Ingrown hair on beard line

[titansman]

I have what appears to be an ingrown hair along my jawline that is somewhat inflamed. My wife took small tweezers and as gently as possible, removed it and other small hairs that had bundled up in one small sore place. It seems to be healing but is very sore and irritatewd. What over the counter medications would work best to help with healing this up? I don't believe it is but mildly infected.

[Dr_Aparna]

Hi,
Ingrown hair is a condition where the hair curls back or grows sideways into the skin. It may or may not be accompanied by an infection of the hair follicle (folliculitis) or "razor bumps" (Pseudofolliculitis barbae).

Anything which causes the hair to be broken off short with a sharp tip can cause ingrown hair. Shaving is the leading cause. The embedded hair causes a localized inflammation (sometimes painful) response in the skin.

Symptoms include rash, itching skin, hair which remains in spite of shaving, and infection and pus collecting under skin. Treatments for ingrown hairs include putting a warm washcloth over the ingrown hair and  shaving in a different direction.
Exfoliating with facial scrubs, sponges, towels, or creams containing acids can help. You can take Ibuprofen or other NSAIDs for the pain.
The infected follicles can be treated with topical antiseptic or antibacterial ointment like Bactroban.

ref:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingrown_hair