How to finally Stop Ingrown Hair Bumps and Scarring in the PUBIC Area
Ingrown Hair Bumps and Boils on the bits suck! They’re embarrassing, annoying and they hurt!
Bumps form when bacteria, excess sebum (a substance that our body produces to keep our skin from drying out), or ingrown hair(s) gets trapped in our hair follicles. Other causes can be; infected pores, bad fitting undies, hormonal sh*t, inflammation issues (like if battling with HS) and surprisingly the method of hair removal you are using.
Pubic-acne is more uncomfortable than it is harmful, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying. But here’s the thing, no matter how many episodes of Dr. Pimple Popper you’ve watched, it’s best not to pick at the bumps. Our follicles are easily irritated and attempting to pop the bump or extract the ingrown hair could cause the following:
Bacteria to spread–clogging other follicles
Not getting the hair from the root. We’ve all been there–the little piece of hair breaks leaving behind the stubble that slowly falls back under the skin as we dramatically yell “noooo” like a movie villain whose grand plan has been blocked at the last moment 😭.
And last but not least, SCARRING!
If the ingrown hair bumps are itchy, I recommend exfoliating with a grainy substance. If you don’t have a product on hand, simply put olive oil on your fingers then a dab of salt (the oil helps the salt stick). Next you’ll rub in a circular motion. This will serve several purposes. 1.) The olive oil and salt is helping to heal the bump while “scratching” it with the salt, and 2.) you’re not using your fingers. Scratching with fingers can cause an infection and/or scarring.
You can also try Happy Girl’s Exfoliating Bar. The natural oat grains not only relieves the itch but it also exfoliates and heals the skin. Afterwards, you would want to rinse the area with warm water and apply a Hair Bump Serum such as Happy Girl’s Vadge Hair Bump Serum.
Tips to prevent ingrown hair bumps.
Exfoliate with a product with grains 1-2 times per week (do not over-exfoliate as this can cause more hair bumps and dull skin).
Apply a good Hair Bump Serum daily for a couple of days after hair removal. If you’re dealing with a bad hair bump outbreak, then apply 2x per day.
If you battle with bad hair bump outbreaks and/or boils often, then use a detox mud mask, like Happy Girl’s Vadge Mask, in the area every other day and follow with a good hair bump serum.
Check your hair removal method
What’s causing the hair bumps?
Proper hair removal techniques are crucial when you’re prone to ingrown hairs and scarring.
If you prefer shaving, incorporate a high-quality shaving cream, high-quality sharp razors and an after-shave serum into your routine. If shaving still results in hair bumps and scarring, it may be worth exploring alternative methods such as waxing or laser hair removal.
If you wax or you’re considering waxing, it is crucial to choose a reputable waxing or sugaring salon that specializes in the service, rather than opting for a nail salon where waxing may not be their specialty.
When visiting a waxing salon, the waxing specialist should be skilled in effectively removing hair from the root for those with coarse or fuller hair textures. This is important because they’ll need to be more focussed on grabbing smaller sections of hair to ensure the hair is being pulled from the root.
However, as mentioned in the previous chapter, they need to be skilled in having a perfect balance between speed and effectiveness. Otherwise long waxing sessions or brutal!
Contrary to the myth that soft wax is not good for the skin, the focus should be on the esthetician's reviews and technique rather than the type of wax they use.
Hard wax may pose challenges for those with coarse or thick hair, as it can lead to more hair bumps and boils if the waxing specialist is rushing and pulling in big sections.
You should definitely see a reduction in ingrown hairs and boils using these methods if not, you may need to opt for laser hair removal.
Laser hair removal
When seeking out an establishment to do your laser hair removal, keep in mind that the machine being used matters. Laser hair removal machines used to work only on fair skin with dark hair. The laser worked by zapping the melanin in the hair which would damage the hair follicle.
If you have pigmented skin, using this type of machine will cause you to be burned because the machine will target the melanin in your skin instead of the hair. So do your research to make sure the place you’re going to for laser hair removal caters to brown and black skin.
Abscess and Boils
Boils are very similar to ingrown hair bumps, as they are often caused by infected hair follicles. They occur when bacteria infects the roots and oil glands of the hair and creates a painful, pus-filled bump. These boils can appear on the vulva, groin, armpits, inner thighs and inner buttocks.
Unfortunately, some people are just prone to these annoying abscesses. If you find boils on your girl, make sure to wash your hands with soap before and after touching the infected area, and don’t share towels until the boils have drained and healed. In order to fight these bumps, try this:
Apply a warm compress with salt to the infected area every evening for about 20 minutes to bring it to a head.
Let your self-care day include Lady V by using a mud mask to draw out the yucky puss.
If you’re prone to boils, especially after hair removal, try Happy Girl’s V “Facial” Bundle — a trifecta that works against bad hair bump outbreaks and boils.
Don’t exfoliate with scrubs when the boils are raw. This can irritate the skin, causing the infection to spread.
Take a nice and hot Epsom Salt bath. You deserve it, and it’ll help bring the boils to a head.
Visiting the doctor for boils. Unfortunately, doctors are going to tell you there isn’t much they can do about it other than to lance the boil. The risk of the boil returning after lancing is pretty high.
If a boil stays for months at a time, it’s best to go to a dermatologist to make sure it’s not a cyst.
If you deal with multiple bumps, boils and open wounds, you may deal with an issue called HS.
In conclusion, I’d like to throw in another tip for overall irritation. Let your girl breathe! Rightfully, we keep our girl covered all day with undies, clothes, panty liners, pads and the like. When able, go commando, especially when going to bed.
SHOP
The author. Joelle Lynn is an entrepreneur, herbalist, esthetician, master-formulator of all things natural, and the founder of Happy Girl Products.