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ingrowing hair

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
The doc told me this lump I got at the bottom of my spine was caused by an ingrowing hair and I should use some depilatory cream to fix it. I brought some Veet but I cannot see how removing the (few) hairs will make any difference, it's not infected and there is no redness or anything there?

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Exfoliation helps ingrowing hairs.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Depilatory cream for an ingrowing hair? Well there's one I've never heard before.

    Your doctor is right about removing the hair though, I'd probably recommend plucking/exfoliating over depilatory creams though, but you could give it a shot.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    def get rid of it my frnd is really hairy and got a absence on his spine from a ingrown hair and had to save surgry
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I never got told to do any of this when I had one (in the same place, incidently) - all I got told to do was take some tablets that the doctor gave me and told me to come back in two days time. And the next day I went back because the lump had got bigger and got told that I needed surgery.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Did he mention Pilonidal or Sinus at all?

    If he did (or even if he didn't) do absolutely everything he said and reallly work on it, because you really really really really really really really really really really really don't want to have to have surgery on it.

    If it's what I'm thinking then part of what you want to do is stop any more hair growing into it, hence the depilation.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I've had it for months, my bro had an abscess there and it was ok for some years after taking medication then one day just flared up an dhe had to have it removed.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i've had a big lump on my coxxyx for years, looked it up and sounded like a pilonidal cyst. couldnt be bothered with doctors and its starting to go now.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What I would say to anyone that has anything along these lines is to monitor it closely, do everything your told and if anything changes or gets worse in the slighest then see a doctor fast.

    If you end of needing the mjor surgery it will steal at least 3 months of your life.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    why? how much of you do they cut out?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I've recently got a lump in a place I care not to disclose, and it isn't going away, it's been there weeks. It's not red, inflamed or painful, just same as the rest of the flesh. I don't know what to do about it. The only thing I'm certain of is that it shouldn't be there.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Get your arse down to a doctor and get it checked out. It's not that unpleasant or embarassing and it means that someone has given it a proper look over.

    Minimi, in my case they cut enough out that you could have easily put an egg inside the hole.

    Don't let that put anyone else off seeing the doctor though, hopefully you can avoid things getting that far.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    sick
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thanks.:rolleyes:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Minimi, in my case they cut enough out that you could have easily put an egg inside the hole.
    That gives me goosepimples :sour:
    My friend had the same thing and she had to have surgery.It doesn't sound that uncommon really! But I would be so grossed out if it was me.. I have a thing about holes in the skin that shouldn't be there lol.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I used to, funnily enough I've got over it!

    1\100 young men and 1\1000 young women (approx) get it to some extent or other, so pretty common.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Minimi, in my case they cut enough out that you could have easily put an egg inside the hole.

    Thsi is what they did to me. Then I had to have 4 weeks of the area being cleaned and dressed. (which was quite painful)

    What causes ingrown hairs? Or is it just one of those things that happens for no reason at all? Is there any reason why it's more common in young men than it is in young women?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    1\100 young men and 1\1000 young women (approx) get it to some extent or other, so pretty common.

    That surprises me since I thought a lot of women got them from shaving/waxing without exfoliating first.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sofie wrote: »

    What causes ingrown hairs?

    Ingrown hairs are caused when the hair grows abnormally up the hair follicle and ends up curling under the skin instead of out of the opening of the follicle.

    It's usually caused because the hairs have been "weakened" as such, from removal methods, or because they've been cut short enough to allow the skin to form over the follicle opening. This is why alot of people get them after waxing/shaving :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ok so what is the best way to look after these things? Doc told not to keep toucing it, could get infected so if I ex foliate it might do it any good?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Leaving it alone is a good idea. If you have any problems (like it getting bigger or bursting) then go back to the doctor. They might tell you that you need surgery on it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Nikki is talking about ingrowing hairs that lots of people who shave get, they are usualy little things and you get a bit of a pimple, poke, prod and exfoliate and these go away.

    Sofie, you and I are on about a far more significant type of ingrowing hair, where hairs grow the wrong direction and into your skin rather than out and cause tiny tunnels to form. Another problem associated with these is other hair from around the area growing in as well or falling in when it sheds.

    In the nicest way possible you need to ignore Nikki on this one (well the ingrowing bit anyway), she's got the wrong thing in mind. If your doctor suggested shaving then go for that, or using depilating cream (like veet or something). From what I gather most people find that easier. (Nikki does however seem to be a bit of a whiz on the various ways of hair removal).

    www.pilonidal.org has some useful info on removing hair from the area (although bear in mind when you look at the site that it's written and maintained by people for whom this problem has taken over their lives so remember their stories are the worst case).

    Sofie, I think it's more common in men than women because men are generally hairier (useless fact, a significant proportion of these things don't actually have hair in at all). And I would have been so happy if it had been 4 weeks, I've had 3 operations on it in the last year and had the last one cleaned/dressed for best part of 4 months. (Hence why I'm starting to know quite a lot about them).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I waxed the hairs off it today, I think it's better than the hair removal creams, will see how this goes.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whatever you can manage, although if you can wax then you have to do it less often!
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