Jincy Wants The Juice:
I am dealing with a frequent problem of having ingrown hair after waxing my legs, arms and even my underarms. I don’t know what to do about it. I have tried using a scrubber, moisturizing cream to remove it, but this is just getting worse every time I wax. Now, my legs are looking terrible due to these skin problems, could you help?
The Right Brain Responds:
While we’re not doctors, one of the Beauty Brains did date a doctor for a while so we feel well qualified to answer your question.
Seriously, it sounds like you have a case of folliculitis – a condition in which the hair follicle becomes inflamed and irritated. This condition occurs a lot with men when they shave their face. It can also occur on other parts of the body, like the legs. If you click the link you can read more about this condition but if you do, please scroll down past the pictures of buttock folliculitis very fast. You’ll be glad you did.
The best treatment is to let your leg hairs grow out to give your follicles a chance to recover. And we recommend picking up a couple of pints of Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey and renting Season 1 of Grey’s Anatomy since you won’t be going out in public much. Just kidding. Really, you should get Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
But all joking about ice cream and lack of social contact aside, you do need to give your follicles a rest. If you HAVE to do something, shave instead of waxing for a while. That’s less irritating to the follicle.
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as far as helpful products for ingrown hairs go, i cannot recommend tendskin enough (available at sephora). granted, i’m not a waxer, but i’m a shaver prone to extreme razor burn and very frequent ingrown hairs. since i started using tendskin (after i get out of the shower, i just squeeze some on a cotton ball and wipe it all over my legs, underarms, and bikini line), i’d estimate that i get 75% fewer ingrown hairs. it may not be a serious enough product for what you’re dealing with, but it may be worth a shot.
What’s the deal with TendSkin anyway, Brains? I think all it is is ASA dissolved in alcohol. Should this stuff work, in your books?
The quick answer is that in our opinion this product could work but not for the reasons they tell you. The press releases on the Tendskin website talk about exfolliation as a way to ease razor bumps. In reality, the “active” ingredient in this product is acetylsalicylic acid, also known as aspirin. Asprin is an effective anti-inflammatory which is exactly what you need to soothe irritated follicles. Bottom line is, yes, this product could be worth a try.
Also, while TendSkin works for me and my tender underarms, it’s far too much Alcohol (irritation) for my DH’s shaven face…so we’re looking into a similar product by Paula’s Choice (skin relief treatment? i think that’s the name) that’s got aspirin but no alcohol.
Take a hot shower before shaving, to soften the hair and open the pores.
Use a thick shaving gel.
Don’t stretch the skin when shaving, and always shave in the direction your beard grows. Use the fewest razor strokes possible. Rinse with cold water.
Use an electric razor if it can be adjusted to a higher setting.
these are steps i take and they really work
Use a moisturizing lotion after shaving.
oh and my beard i meant hair
i was coerced into buying “ingro stopper” after i had my legs waxed, its pretty good and effective for legs and areas for finer hairs…but its pretty useless for my bikini line…any good products for bikini line? im going to thai land at the end of the year, and am dreading hopping into a bikini bottom!