When a pimple, bump, or lump appears on your client’s skin, you must be able to determine exactly what it is in order to move forward with a safe and effective hair removal treatment. Today, we’ll help you compare the causes and distinguishing features of these blemishes to determine whether you’re dealing with an ingrown hair vs a cyst.
What causes ingrown hairs?
Ingrown hairs are very common and often occur after hair removal. Many factors can cause ingrown hairs, including:
Hair removal methods
Shaving is the most likely culprit responsible for ingrown hairs. A razor slices each shaft, leaving blunt, coarse stubble that can easily become trapped beneath the skin.
Even though waxing encourages hair to grow back thinner and finer, some of those new strands may struggle to emerge, especially if dead skin cells have blocked the opening of the follicle.
Clogged follicles
Dirt, oil, and dead skin cells will accumulate in pores and hair follicles unless they’re regularly exfoliated away.
Friction
After a wax, friction can increase inflammation, leading to swelling that traps hairs below the skin’s surface. That constant downward motion of clothing and other objects on the skin may force those strands back into the flesh rather than emerging cleanly.
Improper technique
Great technique is essential, no matter which hair removal method you choose. Shaving without cream, using a dull razor, and pressing too hard into the skin can all encourage ingrown hairs.
Using wax that’s the wrong temperature, applying or removing wax in the wrong direction, and pulling away from the skin instead of across it may all encourage breakage and patchy hair removal, increasing the risk of trapped strands.
Curly or coarse hair
Thick, coarse, curly strands are more likely to curve downward or parallel to the skin. That’s why ingrown hairs are so common in the public area, bikini line, and armpit. People with thicker facial hair may also notice them along the jawline.
What causes cysts?
To better distinguish between an ingrown hair vs a cyst, it’s important to understand the driving forces behind cysts, including:
Blocked glands or ducts
Sebaceous glands are responsible for oil production, which keeps your skin supple, hydrated, and healthy. But when these glands or ducts become clogged, fluid begins to build, and a cyst will grow.
Chronic inflammation
Cysts often develop in response to severe acne, frequent ingrown hairs, or excessive friction. Over time, ongoing inflammation can damage hair follicles and oil glands, thicken surrounding tissue, and inhibit adequate drainage.
Trauma, injury, or infection
Deep shaving cuts, aggressive extractions, and other injuries introduce harmful bacteria into the skin, creating the perfect environment for dangerous infections like folliculitis. This can trigger an inflammatory response and encourage cyst formation.
Hormonal imbalances
Hormonal fluctuations indirectly cause cysts by altering oil production, skin thickness, and inflammation. That’s why a client may encounter cysts before her period every month vs ingrown hairs that appear after waxing.
Genetic conditions
Some people are simply more prone to developing cysts than others. They’re particularly common in people with oily, acne-prone skin.
How to distinguish between an ingrown hair vs cyst
So, why does it matter if a client has a cyst vs an ingrown hair? Although it’s usually safe to wax over an ingrown strand, you’ll need to avoid an inflamed cyst to prevent ruptures, scars, and worsening infection.
At first glance, a cyst and an ingrown hair may seem similar, but there are several clues you can use to differentiate between the two.
Size and feel
An ingrown hair will be small and superficial vs a deep cyst that develops far below the surface. While trapped strands may feel hard and look like a pimple, cysts are smooth, round, movable masses that resemble a large boil or rubbery marble originating in the lower levels of the skin matrix.
Visible hair
Sometimes (but not always) you can identify an ingrown hair by the tell-tale dark root located right in the middle of the pimple-like bump. That’s the hair lurking just below the surface. Cysts lack this distinctive feature.
Pain level
An ingrown hair may feel tender, with a singing or burning sensation. Although a cyst might be painless at first, it will truly hurt if it becomes infected, grows too large, or ruptures.
How fast it appears
Most ingrown hairs appear within a few days of shaving or waxing. On the other hand, cysts form gradually over several weeks or months and have no correlation to hair removal.
Get the latest updates and expert tips for estheticians from Enso Wax!
From the legs and groin to the eyebrows, ingrown hairs and cysts can appear anywhere on the face and body. Enso Wax is here to help you care for your clients as they heal their skin and get rid of pesky blemishes. Shop our premium hard and soft waxes or explore our online aesthetics community to learn more!
