Ingrown Pimples – Nasty, But Treatable Skin Blemishes
All pimples aren’t created equal. Take ingrown pimples. They’re unsightly and painful, just like all the others, but these are the result of ingrown hairs. In fact, they actually are ingrown hairs!
The process is as simple as 1) you break a hair underneath the skin surface (by cutting it during shaving or by some other means, or the hair breaks on its own); 2) the hair grows into the side of the hair follicle (the small, tubular cavity that holds the hair) rather that up through to the skin surface and above; 3) the sides of the follicle become irritated, and the follicle puffs up from the pus that is generated. You have yourself a big red zit.
So, to treat the problem, you need to free it up from the hair follicle or get rid of it altogether. (You could also just wait, and the hair will eventually break loose on its own, but who wants to wait it out while a bright red welt grows ever larger?) One technique is to use a washcloth that has been dipped in hot water. Press it onto the pimple for at least five minutes, and it should loosen things up. You could also lightly squeeze the pimple with similarly moistened cotton balls.
If this doesn’t work, you might want to take a more invasive approach. You could use a sterile needle to poke it free, scalpel to cut it loose, or tweezers to pluck it out. Whichever device you choose, sterilize the skin area with rubbing alcohol or commercial astringent when you’re done. The swelling and redness should be reduced immediately.
The larger problem is what to do about keeping them from cropping up again…and again-of special concern for people with curly hair. One possibility is to exfoliate the skin …. This will remove dead skin cells that clog the pores and push the hairs in unintended directions. Moisturizers will help by keeping the skin soft, pliable and, well, moist, so dry skin won’t build up.
If ingrown-or other pimples-are an ongoing concern, you might want to consider a treatment that includes acne pills and perhaps medicated pads.
Pills are gaining in popularity, perhaps, in part, because they often contain healthful, natural ingredients such as omega-3 as well as vitamins including A, B and E. They’re also proven to be effective, with manufacturers citing clinical trials with cure rates as high as 80%. They’re also reasonably priced.
Cleansing pads have also had good results. Many like the convenience of having the pre-measured medication already in the pads. Like the pills, they’re affordable.
Face it, ingrown pimples are ugly and uncomfortable. But, with a little work-and perhaps some assistance from modern science-you can keep them at bay.
By Anonymous
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Ingrown Hairs