What To Do After An Ingrown Hair

There's literally nothing fun (or cute) about having an ingrown hair, so the minute one pops up, you want to do what you can to treat it and get rid of it. But what about after it's gone? How do you care for your skin after an ingrown hair? Here's what you need to do to make sure you soothe and heal your skin as quickly as possible.

Not only do you not like the way ingrown hairs look, but they can also be pretty painful, so if you get one, you're probably inclined to try to remove it rather than wait for it to grow out on it's own — but that can be tricky. Pulling out hair rooted in your skin can cause your skin to become irritated, so if you do choose to grab your tweezers and go to work, you want to make sure you're properly caring for your skin after. You want to avoid infection and help your skin heal, so it's important to soothe your skin immediately after removal.

Just like popping a zit, removing an ingrown hair requires just as much post-care as it does when it's still there or being removed, so once you've removed your hair, follow these tips to help heal.

1. Apply Aloe Vera

Fruit Of The Earth Aloe Vera Gel, $11, Amazon

To help combat any redness or irritatation, applying aloe vera gel will help soothe it, much like it does a sunburn.

2. Use Hydrocortisone

Cortizone-10 Intensive-Healing Formula, $10, Amazon

You need to help your skin calm down after extracting a hair, so if it feels hot or prickly, apply an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream.

3. Moisturize

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion, $10, Amazon

Make sure you're moisturizing your skin daily to help with irritation. Even if it doesn't feel dry, you still need moisturizing to help heal.

4. Wait

You need to let your skin heal fully and hair grow out more before you try to remove more hairs, so chill for a bit.

Images: Isla Murray/Bustle; Target