Ingrown Hairs - will plucking do more harm than good?

I have a strange compulsion to pluck ingrown hairs when they pop up (seldomly, now that I'm using a proper razor). It seems like it relieves some irritation, but that could just be wishful thinking on my part.

Am I fooling myself?

Freeing the hair tip from the skin would provide relief as the source of irritation is removed. Plucking causes further injury that takes time to heal, and the hair that grows back may ingrow anyways.

Phil

If, when I get one, I do pluck it before my shave and shower.Clean, sterilized tweezers followed by tea tree oil does the trick every time.


marty

htownmmm said:

If, when I get one, I do pluck it before my shave and shower.Clean, sterilized tweezers followed by tea tree oil does the trick every time.


marty

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That's what I did when I got them years ago. Fortunately, I have had no problems in many years - but used to have them on my neck a long time ago.

Mantic's video on this is worth viewing.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJzk4QL6iME[/YOUTUBE]

I used to pluck them when I shaved with a cart. I'd probably get at least one a week on my chin. Since I switched to DE I never get them.

I found leaving them be for a week or so, yeah, I know, it's no fun, then just pulling them out of the skin but leaving the root connected worked for me. It'd get rid of the irritation and allow it to correct itself.

So far not a single one, but I'm not shaving ATG either. I never want a shave that close ever again! I hate ingrown hairs!

I never pluck them... But then, I'm not really getting any either...

djboring said:

I have a strange compulsion to pluck ingrown hairs when they pop up (seldomly, now that I'm using a proper razor). It seems like it relieves some irritation, but that could just be wishful thinking on my part.

Am I fooling myself?

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djboring:
+ 1 and as a man of color, I also make sure I sterilize my needle and tweezers in alcohol after each 'pluck'. I also use High Time's Bump Stopper-2 Razor Bump Treatment (Double Strength Formula).

I find that using both techniques above, plus proper shave prep, using a worn tooth brush to gently exfoliate face and using my Merkur's 23C & 38C has great reduced the amount of ingrown hairs I have.

Christopher

Still get the odd in-grown hair. Freeing the tip by hooking under the loop with a sterilised pin relieves the irritation for me immensely.

In my younger days ingrown hairs occured almost daily. Now that I have gotten much older they are few and far between.

When I do get one I use the sharp tip of a #11 surgical blade or even a small hypodermic needle to gently pop it out, then clip it and allow it to grow naturally. I do not pull it out by the roots.

Okay, so here is a question. You can use tweezers to ease the hair out and then cut it off next time you shave. But if its ingrown and trapped under the skin, how do you get access to it to ease it out? Do you try and cut through the skin with the tweezers? It seems like the act of trying to get access to the hair and ease it out can damage the skin and might be counterproductive.

salazch12 said:

Okay, so here is a question. You can use tweezers to ease the hair out and then cut it off next time you shave. But if its ingrown and trapped under the skin, how do you get access to it to ease it out? Do you try and cut through the skin with the tweezers? It seems like the act of trying to get access to the hair and ease it out can damage the skin and might be counterproductive.

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Christian:
I sterilize in my needle in alcohol and very carefully free the hair fromn under my skin.

Christopher

The Count of Merkur Cristo said:

Christian:
I sterilize in my needle in alcohol and very carefully free the hair fromn under my skin.

Christopher

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^^ except I use a flame to sterilise