The No-BS Guide To Dealing With Ingrown Hairs

Ingrowns affect everyone — whether you choose to shave your entire body or let your hairs run free. With summer and bikini situations around the corner, we asked Arezoo Kaviani, a Veet hair removal expert, for her advice on how to really treat the irritable and sometimes very painful red lumps (which can lead to infection and scarring if handled incorrectly.)

Ingrown hairs can be inherited, but they can also be caused by shaving against the direction that the hair grows in, as well as waxing, the friction caused by clothing, and dead skin debris obstructing the hair follicle's exit route. The glamour!

"An ingrown hair is when a hair cannot push through the follicle and grows sideways into the skin," says Arezoo. "It causes a raised bump which may become red or infected and can be itchy and uncomfortable."

And what aggravates them? "Tight clothing (including tights) and synthetic fabrics,” she says. “Stick to clothes that don’t stick to you!" Picking, scratching, sweating, and irritating products, such as fragrance, can also make the situation worse. Click ahead for the three best remedies.