Ingrown Hair – Seven Causes & Eight Effects
CAUSES
1. Skin suffering from lack of moisture
2. Stiff beard hair
3. Embedded oil in the hair follicles
4. Build up of dead skin cells in the pores and on the surface of the skin can cause ingrown hairs – some are more prone to this than others due to genetics
5. Coarse curly hair growing in a curved hair follicle
6. Improper shaving technique with a blade such as too close a shave
7. Hair removal methods such as shaving, waxing, tweezing, electrolysis, often irritate the hair follicle.
Dead cells can accumulate at the site of the irritation and form papule which can also contain pus while the skin heals.
While this process continues any hair in the area can get trapped under the formation and is prevented from exiting the skin properly. Ingrown hair is the result.
EFFECTS
1. Constant tenderness
2. Trapped, ingrown hairs cause inflammation which result in the body forming papule – a small, raised, abnormality on the skin commonly known as a bump giving rise to the term ‘razor bumps’
3. The body can also respond by producing a pustule – a blister on the skin containing pus
4. An infected pustule can become ruptured resulting in bleeding
5. Itching
6. Tingling
7. Pain – mild or severe
8. Hard, prominent, irregular scar tissue in the skin in chronic cases