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Everyone, at some time or another, has suffered from ingrown hairs. One every now and then is not going to cause too much grief but if you have a serious condition you will need to find a good ingrown hair treatment. Ingrown hairs cause the skin to become seriously irritated. The skin becomes inflamed, red and a rash develops. You may even notice pus collecting under the skin if the hair follicle has become infected.

The skin should be soft when you treat the ingrown hairs. The skin is at it's softest after a bath or shower. You can also use a warm face cloth and hold it on the skin to moisten and warm the skin and make it soft. The ingrown hair should become more visible.

Gradually manipulate the hair with a sterilized tweezer. Try to free the hair gently. Do not be too aggressive. You could do more damage if you have to pierce the skin. Try one of these treatments if you can't get the hair out easily.

Gently exfoliate the area with a soft brush, loofah or sponge. You want to free the hair gently. You should not rub too hard. You do not want to worsen the irritation. You can exfoliate your skin naturally with a mixture of one cup brown sugar and three teaspoons of honey. It is a good idea to exfoliate on a regular basis to prevent ingrown hairs from appearing.

Salicylic acid, used in acne creams, can help to reduce the swelling and give the ingrown hair a better chance of coming out. Acne cream with salicylic acid works in the same way as exfoliating does by getting rid of dead cells and unclogging the pores. You can try tea tree oil or witch hazel. They are natural products that can accomplish the same thing.

You want to make sure that the skin is not irritated further so do not shave or wax until the skin has calmed down and wear loose clothing.

You will probably get ingrown hairs again but you can minimize their occurrence by moisturizing and exfoliating the skin often. Daily cleansing and moisturizing will keep the skin supple and smooth. Ingrown hairs are most often caused by shaving. Do not pull your skin too tight when shaving. This results in the hair being cut too short which leads to ingrown hairs. Don't shave over the same area twice and shave in the same direction that the hair grows. This will also prevent the hair being cut too short and causing ingrown hairs.