Treatment

To treat ingrown hairs, stop shaving, tweezing or waxing until the condition improves — usually one to six months. If that's not possible, consider laser treatment, which removes the hair at a deeper level and inhibits regrowth. Laser treatment may cause blisters, scars and skin darkening.

Medications

Your doctor may prescribe certain medications to help manage your condition. They include:

• Drugs that help remove dead skin cells. Retinoids applied to your skin, such as tretinoin (Renova, Retin-A, others), help with clearing dead cells from your skin (exfoliation).
• Creams to reduce inflammation. Your doctor may suggest a steroid cream.
• Creams or pills to control infection. For mild infections caused by scratching the affected area, your doctor may recommend an antibiotic ointment. For more severe infection, your doctor may prescribe oral antibiotics.