ingrown hairs

I was just wondering is it normal to get ingrown hairs an the back of your neck just above the hairline.  I am a 26 year old male and it seems that I keep getting these small bumps (usually one at a time) back there that usually go away after 7 - 10 days.  If i try to pop it, it usually gets a little bigger and hurts.  Is there any thing that I can do to prevent or help heal quicker?  Thanks in advance!

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

The only action which promotes these things is removing hair: waxing, plucking, shaving, etc.  So it's best just to leave the hair there.  Trying to pull inrown hairs out generally fails, so it's really best to do nothing.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff