Bikini Line Skincare
Often overlooked and tucked away, the pubic and bikini area doesn’t always get the love it deserves. Ingrown hair, irritation, painful bumps, hyperpigmentation and dark marks are the chief offenders that can leave you feeling very self-conscious.
Irritation and ingrown hair tends to be the root cause of bikini line complaints. They are caused when hair becomes trapped under the skin - sometimes the hair is unable to grow out of the follicle and curls back on itself or the hair actually grows out of the follicle but re-pierces the skin. It’s very common with Afro hair and curly hair types. Skin cells can grow over causing a bump or infection can set in making the area inflamed, sore and tender.
The secondary effect is hyperpigmentation and dark marks. Any type of inflammation will lead to discolouration - be it redness or the skin flushing darker as is typical with darker skin tones. Irritation from garments like underwear, cycling shorts and swim suits can also result in hyperpigmentation because of the constant friction and rubbing.
Hair removal techniques is a big driver of complaints in this department, especially shaving. Waxing, sugaring and threading all have similar down sides and treatments, which is why the best thing you can do for long term hair reduction (and associated complaints!) in the bikini area is laser hair removal.
If you are shaving - here’s our top tips:
Prepare the skin a few days in advance by incorporating a gentle exfoliating toner into your routine. If you want to skin this step just start using an exfoliating body wash or soap on a daily basis so that your skin is always ready and prepped. This will help to soften the skin, break down old skin cells and exfoliate to make shaving a smoother process. Our favourite bars are from Soft Services and KOBA.
Look for gentle and soothing exofliators with ingredients like lactic acid or even gluconolacctone which will exfoliate and hydrate at the same time. It’s fine to use physical exfoliators like rice powder which are softer on the skin.
On shave day, use warm water to soften the skin and hair. This will also loosen and unfurl hair to make shaving smoother.
Use a good shave gel - think nourishing and soothing as this will give you a good glide so you don’t nick or cut your skin. Bonus points for transparent gel so you have a better view of proceedings.
Your razor should be clean and have a sharp blade. Dull blades are more likely to create more cuts and grazes and create more irritation as you may have to go over the area again.
Shave in the direction of hair growth to avoid creating sharp edges that are more likely to curl back into the skin and create ingrown hair.
Moisturise well with a soothing, nourishing anti inflammatory, moisturiser that minimises irritation and itchiness. Colloidal oatmeal, Panthenol, Niacinamide are great ingredients to look out for. If you get super itchy an OTC hydrocortisone cream is also handy to have.
YOUR SHAVING TOOLKIT
Go the extra mile down below
If you’re prone to hyperpigmentation and dark spots - you may have to get crafty with scissors but consider using a sheet mask to lock in some extra TLC and hydration, brighteners and pigment faders.
Hyperpigmentation serum sticks and sprays are a great shout to reduce discolouration.
If ingrown hair is the thing that gets your knickers in a twist, invest in spot treatments with salicylic and glycolic acid that you can dab on to the offending spot. Roll on’s can also make life easier, just make sure you sanitise after use and don’t share.
For inflamed ingrown hair where there is a firm and painful bump, often discoloured, go for a targeted treatment that is also able to tackle bacteria. Benzoyl Peroxide is a good option as well as antiseptic sprays like Clinicept to help maintain hygiene.
To create the appearance of a more even skin tone, invest in a gentle self tanning lotion. For a closer match to skin in the bikini area always go for a slightly deeper shade than you usual colour and blend well.
Should you remove ingrown hair yourself?
It really does depend on whether you can clearly see the loop of the hair where it has re-entered the skin. If you can, using clean sterile tweezer will help you extract the hair safely. If there is no loop and the hair is buried underneath the skin, it’s best to see an aesthetician or dermatologist to remove safely. You risk creating more skin damage, infection and hyperpigmentation if you go digging yourself. You could also cause scarring with the possibility of developing keloid scarring.
If anything is super painful, lumpy and bumpy where low-level at home intervention hasn’t yielded any results, its time to book an appointment with a skincare professional as you make need expert help as well as prescription medications to bring a fast turnaround.