Sugar and Ingrown Hairs Sugaring hair removal provides help with ingrown hairs and many benefits such as less irritation, no risk of burning, works on short and stubborn hairs, but one of the most important benefits enjoyed by many of my clients is the reduction in ingrown hairs. Ah, ingrown hairs.

They’re unsightly, irritating and depending on the area, can be downright embarrassing. Ingrown hairs occur when the hair curls back or sideways into the skin instead of straight up. It can sometimes be accompanied by folliculitis (infection of the hair follicle) or pseudofolliculitis barbae (razor bumps).

Dead skin clogging up the follicle can be one of the causes of ingrown hairs, as can shaving curly or coarse hair as it can cause the pointed end to pierce the skin and grow back in. Basically, anything which causes the hair to be broken off unevenly above the surface of the skin, or clogs the opening of the follicle, can cause ingrown hair.

Ingrown hairs can be painful (especially if they become infected), itchy, irritating and uncomfortable. If the infection becomes serious, it can lead to Staphylococcus Aureus, a common bacterium found on the skin but if it enters the skin through an open wound, cut or a picked out ingrown (we’ve all been guilty of this at one time or another), the consequences can be severe.

You can read more about the implications of this on the Victorian Government Better Health Channel Website here. Enough of the doom and gloom. Onto the magic of Sugaring! How can Sugaring help with ingrown hairs?

For one, the hair is extracted in the direction of the hair growth, rather than against it. When the hair is extracted against the natural hair growth, it can cause the hair to snap, rather than be removed intact. Broken hairs = ingrown hairs.

• Sugar is a skin conditioning treatment – it exfoliates at the same time as removing the hair. Remember, sugar doesn’t stick to live skin cells, only dead ones. This leaves the skin feeling incredibly smooth post treatment.
• One of the most important parts of Sugaring hair removal is what you do at home to maintain the exceptional results this treatment can provide. This will ensure optimal conditioning results, elimination of ingrown hairs and help lead to permanent reduction. Your qualified sugarist should be able to easily provide you with this after care and information.
• Due to the gently exfoliating benefits of sugaring, any blockages of the hair follicle will be rectified.
• Sugar seeps into the hair follicle and lubricates the root, not only extracting the hair but also any dead skin cells that may be causing blockages.