Ingrown hairs tend to develop in areas of hair removal, including the pubic area.
How to Identify and Treat an Ingrown Hair Cyst
An ingrown hair bump, or cyst, extends from the skin’s surface and deep underneath it. It usually looks like a red pimple with a hair on its surface.
In some instances, an ingrown hair can cause a cyst, resulting in an ingrown hair cyst. Other types of bumps, such as pseudofolliculitis barbae and pimples, may also be mistaken for ingrown hair cysts.
Keep reading to learn what causes these skin conditions to form, plus how to treat them and prevent them from returning.
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As the name suggests, ingrown hair cysts start off as ingrown hairs.
At first, you might notice a small pimple-like bump with a hair at its surface. It may also be red in color.
Over time — if the ingrown hair doesn’t go away — the small bump can transform into a much larger one. The resulting bump can be red, white, or yellow. It may also be painful to the touch.
Identifying pseudofolliculitis barbae
Although it’s possible for cysts to develop near ingrown hairs, most bumps that form near ingrown hairs are likely to be caused by pseudofolliculitis barbae, also known as razor bumps.
Razor bumps can occur anywhere on your body, but they’re more likely to develop in areas that are prone to ingrown hairs, including your:
Identifying cystic acne
Ingrown hair cysts and razor bumps may also resemble cystic acne.
While an infected ingrown hair cyst starts off as a regular ingrown hair, acne cysts are caused by a combination of bacteria, oil, and dead skin cells that accumulate deep under the hair follicle.
Cystic acne can be widespread in one area, such as your back or face. Ingrown hair cysts, on the other hand, are smaller in number and contained — you may just have one.
Improper hair removal techniques may lead to these bumps.
Whether you shave, wax, or tweeze, removing hair isn’t always trouble-free. The process itself can cause swelling, which may irritate your skin and lead to razor bumps and cysts.
Removing a hair can also cause the new hair that grows in its place to grow in incorrectly. The new hair may grow sideways and eventually curl back down.
When this happens, the hair follicle can close over the hair so it becomes stuck, or ingrown. The skin responds by becoming inflamed, treating the curled-back hair as a foreign object.
Razor bumps are most common in Black men and people who shave.
You may also be at greater risk for developing bumps with ingrown hairs if you have naturally curly hair.
The primary goal of treatment is to reduce surrounding inflammation and decrease your risk for infection.
Possible treatments for razor bumps include keeping the skin moisturized and discontinuing shaving, which allows the ingrown hairs to grow out.
Over-the-counter (OTC) medications containing benzoyl peroxide or retinoids can reduce inflammation and decrease the size of razor bumps or ingrown hair cysts.
Prescription acne medications might be needed if OTC methods don’t work for razor bumps or ingrown hair cysts. For example, a healthcare professional may prescribe a steroid cream such as hydrocortisone to help reduce redness and pain around the bump or cyst.
Cystic acne is unlikely to clear up without the help of prescription-strength medications.
The ultimate goal of treatment for any ingrown hairs is to reduce their occurrence by keeping the skin exfoliated and moisturized. Body washes and lotions made with gentle glycolic acid will help.
However, once an ingrown hair cyst has become inflamed and starts to fluctuate in size, incision and drainage may be required to shrink the cyst and remove the ingrown hair.
Products to try
Certain OTC products can keep your skin exfoliated and moisturized, which helps reduce the occurrence of ingrown hairs. Shop for them online:
- products containing benzoyl peroxide
- products containing retinoids
- hydrocortisone cream
- products containing glycolic acid
How to identify and treat an ingrown pubic hair cyst
Ingrown hairs in the pubic area can sometimes form cysts — sacs of fluid beneath the skin. A person may notice a lump, possibly with a hair visible beneath it. It may also be itchy. Cysts often go away without treatment, but some will need antibiotics or draining.
An ingrown pubic hair cyst is usually no cause for concern. A person may choose to have a cyst drained, or a doctor may make a small incision to free the trapped hair.
These cysts may go away on their own. A doctor may only recommend treatment if the cyst seems infected or is causing issues such as pain.
Below, learn how ingrown pubic hair cysts form, how to identify and prevent them, and when to contact a doctor.
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An ingrown hair is a strand of hair that grows into, rather than out of, the skin. It usually happens after the person shaves, waxes, or tweezes the hair.
Coarse or curly hairs are most likely to grow inward, but this can happen with any hair type.
An area with ingrown hairs may have little reddish bumps, which may itch. It might be possible to see the hair trapped within the skin.
Over time, an ingrown hair may develop into a cyst — a sac of fluid beneath the skin.
Ingrown hairs tend to develop in areas of hair removal, including the pubic area.
An ingrown hair cyst is a lump beneath the skin. It will not have a visible head and may be red, white, or yellow. The cyst may also be painful or tender to the touch.
Most types of cyst look very similar. An ingrown hair cyst starts out as a small, red bump. Many people call these bumps razor bumps or razor burn, and their medical name is pseudofolliculitis.
Over time, a bump, usually just one, may get bigger and form a cyst.
An ingrown pubic hair cyst develops anywhere in the pubic area. It may result, for example, from removing hair from the bikini line.
Each strand of hair grows in a follicle beneath the skin. When people wax or shave, they only remove the strands of hair, not the follicles.
When the hair regrows, it may become trapped within the skin, growing farther inward instead of outward and forming a little bump.
Sometimes, skin cells and a fibrous substance called keratin, a protein in hair and nails, collect within the lump. Over time, the buildup forms a cyst.
Skin cysts are not usually dangerous, and they may go away on their own. They can, however, become inflamed or infected.
A dermatologist may recommend draining the fluid from the cyst by making a small incision.
If a cyst becomes inflamed or infected, a doctor might suggest a steroid injection or antibiotics. Also, a steroid cream may help reduce swelling or irritation.
Sometimes, a doctor uses a small needle or blade to free the ingrown hair.
Anyone who has an ingrown hair or resulting cyst should avoid scratching, picking, or squeezing it. This can damage the skin and lead to an infection.
According to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, a person should contact a healthcare provider if:
- The area around the ingrown hair is very painful, hot, red, or swollen.
- They have a high fever or otherwise feel very unwell.
- They are unsure whether the issue is ingrown hairs, and it occurs frequently.
The best way to prevent ingrown hairs is to avoid shaving and waxing. If a person wants to remove hair, it may help to switch to a hair removal cream or laser treatment.
For people who prefer to continue shaving, the following tips can reduce the risk of ingrown hairs:
- Wet the skin with warm water first.
- Always use shaving gel or foam.
- Use as few strokes of the razor as possible.
- Rinse the razor after every stroke.
- Do not shave too close.
- Never use a blunt razor.
- Shave in the direction of hair growth.
- After shaving, hold a cool, wet cloth to the skin.
- Use an exfoliating body scrub to release any trapped hairs.
Ingrown hairs can form anywhere on the body with hair. “Ingrown” means that a strand of hair grows back into the skin, rather than out of it.
Shaving and waxing are the most common causes of ingrown hairs. At first, a person may notice a series of small bumps, which may be reddish and itchy. These patches of ingrown hairs are called razor burn.
One ingrown hair may form a cyst — a red, yellow, or whitish lump beneath the skin.
These cysts are usually no cause for concern, and they may resolve on their own. A doctor may only recommend treatment if a cyst causes pain or other symptoms, or if it becomes infected or inflamed.
The best way to prevent ingrown pubic hairs is to not shave or wax the area.
Last medically reviewed on December 16, 2020
- Dermatology
- Men’s Health
- Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
- Women’s Health / Gynecology
How we reviewed this article:
Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
- Cysts. (2018).
https://www.health.harvard.edu/a_to_z/cysts-overview-a-to-z - Ingrown hairs. (2019).
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ingrown-hairs/ - Oakley, A. (2016). Cutaneous cysts and pseudocysts.
https://dermnetnz.org/topics/cutaneous-cysts-and-pseudocysts/ - Sempowski, I. P. (2006). Sebaceous cysts: Ten tips for easier excision
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1479706/
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