Awful ingrown hairs on legs - help!

[bananarama3]

NC for this. I have awful awful legs that never see the light of day because of ingrown hairs, red marks from picking and scars. I used to wax, tried epilating and stopped because the ingrown hairs were getting worse and now I can't even shave. So they're spotty, scabby and hairy! I need help please! I'd love to have smooth legs and be able to wear skirts. it's a while before the weather has a chance of improving enough to even want to wear a skirt so what can I do?

Thanks in advance.

[AlwaysHopeful1]

I had this too, and I went for laser hair removal. Made a huge difference. No shaving or waxing has certainly stopped even the appearance of my skin looking sore.

[Gemdiddly86]

You could give this a go:

http://m.boots.com/h5/cathub?unCountry=uk&path=/en/Skin-Doctors-Ingrow-Go-Lotion-120mll_14578/

I get awful ingrown hairs after waxing my bikini line and this does limit them... Doesn't completely get rid but definitely helps. It smells like strong salt and vinegar crisps though

[Gemdiddly86]

Sorry that link appears to be broken... Just google 'Skin Doctors Ingrow Go'

[Wolfiefan]

Do you exfoliate regularly?

[Ouch44]

Phillips Lumea? Stopped the ingrown hairs I got on my chin where I plucked the odd ones out

[Nettletheelf]

Another vote for Ingrow Go. It has been a gift to my bikini line!!

[ConesOfDunshire]

YY to Ingrow Go. It smells vile but contains salicylic acid to exfoliate. A good moisturiser will help, too; I'm also really prone and Palmers Cocoa Butter makes a big difference for me.

[Qwebec]

I was told that ingrown hair are caused by dry skin. Hydrate yourself well, cream you legs and exfoliate (as suggested by Wolfiefan) regularly, it is supposed to help.

[CookCountyStatesAttorney]

I had the same problem for years and a beautician recommended a dermalogica buffing cloth. It doesn't look like much but using it every day has really helped the skin on my legs and bikini and stopped new ones coming developing. www.dermalogica.co.uk/uk/html/products/the-ultimate-buffing-cloth-89.html

[maybemyrtle]

Get a Salux Cloth for a fiver from ebay or amazon and use it every day, you will see a difference really quickly. Good luck.

[bananarama3]

Wow thanks for all that! I'll look into the ingrow go and the cloths. I had a google last night and there seems to be a lot of support for dry skin brushing - I have a brush and never use it so I spent a few minutes this morning doing gentle brushing. I'm happy to attack this from all angles so I'll invest in some lotions and potions too. I don't know why I feel so ashamed of the state of my legs but I'm going to get them sorted. Thanks again

[bananarama3]

Ingrow go is reduced on boots website

[SuzanneSays]

Hi bananarama, I really really understand as I suffered from this for about 15 years! It was quite obsessive/ satisfying to have a session picking at the ingrown hairs-I would almost go into a trance while I was going it. Then be horrified by the red, scabby, bruised mess I had created!!!

I tried EVERYTHING including ingrow go etc. The only thing that has made a lasting difference is my Phillips lumea- I spent about three years trying to justify the cost and eventually just bit the bullet and now wish I had bought it earlier. It has got rid of my hairs, when some grow back they are fine and don't get caught under the skin, and also it has broken the habit I had formed of picking - there is literally nothing to pick at.

In the first few months I used to inspect my legs looking for ingrown hairs to pick, but there just weren't any. And now a year later I have lovely legs ( with some faint scarring) that I'm not ashamed to show them off. It sound silly, but it has dramatically improved my life sense of wellbeing! As you can tell from my mammoth post!

[bananarama3]

Suzannesays that's exactly how I feel - I could have written it! It's like a trance isn't it? And I feel quite obsessive about getting the hairs out even though it just leaves my legs in a mess. I think I'm the wrong skin/hair combo for a lumea: blonde with really pale skin. I looked into it a year or two ago. Such a shame but I'm really glad it worked for you xx

I've ordered some ingrow go. Hopefully it'll get delivered tomorrow.

[SuzanneSays]

Oh, that's annoying! If you know anyone with one maybe ask if you can use it for a patch test a couple of times to see if it helps/ works.

The other plan I had if the lumea didn't work was to see a hypnotist (!) to see if they could help me break the pattern of picking...

Good luck with the ingrow go

[Bigbiscuits]

STOP PICKING AND INSPECTING

I had this for years and hid legs away. Then I moved with now DH and could not continue my picking habit as it was not something I wanted DH to witness! And it got better.

Really. It just becomes a viscous circle. Now is the time to break this habit ad it is winter and it is easy to hide your legs away

Just do the exfoliate and moisturing stuff. AND STOP PICKING.

[bananarama3]

Bigbiscuits did stopping picking solve the problem? I know picking at the ingrown hairs isn't helping but I wouldn't pick if they weren't there. Do you manage to have hair free and smooth legs?

I'm inspired to hear from people who had problems with picking at their legs and now don't. Thank you for being honest.

[Bigbiscuits]

I guess it also helped that DH just does not notice my hairy legs (and I am very hairy!). So I don't expilate as often as I used to.

But I do think all that picking makes them worse and also causes unsightly scaring that is worse than the ingrown hairs.

What type do you have. As an expert ingrown hair woman, I classify them into 3 categories:

1. Just under the surface, growing parallel to the skin surface - the type that can just be flicked out with a pin or a tweezer end leaving minimal skin damage.
   

1. Growing vertically downwards, and look like a small pin prick in the skin which when you squeeze between your fingers come oozing out cleanly. But often leave a small pin prick scar.
   

1. Growing deep under the skin surface and parallel to the skin. These are the real buggers that I used to practically gorge out of my skin leaving loads is scars.
   

I think all were helped by just leaving it all alone.

Why don't you try it for the rest of the winter and see if you can break the cycle. It should be easy to live in trousers and thick tights for the next couple of months.

Just exfoliate and moisturise and STOP THE PICKING

[bananarama3]

Nice classification! Mine come mainly under 2, except that there's usually (sporn klaxon) a lump of fatty stuff such as you'd get in a blackhead, as opposed to a wetter pus like material, attached to the top and once that's out, the hair pops up. I am often astonished at the length of the hair - sometimes 2-3cm and I have no idea how this thing has been sitting under my skin. Surely skin isn't 3cm deep???

Ultimately you're right - I need to leave my legs alone and let them heal. I often get to a stage where they're nearly clear and then I see a few and off I go again. That's what happened last night when I asked for help.

[spanky2]

I exfoliated etc and nothing made any difference. I picked each one out with tweezers and went back to shaving.

[bananarama3]

Ooh potap - that's interesting. I thought my hair would just be too pale. What did you use? Did you go to a salon or use a lumea?

[bananarama3]

Spanky I thought stopping Epilating and waxing would help but no. I can't even shave