Ingrown Hair
Medical Author: Nili N. Alai, MD, FAAD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
What is an ingrown hair?
An ingrown hair happens when the sharp tip of the
hair curls back or grows sideways into the skin. It is a benign condition, which
usually appears as a small tan or sometimes pink bump under the skin. Often, a
small pinpoint (often dark) part of the underlying hair may be seen under the
skin bump. In more extensive cases, multiple small red or pink little bumps
around hair follicles may be seen on any skin area that has been frequently
shaved, such as face, neck, armpits, legs, and pubic region.
Ingrown hair is a very common skin condition occurring primarily after
puberty. Ingrown hairs tend to be more common in areas with coarse hairs, like
the bikini area in women, and beard and neck in men. Individuals with thicker,
coarser hairs, such as African Americans, tend to have the highest rate of
problems with ingrown hairs, particularly of the beard area. Rarely, an ingrown
hair may also appear in other skin parts, such as the eyelid. Generally, ingrown
hair is medically harmless, yet it may become cosmetically disfiguring and lead
to scarring, skin discoloration (referred to as post-inflammatory
hyperpigmentation), skin infection, and rarely keloid scar formation.
What causes an ingrown hair?
Hair that is cut short and close to the skin
creates a sharp tip that can more easily pierce the skin to cause an ingrown
hair. Improper shaving techniques are the major cause of ingrown hairs. Other
hair-removal methods, including waxing, as well as common friction from tight
clothing, may worsen the situation. Although an ingrown hair is primarily caused
by improper or aggressive hair removal, it sometimes occurs naturally as too
much dead skin debris blocks the hair follicle opening, causing the hair to grow
sideways.
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