Ingrown Facial Hairs?

Hello Everyone,

I need some help with a problem I have had now for some years. What happens is that the hair around my mouth (chin, lip) has some issues. First, the hair on my upper lip (mustache hair) does not want to grow straight out. What I mean by that is it grows close to the skin. If you look closely in a mirror you will see that most of the hair grows out normally, but there are still a lot of hairs that don’t seem to penetrate the skin, leaving a dark shadow. They don’t itch or get inflamed in anyway, they just kind of stay there. I have tried growing my mustache out for a month or so and they are still there. Even after thirty days of growth, I still had a shadow right after I shaved (I could see the hairs still under the skin). I would take a picture with my digital camera, but it is so old that it shows little detail close up.

Secondly, the hair on my chin has issues. Primarily, the hair on the sides of my chin (the vertical part of a goatee). These hairs are sometimes ingrown, causing inflammation from the curled hair. However, even when they are not ingrown, they grow out darker and thicker than my other facial hair. The problem here is not so much a shadow, but scars. I have faint scars on the sides of my chin in this area that never go away because the new hair keeps causing new scars.          

I have tried many things to help alleviate this problem and I have not had much luck. I have tried not shaving, using ingrown hair serums, salicylic acid washes, etc. I can live with the hair on my lip causing a shadow, but it is the hair on the side of my chin that is embarrassing. Any help would be much appreciated.  If you need any more info from me, please do not hesitate to ask.

Thanks.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms it looks like pseudofolliculitis barbae. It is more commonly found in men who shave their faces. It is because of ingrowing of the shaved hair which may present as pimples. To prevent it water soften the beard first with a hot, wet washcloth for five minutes and then shave.  Other treatment options include shaving in a different direction, tweezing, exfoliating with facial scrubs, sponges, towels or creams containing acid and ibuprofen or other NSAIDs. Topical application of dilute glycolic acid and salicylic prepared solutions are also helpful. You can consult a dermatologist and discuss these treatment options with him.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.