Should ingrown hairs hurt

Do you have the symptoms of an initial herpes outbreak? Initial herpes outbreaks can be intense, with a variety of symptoms ranging from muscular pains, to headaches and herpes lesions. Do the sores come back every few months? Ingrown hairs rarely happen at random. If you experience herpes outbreaks, they may occur on a fairly regular basis.

People with HSV-1 typically have one to two outbreaks per year, while people infected with HSV-2 can experience more frequent outbreaks. If you notice recurring sores in the same area, it could be herpes. Our herpes outbreak frequency guide will tell you everything you need to know. Finally, the best way to tell if you have herpes or an infected ingrown hair is to speak to your doctor. A quick examination of the affected area will usually enable your doctor to tell you if you have sores caused by the herpes virus, normal razor bumps or folliculitis from an ingrown hair.

On the off chance your doctor can't give you visual confirmation, you can also speak to them about a herpes test. Ingrown hairs are easy to treat. If an ingrown hair becomes infected, you can easily treat it using topical antiseptic, antibiotic or antiviral medication, depending on the type of infection. Herpes, on the other hand, requires a more thorough approach to treatment. Because herpes is a lifelong infection, you may also need to take suppressive antiviral drugs such as valacyclovir over the long term to control subsequent outbreaks and lower your risk of infecting others.

Herpes is a very common virus , with the HSV-1 variant of the herpes virus affecting more than 50 percent of the global population under the age of 50, and the less common HSV-2 variant affecting around 11 percent of people ages 15 to forty-nine.

Modern, safe and affordable medications such as valacyclovir can reduce the severity of oral and genital herpes outbreaks and speed up healing time, all while lowering your risk of spreading the virus to other people. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice.

Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Other types of bumps, such as pseudofolliculitis barbae and pimples , may also be mistaken for ingrown hair cysts.

Keep reading to learn what causes these skin conditions to form, plus how to treat them and prevent them from returning. At first, you might notice a small pimple-like bump with a hair at its surface. It may also be red in color. The resulting bump can be red, white, or yellow.

It may also be painful to the touch. Ingrown hair cysts and razor bumps may also resemble cystic acne. While an infected ingrown hair cyst starts off as a regular ingrown hair, acne cysts are caused by a combination of bacteria, oil, and dead skin cells that accumulate deep under the hair follicle.

Cystic acne can be widespread in one area, such as your back or face. Ingrown hair cysts, on the other hand, are smaller in number and contained — you may just have one. The process itself can cause swelling, which may irritate your skin and lead to razor bumps and cysts. Removing a hair can also cause the new hair that grows in its place to grow in incorrectly. The new hair may grow sideways and eventually curl back down.

When this happens, the hair follicle can close over the hair so it becomes stuck, or ingrown. The skin responds by becoming inflamed, treating the curled-back hair as a foreign object. You may also be at greater risk for developing bumps with ingrown hairs if you have naturally curly hair. The primary goal of treatment is to reduce surrounding inflammation and decrease your risk for infection.

Possible treatments for razor bumps include keeping the skin moisturized and discontinuing shaving, which allows the ingrown hairs to grow out. Over-the-counter OTC medications containing benzoyl peroxide or retinoids can reduce inflammation and decrease the size of razor bumps or ingrown hair cysts. For example, a healthcare professional may prescribe a steroid cream such as hydrocortisone to help reduce redness and pain around the bump or cyst.

The ultimate goal of treatment for any ingrown hairs is to reduce their occurrence by keeping the skin exfoliated and moisturized.

Body washes and lotions made with gentle glycolic acid will help. Step three: Remove the ingrown hair. This step only applies if you can see the looped hair growing into your skin. If you can't see the tip, skip to step four. If you can see the hair, use a clean, sharp tool like pointed tweezers to remove it.

Free it from the skin first. If it comes out easily, gently pull the entire hair out. Make sure your tweezers are strong enough to get the whole hair so you don't have to repeat the process all over again.

If it doesn't come out easily, leave it be. It'll be ready soon. After the hair becomes free, the redness and swelling should subside quite quickly. Step four: Apply an exfoliating and anti-bacterial oil. Now that you've dealt with the hair itself, use a topical exfoliating oil to calm and soothe the skin while helping to prevent more irritation.

Other herbs that can help with inflammation include primrose oil, fenugreek, and turmeric, according to this Livestrong article. We personally just love the smell of lavender. This Healthline article claims that tea tree oil and lotions with oatmeal calm irritated skin as well.

Your ingrown hair will likely only become infected i f you continue to irritate it with hair removal or by picking at it. We were going to post a photo of an infected ingrown hair but they can be pretty jarring.

We suggest Googling it and checking out a medical website you trust. If those symptoms apply to you, try taking the treatment steps above. Here are simple steps to prevent ingrown hairs. The National Health Service of UK says a single-blade safety razor is the best razor for ingrown hairs. In fact, switching to a sharp, single-blade razor is the most important thing you can do to prevent ingrown hairs. A sharp and clean safety razor will cut off the hair bluntly in one pass without catching or dragging hairs.

Another effective thing you can do to prevent ingrown hairs is to exfoliate. Exfoliating removes the dead skin cells that could potentially clog pores and helps lift the hairs away from the skin, allowing the razor to cut closer to the skin. To exfoliate, use a washcloth if your skin is extra sensitive and a hydrating scrub if it's extra dry. Another option is dry brushing.

Exfoliate first then soften your hair with water. A warm shower helps soften hair, making it easier to remove. There should always be a hydrating barrier between your skin and the blade to cushion the contact when the razor meets your skin. Try a shaving oil or cream. Using just water or even soap and water can cause the razor to drag on your hairs and skin.

Shaving oil lubricates your skin and blade and softens your hair, creating a smoother surface for your blade to glide over. It protects your skin and leaves it super moisturized.

For the more budget conscious, we also really like using coconut oil as a shave cream. Press lightly.