Ingrown hairs

I have a problem with ingrown hairs around my bikini area. I have tried lots of different types of hair removal treatments (shaving,waxing, hair removal creams etc) but i always get ingrown hairs and a lot of the time they seem to get infected. I dont get ingrown hairs anywhere else on my body and I only ever remove the hair after a bath/shower and have tried using anticeptic creams but the problem doesnt seem to go away. What can I do to get rid of them and stop it happening in the future? Thanks

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Folliculitis is very common after waxing and shaving. Please keep the area clean and apply some topical antiseptics. Also wear loose-fitting cotton clothing and use an antibacterial soap or mild soap like dove. Avoid any kind of cosmetics. Topical antibiotics such as mupirocin or neomycin containing ointment are also useful. In case the symptoms persist then oral antibiotics may be needed. Please consult a dermatologist in that case.
When you are waxing, apply wax in the direction of hair growth and wax should be tolerably hot. Then try to wax the hair out in a single strip as multiple strips may injure the skin more. After waxing apply ice(wrapped in a towel) and some calamine lotion on the skin which helps in soothing. You can also take some over the counter anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen after waxing.

However, the best method of painless hair removal is by laser treatment. I would advise you to consult a dermatologist/cosmetologist and discuss this option with him.
I sincerely hope it helps. Take care and regards.