To remove an ingrown hair, start by applying a warm compress for 10 to 15 minutes to soften the skin and open the pore. Once the trapped hair loop is visible at the surface, use a sterilized needle or tweezers to gently lift one end of the loop free. That’s the core technique, but doing it safely (and preventing the next one) takes a bit more care.
Why Hairs Get Trapped
An ingrown hair happens one of two ways: the hair curls back and pierces the skin after it exits the follicle, or it never makes it out of the follicle at all and grows sideways under the surface. Either way, your body treats that hair tip like a foreign object and mounts an inflammatory response, which is why you get a red, tender bump that can fill with pus.
Curly or coarse hair is more prone to this because the natural curl pattern directs the sharpened tip back toward the skin. Shaving makes it worse by cutting hair at an angle, creating a sharper edge that penetrates more easily. Tight clothing and dead skin buildup over the follicle opening also play a role, especially in the bikini area, underarms, and along the jawline.
Step-by-Step Safe Removal
Only attempt removal if you can see the hair loop or tip at or just beneath the skin’s surface. If the bump is deep, swollen, or very painful, leave it alone.
- Soften the area. Soak a clean washcloth in warm water and hold it against the bump for 10 to 15 minutes. This opens pores and loosens the skin covering the hair. A warm shower works too.
- Sterilize your tool. Wipe a fine needle, safety pin, or pointed tweezers with rubbing alcohol. Clean the skin around the bump with rubbing alcohol as well.
- Lift, don’t dig. Slide the needle tip under the visible hair loop and gently pull upward until one end of the hair releases from the skin. You’re freeing the hair so it can grow outward, not yanking it out by the root.
- Clean up. Dab the area again with rubbing alcohol or an antiseptic. Let it air-dry and avoid covering it with tight clothing if possible.
Resist the urge to squeeze the bump like a pimple. Squeezing pushes bacteria deeper, increases your risk of infection, and damages surrounding tissue. If a scab forms afterward, leave it alone. Picking at scabs worsens both infection and scarring.
What Not to Do
Digging into skin to reach a hair you can’t see is the single most common mistake. When you break the skin aggressively, you trigger a healing response that produces extra melanin, leaving behind a dark spot known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. On darker skin tones, these marks can linger for months. Repeated picking also creates scar tissue that makes future ingrown hairs more likely in the same spot, since scar tissue disrupts the follicle’s natural exit path.
Products That Help Between Removals
Chemical exfoliants are your best tool for keeping the skin over hair follicles thin and clear. Salicylic acid is particularly useful because it’s oil-soluble, meaning it can penetrate into the pore itself rather than just working on the surface. Glycolic acid and lactic acid (both alpha hydroxy acids) work well too, loosening the bonds between dead skin cells so they shed before they can trap a hair.
For your face and neck, an over-the-counter retinoid like adapalene (sold as Differin) speeds up skin cell turnover nightly, reducing the dead cell layer that blocks follicles. Prescription-strength tretinoin does the same thing more aggressively if over-the-counter options aren’t enough.
After any hair removal session, use a lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizer. Look for soothing ingredients like aloe vera, chamomile, or colloidal oatmeal to calm inflammation. If you’re acne-prone, stick to oil-free formulas so you’re not sealing pores shut right after clearing them.
Shaving Techniques That Prevent Ingrown Hairs
How you shave matters more than what razor you use. Hydrating your skin for at least three minutes in a warm shower before shaving reduces the force needed to cut each hair by up to 70%, which means less tugging and less chance of the hair retracting below the skin surface.
Shave with the grain on your first pass. If you want a closer result, reapply shaving cream and make a second pass across the grain. Only go against the grain on a third pass if absolutely necessary, and reapply lubrication before you do. Keep pressure light, rinse the blade every few strokes, and gently stretch the skin on curved areas like the jawline to create a flat cutting surface. A dull blade forces you to press harder and go over the same area repeatedly, both of which increase ingrown hair risk, so swap blades regularly.
If you’re shaving sensitive areas like the bikini line, consider trimming with clippers instead of shaving down to the skin. Leaving hair at a millimeter or two above the surface dramatically reduces the chance it will curl back in.
When Ingrown Hairs Need Medical Attention
Most ingrown hairs resolve on their own within a week or two. But an ingrown hair that becomes infected can develop into an abscess or cyst, especially if the follicle gets blocked. Signs that it’s time to see a doctor include spreading redness beyond the immediate bump, increasing pain rather than gradual improvement, warmth radiating from the area, or pus that keeps returning after draining. Your doctor may take a swab to identify the bacteria involved and prescribe antibiotics if needed.
Chronic ingrown hairs in the same area, a condition called pseudofolliculitis barbae when it affects the beard region, may benefit from prescription retinoid creams to keep follicles clear long-term.
Long-Term Solutions for Chronic Ingrown Hairs
If you’re dealing with ingrown hairs constantly despite good technique, professional hair removal can break the cycle. Laser hair removal is the most effective option: 75% of people in a 2023 study reported a significant reduction in ingrown hairs after just three sessions, and a full course of six to eight sessions can reduce them by up to 90%. The laser targets the pigment in the hair follicle, damaging it enough to slow or stop regrowth entirely.
Waxing reduces ingrown hairs by roughly 60% compared to shaving, since it pulls hair from the root rather than cutting it at an angle. Electrolysis, which destroys individual follicles with an electric current, achieves about a 50% reduction. Both are less effective than laser but may be better options depending on your hair color and skin tone, since traditional lasers work best on dark hair against lighter skin. Newer laser technology has narrowed that gap, but it’s worth discussing with a dermatologist to find the right fit.