Ingrown hairs and razor bumps

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In short

Ingrown hairs cause bumps, which are often itchy, where a hair has grown back into the skin.

Worth knowing6

Ingrown hairs can look like raised, itchy bumps on the skin.
NHS website
Redness may be harder to see on black or brown skin, but they may look a different color to the surrounding skin.
NHS website
Sometimes you can see a hair trapped under the skin.
NHS website
You may be more likely to get ingrown hairs if you have coarse or curly hair.
NHS website
Waxing, plucking and threading hair can also lead to ingrown hairs.
NHS website
Infected ingrown hairs can be painful.
NHS website

The best way to prevent ingrown hairs is by not shaving.
NHS website
If you shave or remove hair another way, things that can help: wet your skin with warm water and use shaving gel; shave in the direction the hairs are growing; use as few strokes of the razor as possible; rinse the razor after every stroke; hold a cool, wet cloth to your skin after shaving to reduce irritation; use an exfoliating scrub to help release any trapped hairs; try using an electric razor rather than wet shaving; try a different hair removal method, such as hair removal cream; try a long-term way of removing hair, such as laser treatment.
NHS website

Things to avoid: do not shave too close – leaving at least 1mm of stubble can help reduce ingrown hairs; do not use a blunt razor; do not shave every day, if possible; do not scratch, pick or squeeze ingrown hairs as this can damage your skin and lead to infection.
NHS website

See a health care provider if: an ingrown hair or area around it is very painful, hot or swollen; you have an ingrown hair and a high temperature, or you feel hot, cold or shivery or very unwell.
NHS website

These pages describe what the sources say. They cannot say what is going on with your skin.

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