Whether you’re cultivating a glorious Movember moustache or keeping your face free of fuzz, taking any blade to your chin could result in the following frustration – looking good and then, seemingly out of nowhere, breaking out in spate of little bumps. Arrrgh!
To beat the bumps, you first have to understand them. They’re not an infection. They’re not an allergic reaction. They’re simply ingrown hairs that have become trapped in their follicle that has now become inflamed. Those with a curly hair-type are most at risk because, after their hair is cut and begins to grow again, rather than come straight out of the follicle, it curls back in on itself.
Happily, ingrown hairs tend to resolve on their own but you can take measures to prevent or at least minimise their occurrence. One way to do it is to simply not cut your hair and grow a beard. You should also be sure to always shave in the direction of your hair’s growth – not against the grain – and use a good moisturiser to help keep your hair soft and smooth.
Exfoliation is important too, but don’t go reaching for a grainy scrub that will irritate existing ingrown and inflame them further. Rather look out for a chemical exfoliator, like a lotion that contains an alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) like glycolic or lactic acid. As the acid gently dissolves the bonds that hold dry, dead skin together it reveals a smoother, fresh-looking ‘new’ complexion. We like NeoStrata Ultra Smoothing lotion as it contains 10% AHA.
A permanent solution
If you’d rather not take on all the work around preventing in grown hairs or find that you’re making all the right moves but still getting them then you might want to consider a permanent solution and that’s laser hair removal.
At Skin Renewal we use a long-pulsed Nd: YAG laser that can be used on any skin type and colour. After several sessions that unwanted hair is gone for good! Another way our lasers can help is with the healing process. If you’re experiencing a spate of ingrowns and don’t have time for redness and irritation to eventually heal on its own (hello, wedding photos!) then we can give you a Laser Genesis treatment that can reduce inflammation in a flash.
Warts and all
Another common problem that can plague men who shave is warts. This is because they’re caused by a very contagious virus, a strain of the human papillomavirus (HPV), that enters the uppermost layers of your skin via a tiny nick or even a little scratch. The virus causes your cells to start wildly replicating and the result is a bumpy-looking wart.
Fortunately, we’ve been treating warts, be it on the face or body, at Skin Renewal for years and it’s a very quick and easy process. Depending on the size and location of your wart, one of our doctors will either zap it with a long-pulsed Nd: YAG laser like Laser Genesis or freeze it off using liquid nitrogen, a method that’s referred to as cryotherapy. It’s the kind of thing you could literally do in your lunch break!
A word about skin tags
Something that’s often mistaken for a wart, but most certainly isn’t is a skin tag. A small, usually flesh-coloured growth, it can occur on any part of your body but, as they’re caused by constant friction, men often get them around their collar area.
While skin tags are harmless and not contagious, most people like to remove them for cosmetic reasons and this is something we can easily do at Skin Renewal. Our doctors do this via excision (simply cutting it off) or cryotherapy (freezing it off) in a way that’s completely painless thanks to the application of a topical anaesthetic.
The bottom line
At Skin Renewal, our highly skilled doctors and therapists treat both male and female patients so they’re well-versed in tackling all the problems relating to male grooming. Whatever it is that’s keeping you from enjoying a great-looking complexion, be it ingrown hairs or otherwise, we can help advise you on the most effective way to treat it so make an appointment today and together we’ll help you look and feel your best.
This post was sponsored by Skin Renewal.
We’re big fans of Skin Renewal’s non-invasive approach to beauty. Defy the clock. Book an appointment with one of Skin Renewal’s experts today.
One Response
This is very educational. It will surely help my partner. Thank You