Last updated on October 11, 2020
Question:
Hey,
Most of the time when I shave I get ingrown hairs in this one spot. I just had one removed three weeks ago but the hair is there. I shaved again and now I noticed I have another ingrown hair there. I tried to remove it but I couldn’t. A week later it turned into a bump with no head. I tried popping it, but nothing worked. I am kind of worried as it is now a big reddish bump. After I squeezed it, it turned white but then again it didn’t pop. The bump went down a few hours later I looked at it again and the bump is smaller but still noticeable. I don’t know what I should do. Should go to the doctors or not? It’s kind of embarrassing since it’s on my shaft.
Please help. Any answers will be appreciated.
Answer:
I strongly recommend not shaving the genitals for this very reason. Shaving causes minute nicks in the skin which can allow bacteria to get under the skin. When a person is prone to having ingrown hairs, shaving makes them more likely to occur.
Ingrown hairs tend to plague people with very curly hair. Shaving cuts the hairs off near the edge of the skin, often leaving a sharp point on the edge of the hair. As the hair grows, the point snags the edge of the skin and curls back. Thus, instead of rising up, it stays under the skin. It tends to stretch the opening for the hair, leaving room for bacteria to enter and cause an infection.
The red bump you see indicates that you have an infection under the skin. If you can’t get the hair to come out, then you need to see a doctor about it. It won’t get better by itself. You can treat the infection with an antibiotic ointment, but that won’t address the cause — the ingrown hair.
If your hair bothers you, you can cut the hairs with scissors to the length you want, but stop shaving your genitals. You are better off just getting used to the way God made you.