How to Treat an Ingrown Hair Cyst

Ingrown hair cysts can usually be treated at home. Taking steps like stopping shaving, keeping the area clean, and applying over-the-counter medications will ease symptoms while the cysts heal.

However, it’s important to see your healthcare provider if the pimple-like bumps don’t improve or an infection develops. Without treatment, common ingrown hair cysts can cause scarring or turn into a recurrent problem. You also may need medical care for other less common hair-related cysts.

Treatment

Ingrown hair cysts start when a hair curls downward and gets trapped beneath the skin rather than growing outward.

This can cause inflammation, making the skin red, swollen, raised, and tender. The bumps might be itchy, and the skin around them can look red or discolored. Usually, these bumps aren’t painful unless you shave over them or they become infected.

Multiple ingrown hair cysts, called razor bumps (pseudofolliculitis barbae) develop in areas where you shave. They commonly occur on the face and neck in men, but may also develop in the armpits, legs, or pubic area of people of any sex who shave those areas.

Self-Care

Ingrown hair cysts often go away on their own, but you can help the process along with a few home remedies. Try the following self-care tips to treat an ingrown hair and get rid of razor bumps:

• Stop shaving, tweezing, or waxing until the area heals.
• Apply a warm, clean washcloth for a few minutes, two to three times a day, to help release the hair.
• Keep the area clean and moisturized.
• Use over-the-counter antiseptic and hydrocortisone cream to reduce swelling and itching.
• Apply over-the-counter acne products like retinoids (to accelerate skin turnover) and benzoyl peroxide (to exfoliate the skin).

Consider alternating these products by using retinoids one day and benzoyl peroxide the next. Both can cause dryness or peeling, so stop using them if you notice side effects.

Medical Care

Visit a healthcare provider if the ingrown hair cysts don’t improve or if an infection develops. Signs of infection include swelling, redness, pain, and pus. In severe cases, a fever may also occur.

Consulting a healthcare professional is important because you may:

• Have a skin condition other than a cyst, like cystic acne
• Require prescription antibiotics
• Need a steroid injection
• Need a procedure to drain the cyst and free the hair

Scarring may develop if the cysts go untreated or if you have recurrent ingrown hair cysts.

Prevent Recurrent Ingrown Hair Cysts

If you want to avoid future ingrown hair cysts or you already struggle with recurrent outbreaks, these preventive measures can help stop them from returning:

• Wash your skin with warm water and a gentle cleanser before shaving.
• Use a gentle exfoliating agent before shaving to remove dead skin cells and loosen hair trapped under the skin.
• Use a single blade or electric razor, and try not to keep going over the same areas (razors with multiple blades can increase the risk of ingrown hairs)
• Keep shaving tools clean.
• Do not shave too closely.
• Always shave in the direction the hair grows and do not pull the skin.
• Shave less frequently, if possible.
• Moisturize your skin after shaving.

If you have chronic ingrown hair problems, it might be best to avoid shaving altogether. Instead, consider other methods that offer long-term solutions, like laser hair removal.

Other Hair-Associated Cysts

Razor bumps are the most common hair-related cysts, but they’re not the only type. This chart provides an overview of five other cysts. They don’t all develop due to ingrown hair. However, they are associated with hair follicles and body hairs.

Name	Description	Body Area
Pilonidal cyst	A small pocket in the skin that occurs when a hair punctures the skin and becomes ingrown	At the top of the buttocks crease
Steatocystoma	An inherited condition causing multiple cysts in the sebaceous glands near hair follicles and possibly containing hair	Usually on the chest but may affect the abdomen, armpits, upper arms, and face. In rare cases, over the entire body
Pilar cyst (trichilemmal cyst)	A noncancerous tumor that grows from the hair follicle and contains keratin, the protein in hair and skin	Usually on the scalp but may appear on your face, neck, arms, and legs
Epidermoid cyst	A cyst that originates in the hair follicle and grows under the skin	Face, neck, chest, upper back, scrotum, and genitals
Eruptive vellus hair cyst	A small, raised pimple-like bump containing vellus hairs (fine, blond hairs)	Primarily on the chest but may affect your abdomen and limbs

Treatment for Other Cysts

The treatments for the cysts in the above chart vary. Your healthcare provider may recommend:

• No treatment (for cysts that aren’t causing symptoms)
• Topical medications
• Corticosteroid injection
• Antibiotics
• Surgery to drain the cyst
• Procedure to remove the cyst (surgery, laser, electrosurgery, or cryotherapy)

Though any cyst may become infected, this problem is most worrisome in pilonidal cysts. Pressure and friction from sitting irritates the area and being close to the anus increases the risk of bacteria invading the cyst.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

By Nancy LeBrun

LeBrun is a Maryland-based freelance writer with a bachelor’s degree in communications. She is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the American Society of Journalists and Authors.

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