Ingrown Hair Treatment: What to Do Now, and When to See a GP

A sore, raised bump where you shaved, sometimes with a dark loop of hair visible just under the skin. That is an ingrown hair, and the urge is to dig it out. Most ingrown hair treatment is the opposite: leave the skin alone long enough for the hair to free itself, and know the few signs that mean a GP should look at it.

What is the best ingrown hair treatment?

Stop shaving that patch for a few days, hold a warm compress on it, and exfoliate gently so the trapped hair can work its way out. Do not squeeze, pick or dig at it; the NHS warns this can damage the skin and lead to infection. Most ingrown hairs settle without medical help. See a GP if the area turns very painful, hot or swollen, or you feel feverish.

What's actually happening

An ingrown hair is a hair that has been cut so short it slips back below the surface and grows into the skin beside the follicle instead of out of it. The British Association of Dermatologists describes the result as inflammation "caused by hairs trapped beneath the skin surface".

That is why the bump is red or darker than the skin around it, why it itches, and why, once infected, it can fill with pus. The NHS lists the face and neck, legs, armpits, chest, back and pubic area as the usual places, and notes that people with coarse or curly hair get them more often. Waxing, plucking and threading cause them too, so the advice below holds whatever put the hair there. Why shaving produces so many of them is covered in our piece on how cartridge razors contribute to ingrown hairs.

What doesn't work (and why)

Most of what makes an ingrown hair worse is impatience. Squeezing, digging with tweezers and shaving straight over the bump all damage the skin and let bacteria in, and that is how a bump that would have settled becomes an infected one.

Squeezing it like a spot. There is no pocket of anything to empty; the problem is a hair lying under the skin. Pressure only damages the skin around it. The NHS is plain: do not scratch, pick or squeeze ingrown hairs.

Digging with tweezers. Going after a hair that has not reached the surface means cutting into the skin to find it. Pulling one out by the root does not help either; the BAD's advice is to avoid plucking hairs altogether.

Shaving over it. A blade across a raised bump catches the top of it and leaves the hair where it was. Mayo Clinic's advice for ingrown hair is to stop shaving, tweezing or waxing until the condition improves.

Scrubbing hard. Exfoliating helps; scouring does not. A harsh scrub on inflamed skin adds irritation to the inflammation already there.

What works

Six steps, in order. Most ingrown hairs need only the first three. Rest the skin, soften it with warmth, and exfoliate lightly so the hair can reach the surface on its own; the rest is for a hair that has already broken through, or a bump that is getting worse rather than better.

Step	What to do	Why it works
1. Rest the area	Leave that patch unshaven for a few days. Shave around it if you must.	No blade means no fresh damage, and the hair keeps growing towards the surface.
2. Warm compress	A clean flannel soaked in warm water, held on the bump for 10 to 15 minutes.	Warmth helps the trapped hair release. Cleveland Clinic recommends the same 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Gentle exfoliation	A mild scrub or a soft brush in small circles, on skin that is not broken.	The NHS suggests an exfoliating scrub to help release trapped hairs.
4. Free the tip only	Once the end of the hair shows above the skin, lift that end clear with a sterile needle and leave the hair in place.	The BAD notes trapped hairs can be lifted out with a sterile needle. Leaving the root avoids plucking, which the BAD advises against.
5. Soothe and protect	Ask a pharmacist about a cream for the itching and a mild antiseptic.	The NHS lists both as things a pharmacist can help with, along with exfoliating products.
6. Keep hands off	Wash the area gently and leave it between steps.	The NHS links scratching, picking and squeezing to skin damage and infection.

When should you see a GP?

See a GP if an ingrown hair, or the skin around it, becomes very painful, hot or swollen, or if you have a high temperature or feel hot, cold, shivery or very unwell. Those are the NHS's signs of infection. Otherwise, the NHS says most people will not need a GP for an ingrown hair.

A GP can remove the hair with a sterile needle or blade, prescribe a steroid cream to bring down swelling and irritation, or give antibiotic cream or tablets for an infection. For bumps that keep coming back, the BAD's leaflet on pseudofolliculitis describes prescribed retinoid creams, and lasers or intense pulsed light to reduce hair growth, with a warning that these carry a high risk of pigment changes on dark skin. These are decisions for a doctor; nothing you buy for shaving replaces them.

A lump that appears where you never remove hair, or one that grows rather than settles, may not be an ingrown hair at all. Have it looked at.

Stopping the next one

Treatment ends when the bump clears; whether another one follows depends on how the hair is cut next time. If the same patch of skin keeps producing ingrown hairs, the shave itself is the place to look, and the full routine is in our guide on how to prevent ingrown hairs from shaving.

The BAD's own shaving advice for people prone to them fits in one line: shave in the direction of hair growth, use single blades, shave every second day rather than daily, and aim for a stubble length of about 1 mm. A multi-blade cartridge lifts each hair and cuts it below the skin, which is how it ends up growing back in; a single blade cuts at the surface.

The British Association of Dermatologists recommends single blades for ingrown hairs, and the Kronos Safety Razor is a single blade, with the corners of the blade enclosed behind the guard. It is one option among several: the NHS also suggests an electric razor, or not shaving at all, if wet shaving keeps irritating your skin. Whichever you choose, let the current bump settle first.

Frequently asked questions

Should I squeeze an ingrown hair?

No. The NHS advises against scratching, picking or squeezing ingrown hairs, because this can damage the skin and lead to infection. A warm compress and gentle exfoliation do the same job more slowly and without the risk.

What cream will draw out an ingrown hair?

No cream pulls a hair out. Warmth and gentle exfoliation help it surface; a pharmacist can suggest a cream for itching and a mild antiseptic. If the bump is swollen and sore, a GP can prescribe a steroid cream for the inflammation.

How do I know if an ingrown hair is infected?

The NHS says infected ingrown hairs can be painful and you may see pus in the bumps. Skin that is very painful, hot or swollen, or a fever, means it is time to see a GP rather than treat it at home.

My ingrown hair has turned into a hard lump. What should I do?

Stop working at it and keep using a warm compress. If it is painful, hot or swollen, or not getting smaller, see a GP; they can remove the hair or treat an infection.

Can I shave over an ingrown hair?

Better not. Leave the patch for a few days and shave around it. A blade over a raised bump catches the top of it and leaves the trapped hair where it is.