Maintaining a hair-free bikini line often presents its own set of challenges and picture this scenario: you’re enjoying a refreshing shower when you suddenly spot an ingrown hair right there along your bikini line.

Ingrown hairs are a fairly common occurrence and can be pesky to treat. If you’re someone who likes to go bare down there, from shaving to waxing, hair removal (or even just simply having curly hair) can cause ingrown hairs in the pubic area and along your bikini line.

Not to worry because we’ve got you covered on how to prep your skin to help prevent such irritation and maintain a smooth bikini line for summer – or all year-round if that’s your preference!

What are ingrown hairs and why do I get them?

Ingrown hairs are essentially strands of hair growing from the follicle that become trapped under the skin. If the top of the hair, especially coarse hair like pubic hair, is folded back and stuck underneath the skin instead of piercing through it, an ingrown hair bump can occur.

Ingrown hair along the bikini line and pubic area, in general, can either be soft or hard, with or without pus, or one of the three I’s: itchy, irritating, or inflamed.

Anywhere you remove hair on your body can result in an ingrown hair if the hair that's growing from the follicle remains under the skin. However, the bikini area is highly susceptible due to the texture of the hair. Pubic hair, biologically speaking, is always meant to be coarse and curly — once upon a time keeping us warm when clothes didn’t. So for pubic hair removal, new curly hair growing out of the follicle has more of an opportunity to remain curled under the skin and stay there, not breaking through.

Shaving is often the most common way for ingrown hairs to happen because it removes the hair strand, not the entire hair from the follicle itself — though this can still occur with waxing if the skin isn’t properly moisturized or prepared beforehand.

Bikini line hair removal tips to prevent ingrown hairs

Ingrown hairs suck for everyone so it’s important to treat your skin well to prevent them if you’d like to keep your bikini line hair-free.

Here are some tips to consider if you’d like to prevent ingrown hairs:

1. Cleanse. Wash your bikini line with warm water and a mild cleanser to remove dirt, oil, basically any kind of build-up. This will help prevent any bacteria that can lead to inflammation in the area.

2. Exfoliate. Gently exfoliate the area 24 hours before or after hair removal, particularly if you have sensitive skin, to further remove and dirt build-up and unclog hair follicles.

3. Try waxing. If you’re used to shaving but frequently get ingrown hairs, try waxing instead. Cold wax strips, like Veet® PURE Cold Wax Strips for Legs & Body^*, pull hair from the follicle and can last up to 28 days. Veet wax strips are designed for sensitive skin and will leave you feeling smooth.

4. Try hair removal cream. Not ready for waxing? Give hair removal cream a try. Hair removal cream, also known as a depilatory cream, essentially melts the hair away to be scraped or rubbed off, like Veet® Professional™ Full Bikini Hair Removal Cream Kit^*. It’s designed for coarse hair and it’s Veet’s first full bikini removal product. Always try a test patch before doing the full amount on your bikini line.

^*Ensure this product is right for you. Always read and follow the product label before use.