Can You Get a Brazilian Wax With Ingrown Hairs?

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Ingrown hairs can be a painful, ugly nuisance to your skin. Is it ok to wax with ingrown hairs? Yes, you can still receive wax treatment with ingrown hairs. But you’ll want to make sure your skin is clean to prevent new ingrown hairs from growing during the process. 

This article answers the question, “can you get a Brazilian wax with ingrown hairs?” Throughout the article, we’ll explain the main causes behind ingrown hairs and how you prevent them from becoming a major skin issue. 

By the end of the article, you will clearly understand how ingrown hairs can impact your waxing results. 


Contents

Can You Get a Brazilian Wax With Ingrown Hairs?

Brazilian wax

Whether it’s your first wax or you’ve had a brazillion Brazilians, ingrown hairs are no fun, and no joke.

Fortunately, you can wax with ingrown hairs. 

In fact, waxing helps reduce the appearance of ingrown hairs by removing hair follicles from the root.

If you’re concerned about your ingrown hairs, speak to your waxologist before starting the wax procedure.  

What Type of Wax?

Check what type of wax is used before the operation. For better results, you’ll want to use hard wax. Hard wax is less invasive on your skin.

That way, your ingrown hairs won’t be as irritated and will be less likely to cause a severe reaction. 


Can You Remove Ingrown Hairs With Wax?

You can prevent getting ingrown hair with the right waxing technique. First, make sure your skin is clean before applying wax.

This step is crucial because having clean skin will reduce the chances of outside residue attaching to it.

In addition, frequent wax treatments can reduce the chances of ingrown hair reappearing. By removing your hair in a uniform, yet effective manner, you will lessen the likelihood of ingrown hair in the long term. 


What Are Ingrown Hairs?

Ingrown hairs occur when the sharp tip of your hair curls back into the skin. It starts off as a mild condition, which appears as small bumps and a small tan underneath your skin.

A small part of your hair can be seen through the skin bumps most of the time.

Most of the time, ingrown hairs occur after puberty.

Ingrown hairs are more likely to be found in the beard for men and the bikini area for women. If ingrown hair affects your skin, you’ll experience symptoms such as itching and boil-like sores.


What Causes Ingrown Hair?

When undergoing wax treatment, the hair is removed from the follicle roots. As a result, some of your hair follicles will grow inward instead of their outward pattern. 

Razor Shaving 

Ingrown hairs are more common in razor shaving, but can occur from epilation, shaving, waxing, and IPL or laser hair removal. When it comes to waxing, the ingrown hairs appear when the hair grows back in the skin or when the hair is unable to break the skin’s surface. 

Most of the time, ingrown hair will take place in areas where thicker hair is present (i.e., bikini line, legs, underarms).

That’s because the cut hairs can enter the skin if the hair is curly or dense.

The quality of your skincare routine will reduce the amount of ingrown hairs that appear on your body. 

Friction

Too much friction can lead to ingrown hairs. Wearing tight-fitting clothing for extended periods of time will cause the hair to rub against the skin frequently.

Your hairs will turn around back into the follicle when this occurs. 

Clogged Hair Follicles

Your hair can become clogged due to dirt, debris, and dead skin.

When this occurs, the hair follicle will grow sideways in your skin. In some cases, the follicles will grow underneath the skin’s surface. 


How To Prevent Ingrown Hairs From Waxing

Ingrown hairs can be avoided through preparation and proper skincare. Here are some tips that will help you prevent ingrown hairs from damaging your skin. 

Exfoliate Your Skin

Removing your hair’s top and bottom layers can prevent ingrown hairs from sprouting up. Instead of waiting for the ingrown hairs to appear, you can exfoliate your skin

By exfoliating your skin, you’ll help the outer layer shed faster, which normally occurs at a slow rate.

Exfoliating your skin helps remove dead skin, reduce clogged pores, and prevent ingrown hairs.

To get the best results, you have to exfoliate your pre-waxed areas 2 days before and 3 days after the procedure. 

Check Your Clothing

The clothing that you wear can increase the chances of having ingrown hairs. Wear loose-fitting clothes because they will allow your skin to breathe faster. 

Avoid wearing tight-fitting clothing because it can force the hair to grow back inward instead of outward, particularly right after the waxing session. Giving the newly-waxed area some time to recover will help the hairs grow back correctly. 

If you follow the previous tips and still notice ingrown hairs, don’t pluck them. Plucking ingrown hairs can cause an infection or scarring. If you need immediate relief, add water and skim milk on a washcloth and place it on the affected area for a few hours. 

Don’t worry about tiny ingrown hairs because they’ll disappear over time.

If left untreated, ingrown hair can lead to skin damage and will require medical treatment because of the infection. 

Seek Professional Assistance

While it may be tempting to do DIY wax removal, it’s best to seek a professional waxologist, or if it’s bad, a dermatologist. They will give you recommendations and personalized care.. 

If you try to remove your hair alone with DIY wax, there’s a chance you’ll damage your skin and cause infections, skin irritation, and ingrown hairs.

While it looks simple, there is a lot of technique and skill to ensure your hair is removed safely.

Leave it to the pros, and they’ll ensure your skin is silky smooth. 

Keep Your Skin Hydrated

Dry skin will lead to your skin breaking off instead of being removed from the follicle. As a result, your hair will regrow under your skin, leading to ingrown hairs.

Keep your skin hydrated and frequently nourished to stop the hair from breaking at the surface level when waxing. 

After the waxing session, you’ll want your skin to remain hydrated so the hair can grow back naturally. Moisturize your skin 24 hours before your wax session to stay hydrated throughout the process. 

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Written by Kayla Young

Kayla is the founder of LuxeLuminous. She has worked professionally in the tanning industry for years. She has been interested in esthetics since childhood, and has tried every hair, skin, and makeup product ever produced (more or less).