Body image, in modern times, is part and parcel of a person’s identity. How we look or how others perceive us is what makes us humans and influences our self-esteem levels. Our looks are all on our skins and hair growing on it is also contributory to the whole image. Human beings are mammals and, therefore, we have hair growing on almost every part of our bodies except our palms and the soles of our feet. Normal hair growth is what almost everyone experiences. However, some people experience what we refer to as ‘ingrown hair growth’.
How do you identify an ingrown hair?
Some of the factors that contribute to ingrown hairs include the normal ones of waxing or shaving. It is relatively easy to notice an ingrown hair on your skin because it manifests itself as a bump which is painful and observable. In extreme cases covering relatively visible spots in the body, a condition that is called folliculitis. Luckily, folliculitis is treatable.
What are the effects of ingrown hairs on our bodies?
Ingrown hairs affect us in different ways which mainly have to do with complications in the skin itself as stated below;
1. Itching, a little swelling, and redness on the spot with ingrown hairs. The presence is easily felt around the parts that are subjected to regular shaving.
2. There is soreness which causes discomfort and makes us not settle whilst among people. 3. Where the ingrown hairs have grown uncontrollably, it can lead to a condition called folliculitis, which requires medical attention.
Well, all these do not contribute to our chances of getting that ‘chocolate’, does it? They prevent us from interacting socially with other people normally.
How do we completely prevent or totally eradicate growth of ingrown hairs?
There is no proven method of completely eliminating the development of ingrown hairs and as such, it is avoidable but cannot be escaped. There are preventive as well as eradication measures as outlined below:
a.) Preventive measures
While having ingrown hairs can create discomfort to a person, it is generally not so serious as to warrant emergency or panic. As the saying goes ‘Prevention is better than cure’. Why should we experience the trouble that comes with having ingrown hair if we can stop its manifestation in the first place! The ways that are recommended in order to prevent having an ingrown hair include the following;
1.) Exfoliation
Exfoliation is a popular undertaking by many people in a bid to prevent ingrown hair from developing. Whereas exfoliation is can be done mechanically, there are other forms in which it can be conducted. The different categories are discussed below;
(i) mechanical exfoliation- as the name suggests, mechanical exfoliation is the active removal of ingrown hairs on your skin by physically scrubbing them off. Since the skin is a sensitive body organ that is exposed, the friction from body scrubs can do substantial damage to it. Choosing the best scrub with attention to the skin types is a combination of factors that you will take into consideration when doing exfoliation to your skin.
(ii) Chemical exfoliation- this is the use of chemical elements to curb ingrown hair growth. What chemical exfoliators do is to remove the dead cells that are underneath the skin. A good example is the ingrown hair serum that is non-irritant without losing its effective aspect.
2.) Epilaptors
Epilaptors remove hair from its root. They are preferred for their varied and attractive advantages such as being efficient in hair removal as well as their easy applicability.
b.) Eradicative measures
There are possible ways of getting rid of ingrown hairs such as mechanical extraction of hair on the affected spot, and the use of ingrown hair removal products from medical outlets.
The way we take care of our appearance includes taking care of the tiny details. In this case, ingrown hairs are part and parcel of our general well being. Our images are our identities!