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InStyle / David Hattan
As a person who has thick, coarse hair and loves a smooth, soft shave, I’m all too familiar with ingrown hairs. Luckily, I’m also a beauty editor who spends her days texting dermatologists and trying any and everything out, so I’ve been able to figure out what really soothes, treats, and prevents pesky ingrowns over the years.
On the surface, treating ingrowns is simple. You need a blend of exfoliating ingredients (like alpha-hydroxy acids and pumice), antiseptic ingredients (like benzoyl peroxide and cajeput), and soothing ingredients (like niacinamide and green tea extract). But it’s finding the products that have the concentrations and formulations that actually make a difference that’s the tough part. Luckily, we’ve done the hard work for you.
Ahead, you’ll find the best expert-approved ingrown hair treatments for both the face and the body.
Best Overall
Topicals High Roller Ingrown Hair Tonic
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Sephora
What We Love: It’s easy to apply.
What We Don’t Love: You can only use it on freshly cleansed skin. Otherwise, the roller ball is a bit unhygienic.
This roll-on exfoliating treatment is a lightweight serum that can be used on the face, armpits, and bikini area to help soothe and prevent ingrown hairs. It’s great for calming irritation when you need it, but also for incorporating it into a regular preventative routine. “I find myself recommending the Topicals Roll-On product because it’s so easy to use,” says board-certified dermatologist Ranella Hirsch, MD.
Price at time of publish: $26
Type: Serum｜Key Ingredients: Salicylic Acid, Zinc PCA, Glycolic Acid｜Size: 1.7 oz
Best Budget
Amazon Basic Care Hydrocortisone Anti-Itch Cream
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Amazon
What We Love: It’s easy to grab at any drugstore.
What We Don’t Love: You can only use it occasionally, not all the time.
“If only occasionally, you can use a dab of over-the-counter hydrocortisone,” says Dr. Hirsch. “The key is only to do this occasionally, not if ingrowns are a chronic issue.” That’s because overuse can lead to irritation and other complications.
Price at time of publish: $3
Type: Cream｜Key Ingredients: Hydrocortisone 1%｜Size: 1 oz
Best Face Wash
PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash
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Amazon
What We Love: It kills acne-causing bacteria.
What We Don’t Love: As a maximum-strength benzoyl peroxide cleanser, it can be a bit drying.
This cleanser features 10 percent Benzoyl peroxide, which is the maximum amount of antiseptic you can use in an over-the-counter product. “It can help prevent bacteria from causing inflammation of the hair follicles,” says board-certified dermatologist Elizabeth Kream, MD. Pro-tip: Instead of using shaving cream, Dr. Kream says to lather up with this cleanser before diving in with your razor.
Price at time of publish: $10
Type: Foaming Cleanser｜Key Ingredients: 10 percent Benzoyl peroxide｜Size: 5.5 fl. oz.
Best Body Wash
OUI the People Lactic Acid Body Wash
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Sephora
What We Love: It provides gentle chemical exfoliation.
What We Don’t Love: It includes fragrance, which may be irritating to those with very sensitive skin.
This body wash is made with lactic acid, an alpha-hydroxy acid Dr. Kream recommends for in-grown hair treatment. “Chemical exfoliants can help prevent ingrown hairs as well as fade the blemishes left behind, as they all encourage the sloughing off of dead skin cells,” she says.
Price at time of publish: $24
Type: Foaming Cleanser｜Key Ingredients: Lactic Acid, Purple Sea Moss, and Purple Rice Fermentation｜Size: 5.5 fl. oz.
Best Bar Soap
Kiehl’s Exfoliating Body Soap
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Kiehl’s
What We Love: It’s a solid bar, which makes it TSA-friendly and plastic-free.
What We Don’t Love: When physically exfoliating, it’s very easy to overdo it accidentally.
This bar soap is made with moisturizing pracaxi oil and an exfoliating blend of pumice and jojoba seed powder. “Products containing gentle exfoliating particles, such as jojoba beads or sugar, can be used to physically exfoliate the skin, aiding in the removal of dead skin cells and possibly releasing trapped hairs,” says board-certified dermatologist Martin N. Zaiac, MD. That being said, always proceed with caution so as not to overexfoliate and compromise the skin barrier.
Price at time of publish: $18
Type: Bar｜Key Ingredients: Pumice, Jojoba Seed Powder, and Pracaxi Oil｜Size: 7.0 oz
Best Face Serum
Byroe Celery AHA + LHA Resurfacing Serum
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Byroe
What We Love: It exfoliates the skin while hydrating.
What We Don’t Love: It’s formulated with essential oils that may be irritating to those with very sensitive skin.
This luxurious serum blends exfoliating glycolic acid (an alpha-hydroxy acid) and lipohydroxy acid (a derivative of salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid) with clarifying celery and balancing niacinamide to brighten, smooth, and soothe your skin.
Price at time of publish: $86
Type: Serum｜Key Ingredients: Celery, Glycolic Acid, Lipohydroxy Acid, and Niacinamide｜Size: 1.01 fl oz
Best Body Serum
Bliss Ingrown Hair & Razor Bump Eliminating Solution
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Target
What We Love: It gently exfoliates the skin while soothing.
What We Don’t Love: It has a subtle scent that may be irritating to those with very sensitive skin.
Pat on this liquid solution to exfoliate clogged pores while preventing and treating ingrowns and razor bumps. It’s made with exfoliating glycolic and salicylic acids, hydrating glycerin, and soothing green tea extract. “I often recommend the Bliss Bump Eliminator because it is relatively inexpensive and widely available,” says Dr. Hirsch.
Price at time of publish: $20
Type: Liquid｜Key Ingredients: Glycolic Acid, Glycerin, Green Tea Extract｜Size: 4.0 fl oz
Best Oil
Odacite Black Cumin and Cajeput Serum Concentrate
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Amazon
What We Love: It’s incredibly moisturizing.
What We Don’t Love: The bottle is very small.
Although it’s technically developed for facial use, I’ve been slathering this oil on my bikini area, and I’m obsessed. It’s made with just three ingredients — black cumin oil, cajeput leaf/twig oil, and cold-pressed virgin vitamin E oil. Black cumin controls the spread of breakout-causing bacteria, while cajeput kills bacteria and vitamin E moisturizes. It leaves my bikini area calm and moisturized.
Price at time of publish: $36
Type: Oil｜Key Ingredients: Black Cumin Oil, Cajeput Leaf/Twig Oil, and Vitamin E ｜Size: 0.17 oz
Best Body Scrub
fig 1 Exfoliating Body Polish
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fig 1
What We Love: The grains are super fine.
What We Don’t Love: It has a gorgeous scent, which may be irritating to those with very sensitive skin.
I’ve used many a body scrub in my day and this one is my absolute favorite. It exfoliates using finely milled volcanic pumice, and because it’s so fine, it’s not irritating and allows for a really thorough scrub. The formula also includes glycerin, a moisturizing powerhouse, to offset any potential dryness caused by exfoliating.
Price at time of publish: $24
Type: Scrub｜Key Ingredients: Volcanic Pumice and Glycerin｜Size: 6.6 fl oz
Best Chemical Body Scrub
First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub
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Amazon
What We Love: It offers both chemical and physical exfoliation.
What We Don’t Love: The combo of both forms of exfoliation may be a bit much for those with really sensitive skin.
Whenever you shave, Dr. Kream recommends first exfoliating the area with a gentle exfoliant like this one. It blends physically exfoliating pumice beads with chemically exfoliating glycolic and lactic acids to give your razor a fresh canvas. Plus, it’s made with soothing bisabolol.
Price at time of publish: $30
Type: Creamy Scrub｜Key Ingredients: Pumice Beads, Glycolic and LActic Acids, and Bisabolol｜Size: 8 oz
Best Patch
Fur Ingrown Microdart Patch
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Amazon
What We Love: They’re super easy to use and stay put.
What We Don’t Love: The pack only includes 12 patches.
I swear by these patches. Like all acne dots, they’re made from hydrocolloid, a moisture-retaining dressing that protects the spot from friction while sucking out the gunk. I apply them anytime I have an ingrown hair in an area that could become irritated as I move. I also love that it has microdarts that inject the spot with exfoliating salicylic acid, soothing cica, and moisturizing hyaluronic acid.
Price at time of publish: $28
Type: Hydarcolloid Patch｜Key Ingredients: Salicylic Acid, Cica, and Hyaluronic Aicd ｜Size: Dime-Size
What to Keep in Mind
Prevention is Key
“Ingrown hairs are a direct consequence of hair removal, most often shaving, and the hairs that are then growing back,” says Dr. Hirsch. So, the best treatment for ingrown hairs is simply not removing hair. But if you’re like me and love to shave, it’s key to implement a daily care routine for the areas you’re prone to ingrowns so you can do your best to stop them before they start.
Avoid Tight Clothes
Dr. Zaiac also notes that it’s important to avoid wearing tight clothes over areas with ingrown hairs. Then, the fabric is constantly rubbing over the area, creating friction that can lead to further irritation.
Consider In-Office Solutions
If you have ingrown hairs that are super painful, Dr. Zaiac recommends popping into your derm’s office for a small injection of a mild steroid. “This reduces inflammation within hours and the chance for scarring,” he says.
And if you get chronic ingrown hairs, consider laser hair removal. “Laser hair removal is the closest thing to a cure as it will remove the hair follicle entirely,” says Dr. Kream. “Of note, there are types of lasers safe for all skin colors — just make sure you are seeing a board-certified dermatologist to ensure the laser is safe for your skin type and you’re minimizing risks of burns.”
Your Questions, Answered
What is an ingrown hair?
“Ingrown hairs occur when the end of the hair shaft grows back into the skin rather than grows outward,” explains Dr. Kream. “They usually pop up following hair removal practices, such as shaving, tweezing, or waxing. The tip of the hair curl back into the skin and becoming entrapped, which causes an inflammatory response and will present as an itchy or painful/tender red bump or pustule in the area.”
Should I pop ingrown hairs?
No! When you have an ingrown hair, it’s imperative to resist the urge to poke and prod. “When dealing with ingrown hairs, you should never pick or squeeze at the ingrown hair,” says Dr. Zaiac. “Doing either of these things can introduce bacteria into the area, increase inflammation, and lead to infection.”
Why Shop With Us
Kara Jillian Brown is the beauty editor at InStyle and has worked in the industry for nearly five years. She also gets chronic ingrown hairs and has spent years perfecting her bikini line skin-care routine. For this piece, she interviewed three board-certified dermatologists: Ranella Hirsch, MD, Elizabeth Kream, MD, and Martin N. Zaiac, MD. The three have over 50 years of combined experience.
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