Ingrown eyebrow hair is a condition where the hair grows inside the skin and does not emerge on the surface. This condition is also called trans-follicular penetration. This can cause irritation of the skin and bumps forming in the affected area which can also lead to infections if left untreated.
Causes
Trans-follicular penetration is more common in women. It occurs because of many reasons such as:
- Shaping the eyebrows: Women use hair removal methods to shape their eyebrows. When the hair is not removed from its root, the eyebrow will grow back but the follicles can grow inside. This problem can worsen if you cut the hair at very sharp angles or the margin of the cut hair is left below the skin.
- Shaving: You can have an ingrown eyebrow hair when you shave. Shaving can lengthen your skin making the hair to curve, slant or grow towards the back. Ingrown eyebrow hair can also occur when you use many blades, you shave very close to the skin or against the flow of the hair growth. This causes skin inflammation because the body attacks the ingrown hair as a foreign material causing a boil.
- Rubbing: Tight clothing can also cause an ingrown eyebrow hair. When you put on or removes tight clothing, it rubs against the skin causing irritation and inflammation. This prevents the hair from emerging out of the skin thus causing an ingrown hair.
There are some risk factors that can increase your chances of developing an ingrown eyebrow hair such as
- When your eyebrow hair grows inside the hair follicle is not removed well, you are at risk for an ingrown hair.
- People with curly hair are at a higher risk for developing an ingrown hair than those with straight hair.
- People who pull their eyebrow, wax them or shave are at a higher risk of developing an ingrown eyebrow hair.
Symptoms
An ingrown eyebrow hair is associated with the following signs and symptoms:
- You will notice bumps appear on your eyebrow skin. The bumps can be painful and inflamed. A sebaceous cyst can also form on the ingrown hair. You will notice pimples developing on top of your eyebrows which occurs when that hair tries to grow back after shaving.
- You may have a swollen eye if your eyebrow is infected. The area around your ingrown hair can develop into a pustule or boil. There may be blood and pus coming out of the pustule if it bursts.
Treating an Ingrown Eyebrow Hair
An ingrown eyebrow hair can form a lump which can be infected if microorganisms such as bacteria, parasites and funguses invade it. For an infected ingrown eyebrow, you should consult a doctor to remove it. There are several home remedies you can use to treat an infected ingrown eyebrow hair such as:
- Use warm compress: Put a wet cloth in warm water and apply it on the swollen area three times a day. This helps lessen inflammation and irritations as well as drain the lump if it has pus. You may add vinegar on the cloth and apply on the affected area to promote healing.
- Use antibacterial soap: Use antibacterial soap and clean cloth to wash the ingrown eyebrow hair two times a day. Then dry the skin with a clean cloth or towel. This is used to eliminate bacteria that may be present at the site thus preventing further infections.
- Apply lotion: Apply a lotion or hydrocortisone that has oatmeal to swollen or inflamed areas to ease irritations.
It is important to note that you must wash towel or cloth and other equipment after every use to treat the infected area. Use warm water and certain detergents to clean the items well. This is done to prevent further infections.
How to Remove an Ingrown Eyebrow
Plucking an ingrown eyebrow is simple but it requires preparing your skin and taking the suitable steps before and after for optimal results. If your hair is severely swollen, do not remove it because doing so may worsen the irritation in the skin.
You can do the following to pluck an ingrown eyebrow hair:
- Use heat: Put a clean moist cloth in warm water and apply it on the skin near the eyebrow hair for around five minutes. The heat helps make the skin softer and loosens up the hair follicle which assists the hair to emerge on the surface.
- Exfoliate the area: If the hair is not infected, use an exfoliator which is not irritating on it. Use your fingertips near the ingrown eyebrow hair to lighten up the dead skin and debris. Then wash the area properly.
- Pluck the hair: Look for the side of the ingrown hair and gently pluck the hair by holding the skin tightly. Scrap a cotton swab in the reverse direction of which the hair is growing. In case the cotton swab is not working, you can try First, sanitize the tweezers with alcohol to eliminate any germs on them. Softly grip the hair and remove it. Be careful not to put tweezers deep in the skin because it can cause an infection.
