Ingrowns

I get ingrowns once in a while shaving my legs and however tempting it is to pick at them, I know that's not the best course of action.  What do you all do?  Warm compresses a few times a day?  Soak in something?  Go at it with tweezers?  Short of laser hair removal (way too expensive right now), what would you suggest for prevention as well?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
For ingrown hair, cleanse the area thoroughly and apply a good mild exfoliating scrub on that. Please keep the area clean and apply some topical antiseptics. Also 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. Also then discuss the possibility of laser treatment with him.
I hope it helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional doubts. Kind regards.