Epilators can cause ingrown hairs.
Ingrown hairs are hairs that have curled around and grown back into the skin. this can cause pain, inflammation, and infection. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid ingrown hairs when epilating.
The question is do epilators cause ingrown hairs and how can you avoid them? Technically no, epilators certainly don’t cause ingrown hairs but this doesn’t mean you won’t ever get any from this hair removal method.
Find out how best to avoid ingrowing hairs with the best epilator for your skin and hair type.
I’ve been using an epilator for years now but it wasn’t until recently that I learned about the problem with ingrown hair (using pubic shaving as a comparison).
So read our guide to learn what I have found after researching to prevent these ingrowing hairs from forming.
Ingrown Hairs
An ingrown hair, also known as a pseudofolliculitis barbae is what happens when you shave, wax or tweeze and then those little dry bits of dead skin curl around into your flesh causing redness, irritation and pain.
It’s not such a bad thing though as you thought because there actually a way to help prevent these little buggers from forming in the first place!
Epilators And Ingrown Hairs: How do they go together?
As you probably already know, epilators tweeze out your hair at the root just like waxing does.
Hair removal by its nature will cause these ingrown hairs to form, but unlike shaving which cuts the hair off at the surface of your skin, epilators take them out from the root which will reduce ingrown hairs from forming.
Some people have said epilating caused their ingrown hairs to form more frequently than shaving so if you’ve been using an epilator for a while and you haven’t noticed any improvement then we’d suggest you change products.
In our epilator ingrown hair article, we explain how to use your epilators effectively for best results.
How to Help Avoid Ingrown Hairs When You Epilate
Before using an epilator, make sure your skin is clean and free of any oils otherwise you’ll be asking for trouble! Let’s take a look at our top tips to help avoid those pesky ingrown hairs;
Exfoliate Regularly
Once your skin is nice and smooth, exfoliation will help remove any last pesky dead skin cells to ensure you don’t miss a single hair.
It’s also best to do this before epilating after the 24 hours of not shaving. For best results using an exfoliating brush should be done at least 3 times a week, check out my favourite exfoliator, it’s cheap but has lasted forever and hasn’t let me down yet.
The Best Time To Epilate
It’s best to epilate at night, as this will help reduce the number of ingrown hairs as your skin has time to recover overnight.
Epilate Before Showering
It’s best to epilate before you shower because the warm water will open your pores and make it easier for the hair to come out by its root.
If you epilate after taking a shower, your skin could be too soft which can cause more hairs to snap off and not be pulled out completely.
Avoid Shaving Before Epilating
Don’t shave for at least 24 hours before epilating because the hair should be as long as possible. This will help to remove any dead skin and make it much easier to pluck out by the root which reduces your chances of ingrown hairs occurring.
Avoid Using a Cheap Epilator
The quality of your epilator will determine how well it removes your hairs, which can, in turn, lead to some nasty ingrown hairs, so it’s best to invest in a good quality epilator.
If the tweezers on the epilator aren’t taking out the hair follicle in one then this will cause irritation and can result in you having to go over the same area more than once which can lead to more irritation and a higher chance of getting ingrown hairs.
If you’re looking for a device that will help you achieve salon-like smooth skin at home, look no further than the Braun Epilator Silk-épil 9 Flex 9-300 Beauty Set. This all-in-one set comes with an epilator, a shaver, a trimming head, and two massage heads, as well as the world’s first epilator with a fully flexible head for easy hair removal.
With this set, you’ll be able to remove more hair in less time – four times shorter hair than wax – and easily adapt to every contour for an efficient epilation. Plus, it’s cordless and rechargeable so you can take it with you wherever you go.
Sticky / Grippy Feet on the Epilator
If the epilator’s feet are sticky or have a grippy feel to them, you should avoid using it on dry skin.
When the skin is dry this can lead to the epilator not being able to grip properly on the hair follicle, which will leave you struggling.
To avoid this try using oil or gel with aloe vera before using your epilator of choice.
If the epilator still feels sticky after using it with oil/aloe vera then consider changing to a different brand that is designed for dry skin use.
Hair Length
The longer the hair length, the more of a chance there will be ingrown hairs.
To avoid this try trimming the area down before epilating or exfoliating first so that you are only removing short hairs and not long ones, which would increase the risk of ingrown.
Body Positioning
How you hold your body when epilating also plays an important role in reducing the risk of ingrown hairs.
The best position to epilate in is hunched over as this will reduce your risk of having bumps on the underarms.
If you have to stand up, then try lifting the elbow so that it’s closer to your head and not by your side as this can cause a problem with skin folding which can lead to an increased chance for bumps.
Skin Care
Not all skin care lines are created equal and some may contain ingredients that increase the chance of developing ingrown hair after epilation.
Therefore, it’s important that you choose a product line that means you don’t have any chances of getting these nasty red bumpy spots!
In addition, make sure you use a good quality moisturizer on the skin periodically to reduce dryness and avoid any chances of developing ingrown hairs.
Read here: Numbing Cream for Epilators
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article has given you some insight on how to avoid ingrown hairs when using epilators. We want your epilation experience – and hair removal process in general – to be as smooth, quick, and painless as possible!
To help avoid any future ingrown from happening again, we recommend exfoliating regularly – this will not only clear out dead skin cells but all sorts of other gunk too!
You might even try our favourite natural remedy for soothing irritated skin as well as improving its texture – Honey!
In addition to anti-inflammatory properties honey is also known as a humectant which means that it helps keep
Be sure to follow our steps above to help avoid any unnecessary ingrowing hairs, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out! And as always, feel free to leave a comment below for any suggestions or recommendations.