What’s the difference between an inflamed hair follicle and a dry skin ingrown hair?
Ingrown hairs are more than just annoying they are an emotional nightmare for those that suffer with them. When inflamed they are incredibly sore, and over time even leave behind pigmentation or scarring. And if it feels like you’re constantly battling little bumps after shaving or waxing, you’re definitely not the only one. We see it in the clinic every week.
What is important for you when solving your ingrown hairs, is understanding that not all ingrowns are the same. If you’ve tried everything and nothing seems to work, that’s probably why.
Let’s break it down.
Inflamed & painful bumps
These are usually caused by a hair that’s gotten trapped and the follicle has become irritated or infected. You might notice redness, swelling, tenderness — even a whitehead or a bit of pus.
In this case, we need to calm things down. Ingredients like BHA (salicylic acid) are amazing for this. They work deep inside the pore to reduce inflammation and clear out trapped oil and debris — perfect for inflamed hair follicles.
Dry skin ingrowns
These ones are sneaky. The hair tries to come through, but dry, flaky skin blocks the exit. The result? It curls back under the surface.
This version doesn’t usually look angry, but you might feel a bump or see a tiny loop of hair trapped beneath the skin. AHA (like glycolic or lactic acid) is your go-to here. It gently exfoliates the surface and helps prevent that buildup of dead skin in the first place.
Our top product picks for both types of ingrowns:
BHA - Medik8 Blemish Pads, Medik8 Press & Clear
AHA - Eneomey Soft Cleanser, Eneomey Body 15
Sensitive Skin - Medik8 Press & Glow
Still not sure which one you’ve got?
Sometimes it’s a bit of both. Sometimes it’s something completely different. And that’s okay.
You don’t have to figure it out on your own, our team can help you. Use our skin help contact form and we’ll point you in the right direction.
Your skin can feel calm, clear, and comfortable and we will help you get it there.
