Ingrown hair on penis are those hairs that grow from small bumps on your skin after shaving, that can sometimes be painful.

WHAT ARE INGROWN HAIRS?

Ingrown hairs occur when hair grows under your skin or curls around and grows directly into the hair follicle, instead of shooting out.  You will notice ingrown hair in areas of your body where you shave or was, like your face, legs, and pubic region.

You are more likely to have ingrown hair if you have curly hair. Ingrown hair is nothing to panic about, however, it can cause inflammation which now leads to redness, swelling, itching, and pain around the area where the ingrown occurs.

IDENTIFYING INGROWN HAIR

Ingrown hair mostly appears like a small red cyst or bump on any part of the body, even on the penis. The bump may be filled with pus, which might be yellow or green if infected, but clear if not.
This bump will cause you to be uncomfortable as it may be itchy and painful. If you look closely, you may see a small dark ingrown hair at the middle of the bump or a dark straight line, indicating that the hair is passing inward.

INGROWN HAIR ON PENIS

Bumps on the penis can be a sign of many other things, depending on the cause. In most cases, the appearance of a bump on the penis is a sign of ingrown hair. Ingrown hair on the penis is more common among men who shave their pubic area. 

REASONS FOR INGROWN HAIR ON PENIS

There are several possible reasons why you have ingrown hair on your penis. Some of these reasons are:
(1) Improper shaving technique

(2) Shaving too often

(3) Not properly preparing the skin for hair removal
All these reasons are factors that promote dry skin. Dry skin causes hair follicles to be clogged with dead skin cells, making the hair grow sideways instead of shooting out upwards.

Also, as stated earlier, you are likely to have ingrown hair on your penis, if you naturally have curly hair. In the cause of shaving on an unprepared skin area, when the razor cuts curly hair, it creates a sharp ending, if the hair is cut at a point where it is curving inward, the sharp end will be able to pierce the skin and grow inward.

OTHER CAUSES OF INGROWN HAIR ON PENIS

(1) WEARING TIGHT UNDERWEAR: Wearing tight underwear over your newly shaven area traps the hair that is beginning to grow back and forces it to grow sideways. Try not to wear something tight after shaving. You can wear moisture wicking underwear instead

(2) LACK OF EXFOLIATION: You should cultivate the habit of moisturizing and exfoliating routinely. This is because when you do not exfoliate, your pores become clogged, making the hair follicle struggle to pierce through the skin. Amid the struggle, if it is still unable to pierce through, it then grows sideways.

COMPLICATIONS

An ingrown hair is normally not a reason to panic, but sometimes it can get infected, especially if you have been picking at the bump. This can irritate it or even open it up to be infected by bacteria. The common bacterial infection is folliculitis.

Folliculitis is a bacterial infection that develops within the hair follicle. If this doesn’t get treated, the infected bump can grow into a painful boil. When the infection is still at its mild stage, your doctor may prescribe some oral antibiotics and a cleanser, such as a benzoyl peroxide wash.

But in such a case that the infection has grown deeper, as may be seen in the case of a furuncle, incision and drainage of the infected boil might be necessary, in addition, your doctor will prescribe some antibiotics to you.

PREVENTION OF INGROWN HAIR ON PENIS

Ingrown hairs are not only uncomfortable, but they can also get infected and leave dark spots or scarring.
Here are some preventive measures you could take to be on the safer side:

(1) Wash the area of the skin with lukewarm water before shaving.
(2) Prepare the skin by using lubricating shaving cream or gel, to avoid dry skin. Make sure the lubricating cream does not contain any harsh chemicals that can irritate your skin.

(3) Always make use of a sharp razor when shaving. You are more likely to have bumps if you use a blunt razor, and don’t hold the skin too tight when shaving.
(4) Start exfoliating, it will help unclog your pores soften your skin and hair before removal, so when you run the sharp razor over your skin, the hair strand will pull off easily.

(5) You could decide to reduce shaving and trim instead. Those who trim their hair are very much less likely to have ingrown hair because they don’t cut the hair down to the surface.

REMOVAL OF INGROWN HAIR ON PENIS

You should leave the ingrown hair and allow it to heal without scratching or trying to pop it off.
However, you can attempt to remove an ingrown hair using either a sterile needle or tweezers and insert it under the hair loop, lifting out the hair gently. When you are done, clean the area with warm water and antibacterial soap. Avoid applying any substance that can irritate the skin.

SUMMARY 

Ingrown hair on the penis is not harmful, although can cause discomfort, so long as you are careful not to scratch or pick at it, it will not get infected. Make sure to talk to your doctor when you begin to notice that it is getting infected