Skin irritation after depilation
Skin irritation after depilation is a very common problem that affects many women and men. The depilation procedure itself is the process of removing the visible part of the hair that rises above the skin. In this case, the hair follicle remains intact. Depilation allows you to remove unwanted hair only for a certain time, after which it grows back.
There are several types of depilation, including:
- Shaving;
- Depilation using chemicals (products containing dimethyl sulfoxide);
- Depilation with wax strips;
- Depilation with an electric epilator.
However, whichever method of depilation is chosen, each of them can lead to irritation, especially if the procedure is not carried out correctly. Skin irritation manifests itself in the form of its swelling, inflammation, flaking, ingrown hair, redness, itching and burning. Sometimes a pinpoint rash on the skin and even small vesicles may appear. To avoid such troubles, you need to know why irritation occurs, how to prevent its occurrence and how to get rid of it quickly.
Content:
- Causes of skin irritation after depilation
- What to do if skin irritation appears after depilation?
- Prevention of skin irritation after depilation
Causes of skin irritation after depilation
Whichever method is chosen for the depilation procedure, it will be stressful for the skin. It doesn't matter where the hair is removed, the stress response from the dermis will follow in any case. However, the degree of its severity will largely depend on what caused the skin irritation after depilation.
The provoking factors include:
- Skin hypersensitivity. It is known that light-skinned people have increased sensitivity.
- Removal or damage to the upper layer of the epidermis. This happens most often when using a shaving razor for depilation.
- Carrying out the depilation procedure for the first time. The skin will react especially sharply to primary hair removal, but as the dermis adapts, the degree of inflammation will gradually decrease.
- Allergy to depilatory products, such as wax or cream ingredients.
- Poor quality depilatory product, expired product.
- Incorrect technique of the procedure.
- Lack of proper hydration of the skin.
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Ingrown hair. This is hair that cannot break through the skin barrier and begins to grow inside the dermis. Cosmetologists call the problem of ingrown hair pseudofolliculitis. As a rule, people who perform depilation very often face it. With each procedure, the hair becomes thinner and weaker, while the skin, on the contrary, becomes coarser. As a result, the hair is simply not able to overcome the existing obstacle and begins to grow under the dermis.
As for the time that irritation can persist after depilation, it varies from several hours to several days.
What to do if skin irritation appears after depilation?
If irritation does appear after depilation, then you should not leave it unattended. Competent skin care will allow you to get rid of it in the shortest possible time.
Special products that can effectively fight inflammation and irritation:
- Applying any antiseptic agent to the skin: Actovegin, Miramistin, Boro Plus, etc.
- You can use regular baby powder or talcum powder to reduce irritation, powdering it well with irritated skin.
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Ichthyol ointment or Levomycetin ointment helps to get rid of pustules. In no case should such rashes be squeezed out. The ointment must be applied to a sterile bandage, and applied for 2-3 hours to the existing purulent follicles. After the specified time, the bandage is removed, and the inflamed skin area is wiped with any antiseptic.
- Panthenol cream helps to eliminate inflammation and irritation on the skin.
- If none of the listed funds were at hand, then you can use the usual baby cream, applying it liberally to the skin in circular motions.
- If the inflammatory reaction develops due to an ingrown hair, then you can try to remove it mechanically. This requires a thin, sterile needle and tweezers. The irritated area is treated with alcohol, after which the hair is pryed off with a needle, and then pulled with tweezers. The wound is disinfected again and any antibacterial ointment is applied.
- If the method using a needle and tweezers seems too extreme, then you can simply apply a cream with Benzoyl peroxide, Tretinoin or AHA acids to the problem area. When the inflammation has passed, the skin is steamed and exfoliated with a scrub. These measures should help free the hairs.
- Applying olive oil to the skin helps to relieve irritation. They need to moisten a cotton swab, then lubricate the areas of inflammation with a thin layer. You can add 2 drops of coconut, calamus, orange, clove or bergamot essential oil to the vegetable oil.
- Various herbal decoctions have a good anti-inflammatory effect. You can use crushed oak bark, chamomile flowers, celandine, St. John's wort, sage. A glass of boiling water is taken for 2 tablespoons of any herb, the grass is poured and kept in a water bath for 15 minutes. The resulting composition is filtered, brought to the original volume and cooled. It is best to make compresses from such a decoction, leaving them on the irritated skin for 20-30 minutes. The procedure must be repeated several times a day.
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Aloe helps to quickly relieve irritation. To do this, you need to cut a branch of the plant, rinse it well, cut the leaf in half and apply it to the inflamed area. You can also use the sap of the plant by making lotions with it.
- You can lubricate the inflamed skin with lemon juice.
- Everyone in the medicine cabinet will probably have 2 Aspirin tablets and hydrogen peroxide. The tablets must be ground into powder and added to it with boiled water to make a mixture that resembles a thick porridge in consistency. The resulting composition is applied to the area of irritation for 10-15 minutes, after which it is washed off with water, and the skin is treated with hydrogen peroxide.
- Another recipe that allows you not only to eliminate irritation, but also to improve the condition of the skin: you need to take a tablespoon of oatmeal ground in a coffee grinder, mix them with a teaspoon of honey and add 2 drops of orange essential oil. The resulting composition should be applied to the site of inflammation and left for half an hour. You need to complete the procedure by applying any fatty cream.
All of these methods allow you to quickly get rid of irritation. If after 2-3 days after depilation it does not go away, then it is necessary to consult a dermatologist, since the cause of skin inflammation can be hidden in any disease.
Prevention of skin irritation after depilation
To prevent skin irritation after depilation, this procedure must be carried out correctly.
The following tips may help:
- Before depilation, the skin must be steamed well. This will enlarge the pores so the hairs come out more easily. To enhance the effect, you can add sea salt, herbal decoction, essential oils to the bath. If you don't want to take a bath or shower, then you can simply apply a warm compress to the area to be treated.
- Hair will cut more easily if the skin is exfoliated first. For this purpose, you can perform a normal massage using a medium-hard washcloth. You can also use special industrial or home-made scrubs and peels.
- Before starting the procedure, you should treat the skin with disinfectants. Hydrogen peroxide is excellent for this purpose. The depilatory device (razor and depilator) must also be disinfected. It can be wiped clean with regular alcohol.
- After depilation, you should give up tanning for a few days. The less the skin is exposed to sunlight, the better.
- During depilation with the help of the machine, you should not pass them several times over the same area of the skin. Razor blades should be perfectly sharp. It is best not to reuse the disposable depilatory machine. Rinse the blades as often as possible during hair removal.
- Do not use a hard washcloth or scrub after hair removal.
- After depilation, the skin should be touched as little as possible. Do not rub or scratch it.
- The procedure is best done in the evening so that you do not have to dress immediately after it. It is advisable to give the skin time to "breathe" and calm down (30-40 minutes).
- If an electric epilator is used for hair removal, the treated skin must be perfectly dry and clean.
- Skin that is often depilated should be moisturized just as often with special balms, oils and creams.
- It is important to avoid wearing hard and synthetic underwear. Preference should be given to natural fabrics, the cut of things should be as free as possible.
- All new depilatory creams should be tested beforehand to ensure there is no allergic reaction. Before buying, it is important to study not only the composition of the cream, but also to familiarize yourself with its expiration date. It is good if the product contains components that care for the skin.
These tips should minimize the risk of skin irritation after depilation.
The author of the article: Kuzmina Vera Valerievna | Endocrinologist, nutritionist
Education: Diploma of the Russian State Medical University named after NI Pirogov with a degree in General Medicine (2004). Residency at Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, diploma in Endocrinology (2006).
