Q
Dear Auntie Pearl, my name is Hillary and I am 22 years old.
Every summer I suffer from really bad ingrown hairs when I shave my legs and bikini line.
I don’t know what to do about it.
Do you have any advice for me about this?
It’s sometimes so sore I want to cry and also it looks ugly.
It looks like really ugly pimples all over my legs.
From Hairy Girl.
A
Shame, Hillary, it sounds like a bushy mess on your side, angel.
Now let’s get real here, ingrown hairs are a terrible thing to deal with and it sounds like you’ve got it bad, sweetie pie.
Ingrown hairs are when the hair is actually trapped beneath the surface of your skin. And, yes, it sounds a bietjie gross.
The hair actually curls back into the skin instead of growing to the outside and that’s when it turns into those inflamed, red, sore, itchy, pimple-like bumps you see on your legs and bikini line.
The bad news is if you have curly or coarse hair you have a bigger chance of getting an ingrown hair.
Now Hillary, ingrown hairs aren’t usually a thing to worry about, but if it happens all the time like yours does, then it can lead to things like a bacterial infection or permanent scarring.
So don’t be shy to talk to a doctor or pharmacist about these things, because they can always prescribe you a little something.
Here’s what can you do at home to ensure you don’t get these horrible bumps:
Use shaving cream or gel when you shave.
This will give you extra moisture while shaving, making the razor glide smoothly over your skin.
Sometimes dead skin cells can cause ingrown hairs. So regularly exfoliate, using a kwaai body scrub, to keep your hair follicles unclogged.
Exfoliating your legs before shaving cleans your pores, removes any dirt, and exposes healthier layers of skin.
No kroon? No prob! Make a lekker DIY body scrub from things you might have at home: mix brown sugar, some uncooked oats, and a bietjie coconut oil with your normal body cream and scrub away.
Or for a super simple one: mix salt and brown sugar and a bit of coconut oil and scrub.
Always use a sharp, clean razor.
A lot of the time mense also use old, dirty or the wrong type of skeermes, so make sure you use the correct razor, meisie.
You want a smooth glide and the best one your money can buy, sweetie pie.
If you don’t have a smooth glide, hair can get caught in the razor, which can cause ingrown hairs and cuts.
Also a stomp razor won’t cut the hair properly, increasing your chances of ingrown hairs.
Another option is to save a bit of money and invest in an electrical shaver, Hillary.
Always moisturise after shaving.
Apply a rich cream or gel to the shaves areas, this will soften the skin and hair, preventing ingrown hairs.
Remember to always shave in the same direction as hair growth. If you shave in the opposite direction each hair will be cut at a sharper angle, and could then grow back under the skin, causing ingrown hairs.
Now Hillary, if you do all these things, and you still sit with angry red bumps all over the show, go see your doctor.
Never squeeze the pimples because you will just push the hair deeper into your sore skin or get bacteria into the pores.
Rather leave them alone, but if you can see the little hair and it is quite close to the surface, use a sterile tweezers to gently tease it out.
Never dig around for the hair if it lies deep.
All the best, hartjie.