How to treat and prevent ingrown hair without popping, picking or plucking

How to get rid of ingrown hairs with products from Topicals, Fur, Mario Badescu and more. Here’s why dermatologists say you shouldn’t pop razor bumps.

Finding an ingrown hair after shaving, waxing or epilating is frustrating. It’s caused by hair curling into and getting trapped underneath the skin, and it can be itchy and painful. Thankfully, ingrown hairs, also commonly called razor bumps, are treatable at home, similar to razor burn. But don’t expect them to go away overnight. Being patient while using ingrown hair treatments is key to preventing infection and scarring later on. I spoke with four dermatologists to learn more about how to treat and prevent ingrown hairs. Using their guidance, I rounded up ingrown hair treatments and preventatives, all of which are either recommended by dermatologists or tested by NBC Selected staff.

Want more from NBC Selected? Sign up for our newsletter, The Selection, and shop smarter. The best ingrown hair treatments To recommend the below ingrown hair treatments, I chose products that dermatologists recommend, we’ve used ourselves or are highly rated and meet expert guidance. Since ingrown hairs can occur in any hair-bearing area, I note whether each product is meant for your face or body. Make sure to avoid removing hair in the area where you have an ingrown until it’s fully healed, experts told me. Best first-aid ointment Neosporin is my go-to antibiotic ointment for ingrowns, cuts and burns. It contains bacitracin, an over-the-counter topical antibiotic you can