Treatment of Painless Ingrown Hair
For a painless ingrown hair, the primary treatment is simple mechanical removal by lifting or extracting the embedded hair shaft, followed by proper hair removal technique modification to prevent recurrence. 1, 2
Immediate Management
Mechanical extraction is the definitive treatment:
- Gently lift the ingrown hair tip out of the skin using a sterile needle or tweezers 1, 2
- For hairs growing within the dermis ("intradermal growing hair"), pull out the entire hair shaft 1, 2
- If simple extraction fails or recurrence occurs, consider destroying the individual hair follicle to prevent regrowth 1
Adjunctive Measures for Prevention
Modify shaving technique to prevent future ingrown hairs:
- Use electric clippers instead of close shaving with razors to avoid cutting hair below skin level 3
- Apply chemical depilatories as an alternative to shaving 3
- Shave in the direction of hair growth rather than against it 4, 3
Topical glycolic acid can reduce recurrence risk:
- Apply glycolic acid lotion to affected areas, which has shown over 60% reduction in pseudofolliculitis lesions and allows resumption of daily shaving 5
When Inflammation Develops
If the painless ingrown hair becomes inflamed (though not your current scenario):
- Topical mupirocin ointment can treat secondary folliculitis 2
- Intralesional corticosteroids may be needed for inflammatory papules in pseudofolliculitis barbae 4
Important Caveats
Avoid harmful habits:
- Do not manually pull or squeeze beard hairs, as this practice can cause hairs to grow abnormally within the skin 2
- Correcting such behaviors is essential to prevent recurrence 2
The condition termed "intradermal growing hair" is distinct from typical pseudofolliculitis barbae - it involves hair actually growing and extending within the dermis rather than simply curling back into skin after shaving 1, 2