Ingrown hairs, bumps after shaving, and folliculitis: what is the difference?

Do you repeatedly get red bumps, small inflammations, or hairs that seem to grow under the skin after shaving? Then people often talk about ingrown hairs, razor bumps, or folliculitis. However, they are not all the same thing.

That distinction is important. Not every red bump is caused by an ingrown hair, and not every inflammation around a hair follicle is automatically bacterial folliculitis.

In practice, therefore, I first look at what is actually happening around the hair follicle. Is a hair growing back into the skin? Is it primarily the hair follicle that is inflamed? Is the skin damaged by shaving? Or does the skin appearance fit better with another cause?

The location where the symptoms occur also provides information. For example, ingrown hairs and bumps after shaving are seen in the beard area, on the chin, around the bikini line, in the armpits, and on the legs.

For some people, it involves just a few spots. For others, redness, itching, or inflammation recurs after almost every shave, and eventually dark discolorations remain as well.

Precisely because these skin conditions can resemble each other, I find it important not to immediately think in terms of treatment. First assess what is happening, and only then determine which approach makes sense.

What is an ingrown hair?

With an ingrown hair, a hair does not grow out through the skin surface in the normal way.

The hair can continue to grow beneath the skin's surface or bend back after shaving and re-enter the skin.

The shape and growth direction of the hair play a particularly important role in this. A thick or strongly curled hair is more likely to grow back towards the skin than a straight hair.

Moreover, a relatively sharp hair tip may form after shaving. If this penetrates the skin again, the skin may react with a local inflammatory response.

You might see, for example, a red or dark bump, sometimes accompanied by itching, tenderness, or a small pustule. In some cases, the hair is visible beneath the skin's surface.

Incidentally, not every ingrown hair becomes inflamed. Conversely, not every inflamed bump after shaving is automatically an ingrown hair.

Why do you get bumps after shaving?

Shaving does more than just remove the visible part of a hair.

The hair is cut close to the skin surface. In the case of a bent or curled hair, the new end can move towards the skin again as it continues to grow.

In addition, shaving affects the skin itself. With a razor, you go not only along the hairs, but also along the top layer of skin.

Applying excessive pressure, going over the same spot multiple times, using a blunt blade, or shaving very closely against the direction of growth can further irritate the skin.

Sometimes friction is added to this. Think, for example, of tight clothing around the bikini line, sportswear, or skin-to-skin contact in the armpits.

The combination of hair type, shaving technique, skin barrier, heat, perspiration, and friction ultimately determines how many complaints a person develops.

Therefore, there is not one single cause for all razor bumps.

What is pseudofolliculitis barbae?

A well-known condition in which ingrown hairs repeatedly cause inflammation is pseudofolliculitis barbae.

The condition is primarily seen in the beard and neck area and is often referred to as razor bumps in English.

The name resembles folliculitis, but the underlying mechanism is different.

In pseudofolliculitis, a shaved or plucked hair grows back into the skin. The skin then reacts to the hair with inflammation around the hair follicle.

The shape of the hair plays an important role in this. Strongly curly hairs, in particular, are more likely to grow back towards the skin after shaving.

As a result, red or dark papules may reappear repeatedly, sometimes accompanied by itching, tenderness, or pustules.

That is also the reason why treating only the visible bump is not always sufficient. When the same hair penetrates the skin again after every shave, the irritation persists.

What is folliculitis?

Folliculitis means that a hair follicle is inflamed.

On the skin, you often see small red bumps or pustules surrounding a hair follicle. Sometimes a cluster of inflamed hair follicles lies together.

The skin may itch, be sensitive, or feel painful.

Folliculitis can have various causes. Bacteria can play a role, but yeasts, fungi, irritation, occlusion of the skin, friction, and ingrown hairs can also cause follicular inflammation.

Therefore, you cannot always immediately see the precise cause from the outside.

Therefore, a pustule around a hair does not automatically mean that someone has a bacterial infection.

Ingrown hair, pseudofolliculitis or folliculitis?

These terms are often used interchangeably, even though they describe something different.

At a ingrown hair The focus is primarily on the abnormal growth direction of the hair.

Bee pseudofolliculitis An inflammatory reaction occurs because shaved or removed hairs re-enter the skin.

Bee folliculitis Inflammation of the hair follicle is central. There can be various underlying causes.

Moreover, in practice, these skin conditions can occur alongside each other.

An ingrown hair, for example, can cause inflammation itself. At the same time, the skin can be irritated by repeated shaving.

That is why, during an assessment, I do not only look at the lump itself.

I look at the direction of hair growth, the thickness and shape of the hairs, the pattern of the spots, the location, the way someone removes hair, and the course of the skin reaction in the days afterward.

That often provides more information than just the question of whether redness or a pustule is visible.

Why are there dark spots left behind after shaving?

For some people, the biggest problem is ultimately not the bumps themselves, but the dark spots that remain after the inflammation.

We call this post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, often abbreviated to PIH.

After inflammation, pigment production in the skin can temporarily increase.

As a result, the original inflammation may have already disappeared while the pigment remains visible.

When inflammation recurs after every shave, over time new bumps, old pigment spots, and new ingrown hairs may become visible simultaneously.

Especially in skin types that naturally contain more melanin, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation can be more clearly visible and persist longer.

That is why I think it is important, when dealing with pigmentation after shaving, not to look only at the pigment spot itself.

After all, if the underlying inflammatory stimulus keeps recurring, new spots will continually appear.

Is a dark spot the same as a scar?

No.

Dark discoloration following inflammation can be post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. In this condition, extra pigment is present, but the structure of the skin does not necessarily have to be permanently altered.

With a real scar, the skin structure has changed.

After repeated or deeper inflammation, for example, thickenings, pits, or other structural changes may develop.

That distinction is important because pigment and scars are not treated in the same way.

What can you do yourself to treat ingrown hairs and razor bumps?

For minor issues, adjusting the hair removal method can already make a difference.

• Use a clean and sharp razor blade.
• Preferably shave in the direction of hair growth.
• Use as little pressure as possible.
• Do not go over the same spot unnecessarily often.
• Do not try to shave extremely close if you easily get ingrown hairs.
• Avoid friction from tight clothing as much as possible immediately after shaving.
• Do not scratch, pick at, or squeeze inflamed spots.
• Use skincare that does not unnecessarily irritate the skin barrier.

When the skin is clearly inflamed, temporarily stopping shaving or epilating is often wiser than repeatedly going over the same skin.

Does scrubbing help with ingrown hairs?

On the internet, scrubbing is almost standardly mentioned as a solution for ingrown hairs.

I am more careful with that.

The idea behind it is understandable. When superficial keratinization is reduced, a hair can sometimes grow through the skin surface more easily.

However, on already red, damaged, or inflamed skin, vigorous mechanical scrubbing can actually cause renewed irritation.

A suitable exfoliant can be beneficial for some skin types and during a quiet phase, but even then, stronger or more frequent use is not automatically better.

In the case of active inflammation, the first priority is rest for the skin and preventing new damage.

Why treating only the bump is sometimes not enough

When a thick, dark hair repeatedly grows back into the skin, you can treat each inflammation individually.

But the hair that causes the reaction remains present.

Then it becomes logical to also look at the hair growth itself.

With laser and IPL, light energy is absorbed by melanin in the hair.That energy is converted into heat.

The goal is to sufficiently thermally damage structures in the hair follicle involved in the formation of new hairs to reduce future hair growth for a long time.

As a result, fewer hairs may grow back after a course of treatment, and remaining hairs may become finer.

When dark, thick hairs are the specific cause of repeated ingrown hairs, hair reduction can therefore also reduce the source of the inflammatory stimulus.

Can IPL help with ingrown hairs?

That is possible, but not for every form of folliculitis or every red bump.

IPL hair reduction is particularly interesting when dark and sufficiently strong hairs repeatedly become ingrown and thereby cause an inflammatory response.

By reducing the amount of hair and allowing hairs to grow back finer, the chance of the same hairs penetrating the skin again can also decrease.

In the case of an active infection or an unclear inflammatory picture, I do not automatically start with IPL.

First, it must be clear what is going on and whether the skin is calm enough to be treated safely.

IPL and laser are not the same.

IPL and laser are commonly referred to together as laser hair removal, but technically they are different light systems.

A laser produces light within a very specific wavelength range.

IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light and uses a broader spectrum of light, where filters determine which part of the light is used.

In both techniques, melanin in the hair is an important target.

Therefore, dark and strong hair generally responds better than white, gray, or very light blonde hair.

Scientific research into long-term hair reduction shows that both various lasers and IPL can provide a long-lasting reduction in hair growth. However, the results vary depending on the technique, body area, and individual situation.

That body area is more important than is often thought. Hair on the chin, for example, has a different growth cycle and requires different treatment behavior than underarm or leg hair.

Why are multiple treatments necessary?

Hair does not all grow at the same time.

A hair follicle goes through various phases of growth, transition, and rest.

Light treatment is particularly effective when a suitable dark hair is in a growth phase in which sufficient energy can be transferred through the hair to the follicle.

During a single treatment, not all hairs in an area are at the same favorable moment in the growth cycle.

Therefore, treatments are repeated at intervals.

The number of treatments someone ultimately needs depends on, among other things, the location, hair thickness, hair color, hormonal influences, and the individual response to the treatment.

IPL hair reduction for Medicadermis

At Medicademis, I work with the following for hair reduction: Lumenis M22 IPL system.

Beforehand, I look at more than just the question of whether someone wants to get rid of their hair.

I assess, among other things, skin type, hair color and thickness, the body area, existing pigmentation, any inflammation, previous skin reactions, medication, and exposure to sunlight.

Dark and strong hair is generally most suitable for IPL because it contains sufficient melanin to absorb the light energy.

White and gray hairs contain virtually no melanin and are therefore not suitable for IPL hair reduction. Very light blonde hair also generally responds less well.

That also means that not every form of unwanted hair growth is automatically a good indication.

I take an extra critical look at ingrown hairs on the face.

Especially on the face, I find it important to first take a good look at the hair type.

A dark, thick terminal hair on the chin or jawline is different from very fine downy hair growth on the cheek.

To someone looking in the mirror, they might all be unwanted hairs.

That distinction definitely matters for the choice of whether or not to treat with IPL.

The thickness of the hair and the amount of pigment partly determine how suitable the hair is as a target for a light treatment.

Therefore, I do not automatically treat every form of facial hair growth with IPL.

For suitable dark and thick hair, hair reduction can be particularly beneficial when daily shaving or epilating repeatedly leads to ingrown hairs, inflammation, and pigmentation spots.

Ingrown hairs at the bikini line

The bikini line is an area where various factors come together.

The hair is often relatively thick, it is regularly shaved or epilated, and there is also a lot of friction from clothing.

Heat and perspiration can put further strain on the skin.

When it is primarily the hairs themselves that keep growing back in, long-term hair reduction can help not only to treat the subsequent inflammation but also to reduce the number of hairs that can grow back in.

However, in the case of active inflammation, I do not simply treat over the irritated skin.

First, it must be clear exactly what is going on.

Ingrown hairs on the legs and in the armpits

Ingrown hairs also occur frequently on the legs and in the armpits.

On the legs, you sometimes see hairs that continue to grow visibly under a thin layer of skin.

In the armpits, in addition to hair removal, heat, moisture, and friction also play a role.

When dark, thick hairs repeatedly become ingrown, reducing hair growth can help break the recurring cycle of hair removal, ingrown hairs, and inflammation.

What can you do about pigmentation spots after ingrown hairs?

When the inflammation subsides, dark spots may remain visible for a longer period of time.

Part of it will gradually fade away on its own.

How quickly this happens varies from person to person and depends on, among other things, skin type, the severity of the inflammation, exposure to sunlight, and whether new inflammations keep developing.

For stubborn post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, targeted skincare or additional skin treatment may be considered.

But I prefer to check first whether the cause of the inflammation is sufficiently under control.

Treating a pigment spot while an ingrown hair becomes infected again every few days is ultimately like trying to mop up water with the tap still running.

When should you see a doctor for inflamed hair follicles?

Not every inflammation around a hair follicle belongs in the care of a skin therapist.

Contact your GP if the skin inflammation clearly spreads, if you feel unwell, if the symptoms do not disappear after about two weeks and cause significant discomfort, or if the inflammation keeps recurring.

Larger, painful inflammations or a skin condition with an unclear cause also warrant medical assessment.

Therefore, if I have doubts during an intake as to whether the skin condition falls within my treatment area, I do not simply start a treatment.

What can I do for you as a skin therapist?

At Medicadermis, I don't automatically start with IPL, a peel, or a product just because someone has bumps after shaving.

I first want to understand why they arise.

I look at the skin, the hair, the way you remove hair, and the pattern of the symptoms.

Are ingrown hairs actually visible? Are the hair follicles primarily inflamed? Is the skin damaged by frequent shaving? Has post-inflammatory pigmentation already developed? And are the hairs causing the problem suitable for light treatment?

Only then does a choice of treatment become logical.

When the hair itself repeatedly triggers the inflammation and the hairs are suitable for treatment, IPL hair reduction can become part of the treatment plan.

In the case of damaged or actively inflamed skin, skin recovery or a medical assessment may actually be more important first.

And sometimes my advice is not to treat at all.

I find that assessment more important than starting treatment as soon as possible.

Suffering from ingrown hairs or recurring bumps after shaving?

Do you continue to suffer from ingrown hairs, red bumps, inflammation, or dark spots after shaving? Then you can make an initial appointment at Medicadermis in The Hague.

During the first appointment, I examine the skin and hair growth and discuss what I think is going on.

After that, I can indicate which approach I consider sensible and whether IPL hair reduction can play a role in it.

View IPL hair removal at Medicadermis in The Hague

Frequently asked questions about ingrown hairs, razor bumps, and folliculitis

Why do I get red bumps after shaving?

This can have various causes. A shaved hair can grow back into the skin, the skin can become irritated by shaving, or an inflammation of the hair follicle can develop. Sometimes multiple causes are at play simultaneously.

Is folliculitis the same as an ingrown hair?

No. With an ingrown hair, the direction in which the hair grows is central. Folliculitis means that the hair follicle is inflamed and can have various causes. An ingrown hair can, however, cause a follicular inflammatory reaction.

What is pseudofolliculitis barbae?

Pseudofolliculitis barbae is an inflammatory reaction in which hairs re-enter the skin after shaving or removal. It is primarily seen in the beard and neck area and occurs more frequently with strongly curly hair.

Can you squeeze out an ingrown hair?

Squeezing and picking can cause additional damage and increase the risk of inflammation, pigmentation spots, and scarring.

Does scrubbing help with ingrown hairs?

Not always. For calm skin, appropriate exfoliation can sometimes help, but vigorously scrubbing already red or inflamed skin can actually worsen the irritation.

Can IPL help with ingrown hairs?

When dark and thick hairs repeatedly become ingrown, long-term hair reduction can decrease the quantity and thickness of the hairs. This can also reduce a major cause of recurring ingrown hairs.

Can IPL be used for active folliculitis?

Not automatically. In the case of an active or potentially infectious inflammation, the cause must first be determined and whether the skin is sufficiently calm to be treated safely.

Why do I get dark spots after shaving?

Inflammation can stimulate pigment production in the skin. As a result, a dark discoloration may remain after a bump disappears. We call this post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Can ingrown hairs cause scars?

That is possible, especially when inflammations recur regularly or when the skin is scratched, picked at, or pinched. Incidentally, a dark spot after an inflammation is not automatically a scar.

Sources and literature

For this article, I have used current patient information and scientific literature on folliculitis, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and long-term hair reduction.

• Thuisarts: Inflammation of the hair follicles . Last modified in 2026.
• Dalia Y, Khatib J, Odens H, Patel T. Review of treatments for pseudofolliculitis barbae . Clinical and Experimental Dermatology. 2023;48(6):591-598.
• Krasniqi A, McClurg DP, Gillespie KJ, Rajpara S. Efficacy of lasers and light sources in long-term hair reduction: a systematic review . Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy. 2022;24(1-5):1-8.
• Perry PK, Cook-Bolden FE, Rahman Z, Jones E, Taylor SC. Defining pseudofolliculitis barbae: a review of the literature and current trends . Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

About the author

Charlotte de Deugd is a skin therapist and owner of Medicadermis in The Hague. In her practice, she treats unwanted hair growth, ingrown hairs, acne, and pigmentation problems, among other things. She combines skin therapeutic assessment with medical light technology and targeted advice for home care.