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Painful lump after shaving bikini area...


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Hi everyone,

 

I usually keep my pubic area shaved except for a small strip down the middle. When I'm at home, I use great care in which shaving cream I use, which razor I use, and in caring for my skin afterwards (I use Tend Skin religiously which prevents razor bumps).

 

I went accross the country with my boyfriend over the holidays to visit his parents and I forgot my razor, my shaving cream, AND my Tend Skin. So...the first time I shaved while there, I used his razor (it has 3 blades like mine so I figured it would be okay just once) and his shaving cream. The second time, I used a razor that I bought while I was there because I didn't want to risk it, but still used his shaving cream.

 

Well...the day after the second shave, a red painful bump appeared on my upper inner thigh. It grew in size very quickly and by 2 days later (Jan 2nd) it was very large, swollen and painful.

 

It's gotten somewhat smaller in size, but it's still about 1/2 inch in circumference and now feels like a hard nodule under the skin even though it's still a little tender. I've had something like it in the past (it was an ingrown hair), but not this big.

 

It's sooooo irritating and embarrassing (I'm glad my monthly is on because I don't want my boyfriend to see it).

 

What can I do to make it go away?? I mean, it's been there for 8 days now for cryin out loud and still hurts a little.

 

Has anyone else had something like this after shaving? Is it an infected ingrown hair? If only I hadn't forgotten my shaving supplies!!! ](*,)

 

What should I do??

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How did you all who squeezed tolerate the squeezing when it's tender and painful? Mine is about the size of a penny or maybe even a nickel I tried to look today to see if I could actually see the ingrown hair because sometimes, you can pull it free, but I couldn't see it at all! Is it possible that it's down in there somewhere?

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it sounds more like a boil. Ingrown hairs aren't supposed to be that painful. Take long, hot baths or put a hot, wet cloth on it. It will get worse before it gets better. Eventually, a white circle should appear, full of guck. Then it will drain a bunch of fluid, which you have to be very careful with because it's highly infectious. You can go see a doctor to get antibiotics if you don't want to deal with the pain and possibility of scarring.

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definitely ingrown hair is what it sounds like to me. I get them more often than I would like. Pathfinder offered the same advice I would. Keep it clean, use warm compress, and squeeze the crap out of it in order for it to heal. good luck.

 

Do NOT squeeze it. It's an infected follicle and squeezing could force the infection deeper instead of out like you want. I get these somewhat often and what I do is when I see pus, sterilize a needle and gently pop it that way so the infection can drain. They don't always come to a head though.

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I have had the exact same problem twice. Once last year and I just recently got over it again. This last time I had it for about a month and it slowly but eventually went away. I used a new razor this last time. It was so bad that I joked that I grew a testicle. Not funny when the razor burn hurts; and no mine was so solid that there was no possibility of squeezing it. If you really need reassurance, go to your MD (whether OB or primary). It sucks but try not to worry. I have read that some people are prone to this and that waxing may be a better option. I just shaved today and tried using my husbands aftershave to stoothe the area.

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Well, I used to think it was nonsense also. But, when I had my first child, I felt so uncomfortable that I started doing it. So I just clipped. But now, I need to be shaved in order to be comfortable. I know, it sounds weird. But, 'crazyaboutdogs', why do you assume that some women shave just for a guy? If you like the jungle look, hey go for it. It will go well with your orthopedic shoes.

 

(oh and btw, I have great looking feet!)

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there are rules to every game. In order to avoid ingrown hairs you have to shave correctly. Its best to shave while in the shower. A warm/hot shower! Wait around 10 minutes after you get in before shaving, go ahead and cleanse the skin with a gentle soap or body wash and rinse it well. Then use a rich lather of either soap or shaving gel (be careful of what kind you get) And get a good razor, always! always! always! shave WITH the grain! Never against it. When you shave against the grain it may give you a "smoother" feel but this is what causes ingrown hairs!!

After you are done rinse thoroughly and perhaps wash again gently.. and run under a little bit of cool water to tighten your pores back afterward.

This works for me

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Yes shaving properly is important. The media draws everyone into this idea of really close shaves, you've seen the adverts, the adverts even show people shaving incorrectly. Barbers will tell you that shaving too closely is a big no no, and they will tell you to always shave with the grain, never against, or you will have ingrowing hairs, all these new razors that shave really close will cause ingrowing hairs, which can result in scarring once they become infected and expand (because your body recognises the hair as foreign and tries to push it out by building up fluid that gets infected).

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