Pseudofolliculitis barbae [ingrown hair]

It is also known by the initials PFB or colloquial terms such as "razor bumps" and "razor burns." When hair grows in a curly and tightly coiled pattern, patients may be afflicted with numerous ingrown hairs that may cause skin irritation, papules, and pustules.

 

These may eventually lead to changes in pigmentation and even scarring.

 

Pseudofolliculitis barbae occurs most commonly in the underarm or bikini area with shaving, or, in men, at the lower neck, where coarse facial hair grows.

Ingrown  Hair -

 

Causes

  1. Skin suffering from lack of moisture
  2. Stiff beard hair
  3. Embedded oil in the hair follicles
  4. Build up of dead skin cells in the pores and on the surface of the skin can cause ingrown hairs - some are more prone to this than others due to genetics
  5. Coarse curly hair growing in a curved hair follicle
  6. Improper shaving technique with a blade such as too close a shave
  7. Hair removal methods such as shaving, waxing, tweezing, electrolysis, often irritate the hair follicle. Dead cells can accumulate at the site of the irritation and form papule which can also contain pus while the skin heals. While this process continues any hair in the area can get trapped under the formation and is prevented from exiting the skin properly. Ingrown hair is the result.

Effects

  1. Constant tenderness
  2. Trapped, ingrown hairs cause inflamation which result in the body forming papule - a small,  raised, abnormality on the skin commonly known as a bump giving rise to the term 'razor bumps
  3. The body can also respond by producing a pustule - a blister on the skin containing pus
  4. An infected pustule can become ruptured resulting in bleeding
  5. Itching
  6. Tingling
  7. Pain - mild or severe
  8. Hard, prominent, irregular scar tissue in the skin in chronic cases


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Ingrown Hair Laser Treatment

Laser hair removal is effective in treating this disorder by temporarily or permanently removing the hair from the chronically inflamed lesion.

 

Laser treatment leads to resolution and healing of the papular and pustular lesions, dramatically improving skin texture and the associated postinflammatory hyperpigmentation.