Pimple Patch on Ingrown Hair: A Game-Changer or a No-Go?

The quest for silky-smooth skin can be full of bumpy obstacles, an enemy known as ingrown hair. These unwanted hairs can be a pain to deal with, often leading to inflammation, irritation, and painful skin bumps. Ingrown hair is a common problem that many individuals have always been seeking innovative solutions for. One of the tricks for dealing with these pesky hairs, that has been popular around social media for some time, is using pimple patches on ingrown hair. Does it really work? Let’s find out!

Understanding ingrown hair

Knowing what you are dealing with is a must for finding a solution. An ingrown hair occurs when a hair attempts to protrude beyond the skin’s boundary but, instead, twists back on itself and reenters the skin. It is a very common problem for people that shaves, tweezes, or waxes their hair. Individuals with thick, coarse, or curly hair are at a higher likelihood of experiencing ingrown hairs, since the curl caused the hair strand to fold in on itself.

Do I have ingrown hair?

If you feel the bump on your skin but can’t decide if it was ingrown hair or just pimple. Here’s what to look for.

1. Small bumps

Squeeze your eyes to see if there is hair in the middle, if you can’t see, keep going!

2. Skin irritation

The bumpy area starts to look red, brown, or purple. You start to feel itchy.

3. Pain

An ingrown hair can become infected, this will lead to bigger bumps, and you may start to feel pain around the area.

How pimple patch work

When we talk about pimple patches, what we really talk about is the hydrocolloid pimple patch, that can draw out the pus and impurities and reduce inflammation. (Although there are a few more types of pimple patch like micro-vector pimple patch)

The idea of using pimple patch on ingrown hair is that after applying it on the area, the pimple patch will absorb the pus and impurity, making it easier to remove the hair with tweezer.

Pros and Cons: Pimple Patches for Ingrown Hairs

Pros

1. Easy to apply

Using pimple patch is easy, since it comes in different sizes and prices. You can easily choose one that fits your ingrown area and apply it directly.

2. Prevent further irritation

Pimple patch can act as a protective layer, prevent external factors or bacteria from exacerbating the condition and lessen the risk of irritation.

3. Healing faster

Some patches contain active ingredients and may help with inflammation, aiding in the natural recovery process.

Cons

1. Limited impact

Originally, pimple patch is meant for dealing with pimple. Its impact on deeply rooted ingrown hair may be limited, or none at all, depending on your skin and hair condition.

2. No adherence

Since ingrown hair usually occurs on the area with lots of body hairs, the adhesion of the pimple patch might face some challenges and make it hard to stick it on for a very long time.

Alternative way to get rid of ingrown hair

In normal cases, ingrown hair can heal itself within one or two weeks. However, if the skin started to get seriously irritated, it can also infect the skin around the ingrown hair, which in this case needs to be treated immediately.

Warm Washcloth

Applying warm cloth to the area can help soothe the skin and make it easier for the ingrown hair to surface or extract.

Exfoliation

Regularly removing dead skin cells can help a lot, since these can cause the hair to be trapped underneath.

Creams or Serums

Using products that contain salicylic acid or glycolic acid can also help with ingrown hair, because these active ingredients can help with exfoliation and inflammation.

Laser Hair Removal

Professionally laser hair removal can reduce the risk of ingrown hairs.

Professional Treatments

Consulting a professional dermatologist to get to the cause of your ingrown hairs can help you deal with the problem effectively in the long run.

Alternative Patch Product

Although pimple patches may have limited result on ingrown hair, there is a new type of patch product that is designed specifically for it. From what I research, there are 2 types for ingrown patch, microdart and hydrocolloid.

These patches work on the same principle as pimple patch, the hydrocolloid patch combines ingredients designed to tackle ingrown hairs, while the microdart patch has these tiny needles that gently deliver the active ingredients underneath the skin.

What I wanted to note is that both products may require more than one application for the ingrown hair to be completely removed, depending on your ingrown condition.

As we navigate through the topic of pimple patch on ingrown hair, you might come to conclusion that pimple patches can be both a game-changer for someone, while having no effect for others. It might be better to go for preventive measures route, like regular moisturizing your skin, shave in the direction of hair growth, or avoid tight clothing. Care and consistency are the key to your ingrown problems and achieve flawless skin. Also, it is better to always consult a professional dermatologist for advice before trying anything.