tanyatriangles

iTrader: (2)

I keep getting them, usually on the softer parts of my face where my beard grows.

First I get a little itch, then a painful little swelling, and I end up having to dig the hair out from under the top layer, or two, of skin, by sliding a needle under it and lifting it, then pull it out.

Is there a way of NOT getting them, or are they part and parcel of the multi-blade razor that shaves too close?

zip106

Ooo... you want to be careful with those.
Sounds like an ingrown hair follicle.

I had one on my leg which got infected.
Ended up in hospital for 3 days on intravenous antibiotics and having the infected area dug out without any anesthetic.
I was very very close to having septicemia as I'd left it so long.

hodgy0_2

exactly the same thing happened to me in Greece this year -- on my lower back -- had a infection the size of an egg (they thing it was an ingrown hair follicle)

the greek clinic put me on 2 types of v strong antibiotics -- and went pretty much from Luton airport to A&E to have an operation to dig out all the ****

nasty -- still not as bad as the toothache i had sking last year

ps make sure you dont shave against the direction of hair growth

BiteUK

Used to have this problem as a youngster. As the hairs harden/thicken with continual shaving, it will eventually desist. Otherwise for the meantime try a softener on the hair pre and post shaving, and a good facial scrub also helps remove some of the skin and stops the hairs getting so easily trapped ;-)

BiteUK

Agreed, shaving against the direction of the hair growth is a big NO Noooooooooooo

tanyatriangles

iTrader: (2)

But if I don't do that, I get a really crap shave

hodgy0_2

it is something my dad told me years ago --- I wet shave btw and something I use a new blade to get a close shave there

but you are correct -- however imo its a small scarifice not to have an itchy spotty neck/chin

greatgonzo

iTrader: (1)

I have my back and shoulders waxed (yeah I know a bit of a tart) and used to get this problem. Spoke to the beautician and she sold me this very expensive exfoliating cream. I get the wife to rub it in while I am in the shower .
works a dream feels real nice as well, I suppose it should do at Ł25.00

zip106

That's just ghey!

yoza

A black guy Ive worked with for 9 years suffered with this condition really bad.

His face would have 10-15 blisters permanently from shaving, they looked like small black water filled bags around his jawline and neck.

This was not just unsightly, but painful, he tried creams, oils and even waxing to no avail.

So now he has a beard instead, as he is sure that the blisters only arrive after shaving.

He tells me that the condition is more common in black males than it is in white.

He also told me the proper name for the problem, but I forgot, so Ive looked it up...Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB)

TurboKitty

As already mentioned exfoliating regularly can help avoid ingrown hairs. This is because it removes any dead skin cells and makes it easier for the growing hair to break through the skin. Moisturising the area regularly helps too, (by softening the skin, again making it easier for the hair to break through).

I don't know much about shaving one's face, being a girl, but I've been told by a very reliable source, (a drag queen actually, so someone with a strong interest in getting a very close shave), that using hair conditioner to shave with, instead of shaving lotion or gel, means a much closer shave and it helps keep the skin soft. Various companies also make balm to use after shaving. I bought some for a previous boyfriend who had sensitive skin and used to suffer terribly from razor burn and rashes and he said it was very beneficial and continued to buy it and use it.

Boots also sell a couple of types of ingrown hair minimising creams. This works in a similar way to the exfoliator in that AHAs in the cream remove dead skin cells and make it easier for the hair to break through. I'm not sure if these are safe to use on the face though.

A couple of words of warning though, always thoroughly clean the pointed tweezers or needle you use to extract a hair (cleaning them with 70% isopropyl alcohol should do this effectively), never try to dig them out until they are very near the surface (otherwise you risk causing scars) and if the hair is resisting being dug out, leave it and try again in a few days.

Women who wax or epilate regularly tend to get ingrown hairs so may be able to offer further advice, or ask a beautician who does waxing for women.

Mog

Don't worry when you turn 16 it will go away.....

Mog

The Dogs B******s

You inbreads from Scumthorpe

rossyboy

iTrader: (8)

I've been doing this since I was 14 (now 32) and have had no issues!

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

I'm the same when I shave my face and bonce!

tanyatriangles

iTrader: (2)

Tried the unidirectional shave this morning...........it's rubbish. I can FEEL whiskers on both cheeks

SirFozzalot

Not cheap, but good stuff.

Skin Care and Shaving for Men - Clinique UK

SirFozzalot

It's probably not seen as manly but hey, go into one of the big department stores that has a Clinique (or similar) concession, take a deep breath, be brave, approach one of the make-up clad ladies in a white lab coat and ask her for some assistance.

She will ask some questions and then she will help you choose the correct products.

Hand over your credit card and try not to fall over when she hands you some little tubes of creams and lotions that just cost a fortune!

I did it and I have to say, I was sceptical, but this stuff wokred for me. I use it every day now........and I still don't have any gay tendancies!

Sosbanite

Nothing gay about it - it's a good way of getting to spend time perving at wimmins in the cosmetics area
Another vote for Clinique - their face scrub should help
Also use a good shave cream - try Taylors of Old Bond Street

And we all thought that this was a car forum

hotsam

I used to have this problem. Nothing worked, including using an expensive Braun electric.

Here's what finally worked for me.

1. Shave in the shower and use extremely hot water. Get a mirror that won't fog.

2. Cremo Cream brand shaving cream. This stuff is amazing. It was designed to be a shaving lubricant and contains no air (not a foam). It's also dirt cheap ($8 in the US, lasts for 2 or 3 months).

Cremo Cream the astonishingly superior brushless shave cream

3. Get a good, old fashioned saftey razor. I use the Merkur Heavy Classic. It's a bit expensive, but it will last forever (literally), and you'll never have to buy expensive refills again. A ten pack of blades lasts me 2 1/2 weeks and costs $2.99. A added bonus is that because there is only one blade, and not 3, 4 or 5, the razor never clogs!



4. Don't shave on weekends. Give your face a rest.

BiteUK

Hotsam, do you shave against or with the direction of hair growth?....Might try this

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

As yoza says black guys suffer from ingrowing hairs far more than us pasty skinned fellas. My solution to this... don't shave. keep some stubble and use clippers.

hoskib

iTrader: (1)

same here, haven't wet shaved for a couple of years now. got totally pissed off with painfull ingrowing hairs so sod it, beard trimmer for me

usually i only shave 1-2 times a week anyway and apart from the odd one, no more ingrowers

hotsam

On my face, I can get away with shaving with the direction of the hair. My jaw/neck hair grows in a swirly pattern, so I can't shave with the grain. This is my "problem area." It bleeds even with a Braun self-cleaning electric.

A correction to my first post: A ten pack of blades lasts me 2 1/2 months, not 2 1/2 weeks. I use a new blade every week, and I don't shave weekends, so one blade lasts me 5 days.

tanyatriangles

iTrader: (2)

TBH, Hotsam, I can't remember seeing stuff like that recently in the UK, but will check.

hotsam

It's available online. I'm lucky enough to live near one of their retailers.

bioforger

iTrader: (1)

I have the same problem with my stubble. I'm lazy so just pick at the itchy ones with tweesers n needle if required There's something really satisfying about pulling out stubble hairs with tweesers

markr1963

Back on ingrowing hairs and hair follicles for a mo' let me share with you what by brother is going through. This started back in March.