TMI – Ingrown Hairs

I had a bunch of girls message me about ingrown hairs – whether they are caused from waxing, shaving, or wearing tight pants, a lot of you wanted to know how to avoid and/or treat them. Ready for a good laugh and some cringing? Read on. 

I have some pretty good experience with waxing…you know how people say “never say never”? Well, I can confidently say I will NEVER wax again. Eyebrows? Maybe. Brazilian? NEVER.

I had two TERRIBLE Brazilian experiences and will never do it again. When I say terrible, I mean TERRIBLE. Like, couldn’t walk terrible. Let’s rewind to the first Brazilian wax I had done – a friend found a Groupon online for a Brazilian wax and talked me into buying one, too.  She was crazy nervous, so she went first. I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal, so I told her I didn’t mind going second. Well, she did great and was finished in no time. Then it was my turn. I have never felt pain like that! I couldn’t finish. Seriously. I made the esthetician stop in the middle. And my friend had to come in and hold my hand to get one of the strips of wax off. No joke. I don’t think I’m a wuss, but maybe I am. I was miserable for the next TWO WEEKS. Not exaggerating. I could hardly walk – every hair follicle was infected. (TMI, remember?) Every. Single. One. It was so awful. (If my girlfriends are reading this, I know they’re dying laughing. They’ve all heard this story before.)

​After that experience, I swore I’d never (See? I said never) do another wax. Fast forward 4 years – another friend, who gets Brazilians all the time, told me I just had a bad experience and should give it another try. This friend and I were getting ready to go to Cancun for a bachelorette party, so I thought I’d give her lady a shot and see how things went. The overall experience itself was nowhere near as bad as the first. My friend had already told the esthetician about my previous experience, so she was prepared to talk to me about that. She explained that I have suuuper thick, coarse hair, which is why it was so painful, and that I probably had some type of reaction to the wax that was used. She assured me she would do everything in her power to ensure this experience was better. And it really was! It was painful, but nothing like the first time. I was pleased with the outcome and didn’t think I was going to have any issues. I still didn’t plan to get another one, just because shaving never bothers me, but I was thankful I wasn’t going to be in pain and I would be able to walk. ​YAY! Right? Wrong. 

Here are some pictures from Cancun!

Well, the morning after my wax, I woke up to the same thing as before. It. Was. Awful. I couldn’t walk or sit without being super uncomfortable. I was supposed to leave the next morning to fly to Cancun! UGH. I spent the day trying to research how to make things more bearable, but nothing worked. I used ointments, gels, hot compresses – NOTHING.

I left for Cancun in a lot of pain, not sure if I was going to be able to put on a swimsuit, much less walk around and be with everyone. And to make matters worse, one of our connecting flights got in late, so we had to SPRINT through the airport to make our second flight. I was hot, sweaty, and hurting. We got to Cancun and met up with all the other girls. I, of course, being the oversharer that I am, told everyone about my situation. They couldn’t believe it. It was one of those situations where you just have to laugh because otherwise you will cry. Everyone wanted to hit up the ocean, so I decided to go with, and just go back to the room if I got to be too miserable. 

​Sooo, that’s my story about waxing. Keep it away from me. Far, far away. ​

All that being said, I have a weird thing with hair. I don’t like it. I shave every day. I never get ingrown hairs, though! I only have issues if I wax. Same thing with waxing my eyebrows. It makes me break out. I guess I just have weird skin. 

But, if you struggle with ingrown hairs, here are some tips from me and some friends! Oh, and in case you were wondering, people with curly or coarse hair are more likely to get ingrown hairs. Cool cool cool. 
​
To prevent ingrown hairs, do these things!
-Exfoliate daily – even just using a wash cloth in a circular motion. This helps bring out any ingrown hairs that might be starting. 
-Shave with a sharp, single-bladed razor (I have a razor with 3 blades and don’t seem to have any problems, but if it’s not sharp, it’s agony.)
-Wet your skin with warm water before shaving. (Dry shaving?! Hell no.)
-Rinse the blade with water after every stroke. 
-Razors should only be used 6-8 times. (WHAT?! That’s crazy. But I get it.)
-Keep skin moisturized  

To treat ingrown hairs, do these things!
-Go to the ocean. ; )
-Apply an aspirin-based anti-inflammatory cream to ingrown hairs. 
-Bathe the infected area twice a day and use a wash cloth or soft-bristled toothbrush with warm water in a circular motion. Don’t harshly scrub them! 
-Use tweezers and alcohol to remove the hair if you can’t get it out. Don’t pick at it with your fingernails (I am SO bad about this if I have an ingrown hair. I’m a picker.)

This stuff is amazing! Tend Skin. You can get it at Walmart, Walgreens, Target…I did use this after my second wax while in Cancun and I think it helped dry things out, too. It burns like a mother effer, but that means it’s working, right? 

All this being said, I have always wanted to do laser hair removal. Has anyone done it? I’d love to hear your thoughts! 

Happy Wednesday, friends!