When hairs curl around and grown back into the skin, they are known as ingrowing hairs. They produce raised red spots, which sometimes become infected and turn into painful, pus-filled sores. Although ingrown hairs can be embarrassing, they're usually harmless and should heal on their own. If they don't, or they're causing you any concerns, you can call on our GP service for ingrowing hairs in Torremolinos.
Who's at risk?
Anyone can get ingrown hairs, but people with coarse or curly hair tend to experience more of them than people with naturally fine and or straight hair.
What causes ingrown hairs?
Ingrown hairs have usually grown out of the skin, curled back round and re-entered the skin. Some ingrown hairs curl back into the hair follicle without even exiting the skin. An ingrown hair can occur when the hair follicle becomes clogged with dead skin cells which force the hair inside to grow sideways. This is much more likely to happen if the hair is coarse, curly or has been recently shaved.
Ingrown hairs can be a particular problem in areas you shave regularly such as the face, legs, armpits or pubic area. Hairs that grow in these areas are generally sharper than the hair of on the rest of your body. As a result, it's more likely to poke its way back into the skin quickly.
Ingrown hairs can look like pimples or pus-filled spots and sometimes you can see the dark hair trapped beneath the skin.
What to do
If possible, you should leave the ingrown hairs as they should disappear without you having to do anything. Our GP service for ingrowing hairs in Torremolinos recommends that you avoid picking or scratching the ingrown hairs as this could create a small wound which is liable to infection and scarring.
If an ingrown hair is near the surface of your skin, you could try using a sterile needle or tweezers to tease it out gently. However, don't dig for the hair if it lies deep below the skin's surface as this could cause scarring or make it easier for bacteria to get under your skin and cause an infection.
When to call our GP service for ingrowing hairs in Torremolinos
Sometimes the hair follicles of ingrowing hairs become infected and inflamed. Once infected, the follicles may swell up into puss-filled spots. While pus doesn't always mean an infection is present, and most should clear up on their own it's worth contacting our GP service for ingrowing hairs in Torremolinos if the spots don't heal on their own if they're causing you issues.
Our GP service for ingrowing hairs in Torremolinos also recommends that you try dabbing tea tree oil on the affected follicle as this can act as an antiseptic to help reduce swelling, redness and discomfort.
Preventing ingrowing hairs
The simplest way to prevent ingrowing hairs is to let your hair grow freely and avoid shaving it too often. You may want to try this for a brief period if you need relief from, particularly bad flare-ups.
If you've noticed an ingrowing hair that's giving you cause for concern, make sure you contact our GP service for ingrowing hairs in Torremolinos.