Ingrown hairs
after shaving or waxing
Bumps on your neck, bikini line or legs look alike and are not. If there is a hair in it, hair removal is the logical route: where no hair grows, nothing can grow in. If there is no hair in it, hair removal changes nothing.
If it keeps coming back, laser hair removal is the solution that tackles it at the root. Sometimes a different shaving technique is already enough, and then you hear that from us too.
With ingrown hairs, hair removal is the logical route at Diba Clinics in Rotterdam: where no hair grows, nothing can grow in. We do this with laser hair removal, from € 20 per zone, or with electrolysis for hair the laser cannot see, such as grey or blond hair, for € 60 per half hour. If there is no hair in the bump, hair removal does not help and the skin therapist looks further.
What we look at
The skin therapist looks under magnification at whether there is a hair in the bump. That distinction decides whether hair removal makes sense or not.
Under magnification
The skin therapist uses magnification to see whether there is a hair in the bump. That distinction decides whether hair removal makes sense or whether it is something else.
The loop or the tip
If there is a dark loop or tip under the skin, it is ingrowth. If none of that is visible, we look further at what it is instead.
Across a larger area
Then we assess the whole area. Is it in one spot or across a larger area, because that decides whether you have an area treated or a single spot.
Four kinds of bump
after shaving
Neck, bikini line, legs and jawline are the areas where these four occur. Two of them benefit from hair removal and two do not.
A hair that does not come out
pseudofolliculitis barbae, ingrown hair- How you recognise it yourself
- In good light, do you see a dark loop or tip under the skin, and is the bump in a place you shave or epilate?
- What it is
- The hair curls back into the skin instead of out of it, and your immune system reacts to something that belongs there. It happens more often and more fiercely with curly hair.
- What we do
- This is the picture where hair removal with light gives the most: no hair, no ingrowth. First we look at whether your skin type and hair colour are suitable for it.
A hair is involved, and that is what light aims at. Count on a series rather than one session.
Red, warm and with a pus head
folliculitis- How you recognise it yourself
- Does it hurt, does it feel warm, and did it appear in days rather than gradually?
- What it is
- An inflamed hair follicle, usually from bacteria. Unlike an ingrown hair this often clears up on its own, but it can also become stubborn.
- What we do
- No lasering while it is active. If it has been there for weeks or keeps coming back, a GP should look at it first.
There is no hair in it, or the area is inflamed right now. Hair removal does nothing here, and starting would mean selling a course without a result.
Rough bumps without a hair
keratosis pilaris- How you recognise it yourself
- Does it feel like sandpaper over a larger area, without a hair or pus in the bumps? And is it mainly on your upper arms?
- What it is
- Keratinisation around the hair follicles, and not an ingrown hair. Harmless, often hereditary, and hair removal does not reduce it.
- What we do
- Laser hair removal does not help here. What does do something is gradually making the top layer smoother, and keeping expectations honest about it.
There is no hair in it, or the area is inflamed right now. Hair removal does nothing here, and starting would mean selling a course without a result.
Dark marks without a bump
post-inflammatoire hyperpigmentatie- How you recognise it yourself
- Has the skin become smooth but the colour is still there, and does it get darker after sun?
- What it is
- Pigment left behind after the inflammation. This is what years of shaving often leaves, and it is not a scar.
- What we do
- First remove the cause, otherwise new ones keep appearing. Only then look at the colour.
A hair is involved, and that is what light aims at. Count on a series rather than one session.
Then it starts with the treatment and not with the concern.
If it is not the bumps you care about but the hair removal itself, the areas, the rates and what is possible per skin type are on the laser hair removal page.
What helps and what we advise against
Shaving close, tweezing and scrubbing keep the problem going. Stopping them often gives more than adding anything.
This works
- Looking first at whether there really is a hair in it, because without a hair, hair removal does nothing
- Switching off the hair root, because a hair that is not there cannot grow in
- Looking at how you remove hair now. Sometimes shaving differently is the whole solution, and then we say so
- Adjusting the settings to your skin type, because with darker skin that has to be more precise
- Sun protection on the treated area, otherwise the dark marks stay put
We advise against this
- Lasering an area that is inflamed at that moment
- Picking them out yourself with tweezers or a needle. That is the fastest route to a dark mark or a dent
- Scrubbing against ingrown hairs. On an irritated area it makes the inflammation worse
- Treating tanned skin
- Promising every hair will go. Light and grey hairs barely respond to light
What we use for this
Electrolysis
€ 60Hair by hair, grey and blond included. For what the laser cannot see. We charge the treatment time per half hour.
Laser hair removal
from € 20Switching off the hair root. Per area or as a package, for women and men.
What others
say about it.
These come from Salonized and were not picked by us on content. They are about laser hair removal, because that is what stops ingrowth.
Reviews translated from Dutch.
“I've been by 3 times now for the diode laser and I genuinely see an 80% difference! The scars and spots on my skin have hugely improved too thanks to the dermapen. A forever regular anyway!!”
SaraLaser hair removalOver 7 years ago “I had a really lovely experience with Demy. Well informed about how the process (lasering) works. I was put at ease and helped well. You've got a new client!”
AndrijanaLaser hair removal7 months ago “I thought the appointment was great! Everything went well and I'm nearly finished with the lasering! Demi is genuinely a very professional skin specialist, so grateful for her! She does her work very precisely.”
MoniqueLaser hair removalAlmost 4 years ago
Frequently asked questions
How do you get rid of ingrown hairs?
Leave the bump alone; often the hair then comes out by itself. Close shaving, tweezing and scrubbing keep the problem going, and digging it out yourself with tweezers or a needle is the quickest route to a dark spot or a small pit. If it keeps coming back, laser hair removal tackles it at the root.
Should you remove an ingrown hair?
Not yourself. If it is red, warm and has a pus head, we don't laser while it is active; if it has been there for weeks or keeps coming back, a GP should look at it first.
How do you prevent ingrown hairs?
First look at how you remove hair now; sometimes shaving differently is the whole solution. Shave in the direction of growth, with a sharp blade, and not every day. Clothing that rubs and close shaving make it worse. If you keep having problems, laser hair removal helps, or electrolysis for grey or blond hair.
Does scrubbing or a peel help against ingrown hairs?
On an irritated area, scrubbing makes it worse. On calm skin, a mild exfoliant with glycolic acid or salicylic acid can help, without grains.
Does laser hair removal help against ingrown hairs?
In the majority they do, and for a logical reason: where no hair grows, nothing can grow in. It goes gradually, over a series of sessions, and it only works if the hair is dark enough to catch light.
Why do you get ingrown hairs mainly on your bikini line and neck?
There the hair more often grows curly and the follicle lies at more of an angle, so a regrowing hair goes back into the skin sooner. Clothing that rubs and shaving close make it worse.
Can I keep shaving during the programme?
Shaving is allowed and in fact required: the area should be short on the day of the treatment. What is not allowed is plucking, waxing or an epilator, because that pulls out precisely the root the light aims at.
What are the dark spots after ingrown hairs?
That is pigment and not a scar. As long as new bumps keep appearing, treating makes little sense, because new marks appear too. Cause first, colour after.
What does treating ingrown hairs cost?
Laser hair removal starts at 20 euros per zone per session; all zones and packages are on the laser page with their prices. For grey or blond hair there is electrolysis, 60 euros per half hour. How many sessions you need, you hear during the consultation. It costs 50 euros; if you have a treatment in the same appointment, that amount comes off again.
Book a consultation at Diba Clinics
At the first conversation we establish whether hairs are involved and whether your skin type and hair colour are suitable. If not, you hear that before you arrange anything.
Book a consultationNot sure yet? Ask your question