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What is an epilator?
An epilator is a device that plucks hairs from the root. Yes, using an epilator can cause ingrown hairs.
Yes, using an epilator can cause ingrown hairs. Generally, any hair removal can cause ingrown hairs. Ingrown hairs are more common with curly or side-ways growing hair types.
An epilator is a device that plucks hairs from the root. Electric epilators are small, and most have some tweezing device to grab the hairs. It is an efficient method that gets rid of hair quickly. It’s also effective against shorter hairs and is long-lasting, meaning that epilated hair may take longer to grow back than shaved hair.
An epilator causes ingrown hairs because it plucks the strands from the roots without exfoliating the skin. The hairs that then grow back in have a higher chance of being trapped under the skin surface and becoming ingrown.
Consider using your epilator after taking a hot shower. That makes epilation more efficient and is less painful than using the device on dry skin. Your skin is usually more relaxed and desensitized after a warm bath. Epilators work better with thick hair because the tweezers can grip thick hair more easily. However, using an epilator for some time leads to thinner hair growing in. The new hair will take more time to grow back.
Pros of using an epilator
Since epilators are a form of plucking, they are a less expensive hair removal method than electrolysis. Epilators are quite affordable. They are also quite effective since they pluck many hairs at once.
Cons of using an epilator
Using an epilator can be painful as it rips hairs from their follicles. After the hairs are plucked, there may be red bumps, swelling, and irritation of the hair follicles. Because the epilator removes many hairs at once, you don’t have a lot of control over it. That makes it less than ideal for removing hairs in places that require precision, like the eyebrows.
Always make sure that you sterilize your epilator with rubbing alcohol before and after use to avoid any infections.
Side effects of epilation
Some of the side effects of epilation include:
- Scarring
- Pain
- Folliculitis
- Ingrown hair (pseudofolliculitis)
- Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation
What are ingrown hairs?
An ingrown hair fails to regrow smoothly or fails to leave the shaft of the follicle without problems. Often a pulled hair doubles over when growing out, coils like a spring, grows slightly sidewise and pierces the skin, or grows under the skin's surface. The area pierced by the hair becomes inflamed and forms a red pimple. Ingrown hairs in men mainly occur on the beard area (cheeks, neck, and chin ), while in females, they mostly occur around the groin or bikini area (legs, and pubic areas).
Ingrown hairs are also common in armpits and on the buttocks. The hair will penetrate the skin as it grows longer. Removing hair using methods like shaving, waxing, tweezing, and hair removal cream can all cause ingrown hairs to develop. Ingrown hairs can even cause an infection called folliculitis. This condition affects the follicles of the ingrown hairs.
Primary symptoms of ingrown hair
Some of the most common symptoms of ingrown hairs will show around the affected area. They include:
- Redness
- Inflammation
- Swelling
- Itchiness
- Cyst (fluid accumulations) formation
- Formation of pus
- Permanent scarring (if left untreated or happens multiple times)
How epilating causes ingrown hair
When you epilate your hair, the action rips the hair from the root. The root itself survives, though, and new hair begins to grow in, starting at the bottom of the hair follicle, growing up, and ideally out through the neck of the follicle.
However, even a slight angle or hang-up as the hair grows can cause the hair to hang up while still inside the follicle. In that case, hair can coil into a spiral as it continues growing or can pierce the side of the follicle, either growing sideways under the skin or piercing the skin at an angle from the proper angle of growth.
Other causes of ingrown hair
Another way that ingrown hairs develop is through shaving, in which the cut hair snaps back below the opening of the follicle, and through natural shedding of cells leads to clogging the follicles with dead skin. The clogging traps the hair under the plug, where it continues to grow. The clog makes the hair re-enter its follicle or another one nearby and grows inwards.
Razor bumps or pseudofolliculitis is a type of ingrown hair that appears when you cut, wax, or tweeze coarse or curly hair.
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Treatment for ingrown hairs
In most cases, ingrown hairs will go away on their own. However, sometimes the situation may get worse, requiring intervention. One of the ways to get rid of ingrown hairs is to let your hair grow longer before removing it. Another way is to avoid hair removal in an affected area. But if you must, consider using clippers instead of a razor or shave further from the skin. You can also treat ingrown hairs by permanently shaving using laser, electrolysis, or depilatory methods (creams or liquids).
If your ingrown hairs develop an infection, an antibiotic cream may help to heal it. But if the infection becomes severe, your doctor may recommend some antibiotic medications. Consider washing the area with ingrown hairs using a cloth or toothbrush in a circular motion for some minutes to remove the ingrown hairs. Another way to remove ingrown hairs is by using a sterile needle to pull the hair from under the skin to the outside surface.
Your doctor may also prescribe some steroid cream to manage any irritation and swelling.
Consider calling your doctor if you experience pain, swelling, redness, or hotness in the area around the ingrown hairs. Also, seek help if your body temperature is too high or you feel very sick, hot, or shivery.
Tips to use before and after using an epilator
You can avoid getting ingrown hairs with these tips:
- Exfoliate or scrub the area before epilating
- Trim your hair to about one-quarter and three-quarters of an inch before epilating
- Use some mild facial cleanser and warm water to wash your skin
- Take some pain medication (e.g., ibuprofen or acetaminophen) about 30 minutes before epilating to avoid pain
- Place a cool, wet cloth on the area after epilation to reduce pain and irritation
Conclusion
Epilation is quite efficient in hair removal. You can use an epilator to get rid of pubic hair, but expect some pain if you are a first-time user.
Ingrown hairs may present with symptoms that resemble the symptoms of other skin issues. Because of that, always talk to your doctor first to get the right diagnosis of the condition.