOU APPLY TO YOUR SKIN AFTER SHAVING MATTERS
NEVER APPLY DEODORANT TO FRESHLY SHAVED SKIN
First thing’s first – never apply anything directly on the skin after shaving as this can cause endless irritation. This also includes your deodorant – you should always wait a few hours until your skin is less irritated and calmed down before applying your deodorant or antiperspirant. Failing to do so will lead to underarm hyperpigmentation issues.
USE AZELAIC ACID POST-SHAVE TO MANAGE ARMPIT INGROWN HAIRS
To help manage ingrown hairs, it’s best to use a product with ingredients that are made to combat ingrown hairs and irritation. One I recommend would be azelaic acid, as it was shown to not only brighten the skin but also manage folliculitis (inflamed hair follicles).
A study found that azelaic acid reduced overall folliculitis by 78% and itching and redness by 60% and 51% respectfully. It is such an underrated ingredient, but so effective and wonderful for the underarms and any ingrown prone area of the body.
You can find it in my bikini bright milk – don’t be fooled by the name as it can be used all over, not just in the bikini area.
It also contains Canadian Willowherb™, an ingredient traditionally used by Native American communities to heal cuts and wounds. It has been proven to help with inflammation and irritation.
Just be sure to wait 4 hours after shaving to apply.
HOW TO TREAT INGROWN HAIR SCARS
If you’ve been suffering from ingrown hairs for a long time, changes are you have dark spots that might be very difficult to get rid of. Preventing ingrown hairs is the best way to manage this issue, but for those lingering ingrown hair scars that could not be prevented, the bikini bright milk will also work to brighten the pigmentation issues.
THE TAKEAWAY
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Having armpit ingrown hair is much more common than you may think. If this is something you’ve been suffering with, or you just want to make sure your underarms are beautiful and smooth for your next beachside vacation, I’m here to tell you it’s possible.
Using better hair removal techniques, exfoliating and disinfecting the skin with the ingrown bar, and minimizing friction will go a long way to help you get rid of ingrown hairs forever.
Following up with the bikini bright milk will help treat the area of ingrowns, irritation and dark spots post-shaving.
Just remember, patience and consistency is key with treating a condition like armpit ingrown hair.