All right, I've been dealing with this for a few months but lately it's been getting annoying.
At 1 1/2 years into T, I've finally started growing a somewhat significant amount of facial hair. The issue is that it's coming in very curly and I seem to be getting a ton of ingrown hairs. I don't shave very often (unless it's my nearly bare cheeks or to clean up the neckline) but I do trim a couple times a week. I know that shaving can cause them but it doesn't seem to be the case for me as most of mine are within the areas that never get touched by a razor.

That being said, a couple weeks ago, I ended up dragging myself to the minute clinic. I had a really deep, super painful ingrown hair under my chin that swelled up and actually caused the left lymph node under my jaw to puff up and ache from the localized infection. After some antibiotics, that spot went away (thankfully), but I have a few other small areas.

Is there anything I can do? I'd feel sort of stupid buying beard oil at this point, but would something like that help?
So yeah, any of you ladies that have been through the crucible in a past life or any of you guys that have surpassed this awful stage of puberty, please chime in. Your help would be extremely appreciated.

I imagine that exfoliating regularly will help in letting those odd hairs break through.  I've also used a product called PFB Vanish + Chromabright, which I apply after electrolysis to prevent ingrowns.  It rolls on clear, almost like a roll-on deodorant. You might give this or similar products a try.  Good luck!

Erin

I get a lot of ingrown hairs on my thighs. There seem to be two types, some will have trouble breaking through the skin in the first place, and others will break through the skin and then curl back into it. I mostly dig the second type out with my fingernails, probably not the best method, but exfoliating doesn't normally work for this type. Since you said your facial hair is curly, is this the type you are getting?

Many young men just starting into puberty experience the same thing, ingrown hair along with acne. I had to just deal with each eruption when ever it came up.

Quote from: Dayta on May 28, 2017, 12:59:08 PM
I imagine that exfoliating regularly will help in letting those odd hairs break through.  I've also used a product called PFB Vanish + Chromabright, which I apply after electrolysis to prevent ingrowns.  It rolls on clear, almost like a roll-on deodorant. You might give this or similar products a try.  Good luck!

Erin

I never really would've thought about exfoliating, so thank you for the tip. Another possibly stupid question: How often would be too often when it comes to facial exfoliation? Would 2-3 times a week be sufficient?
I'll check out the product, too.

Quote from: VeronicaLynn on May 28, 2017, 02:56:17 PM
I get a lot of ingrown hairs on my thighs. There seem to be two types, some will have trouble breaking through the skin in the first place, and others will break through the skin and then curl back into it. I mostly dig the second type out with my fingernails, probably not the best method, but exfoliating doesn't normally work for this type. Since you said your facial hair is curly, is this the type you are getting?

Honestly, they seem to be the first type. The spots are typically just raised, red, irritated looking and warm to the touch; I never see any partially erupted hairs unless I'm just not looking close enough. Would one typically see at least part of the hair if it were curling back into the skin?
As far as acne goes, that's pretty much completely gone for me on my face. I may get a stray very small spot here and there, but nothing major. I'd just assume these spots were acne if they weren't all cropping up around my chinstrap and neck.

Sometimes the ones that curl back into the skin will have a small piece that's visible, it will look like a spot I missed shaving, but then after a few passes, it will be clear that it's starting to curl back in, and hard to tell which end has the root.

If I don't catch them, the skin will start to grow over them, and eventually the hair will get long and I'll get the red bump.

When you are shaving are you heating your face properly...use a good quality gel/foam and something my father suggested was to use a old fashioned soap and brush set up to provide the lubrication rather than the easier foam. There action of the shaving brush will help loosen some of those hairs that can't break through in the same way that exfoliating will. It will also massage the beard area encouraging better circulation and better growth... it may be an urban myth...but it was the way my grandfather taught my father to shave and they way I learnt. IMHO Unless your skin is tough a couple of times a week with the exfoliating will do....why not try the beard oil...do you tend to let you beard hair grow out? or shave as soon as there is any length.

Quote from: Stone Magnum on May 28, 2017, 05:17:36 PM
I never really would've thought about exfoliating, so thank you for the tip. Another possibly stupid question: How often would be too often when it comes to facial exfoliation? Would 2-3 times a week be sufficient?
I'll check out the product, too.

Twice a week is a good starting point.  Too irritating?  Try less.  Not effective?  Try more.  Lush makes a really nice facial scrub called Ocean Salt, if you're near one of their stores.  I'm sure there's a million other ones.   

Erin

Quote from: VeronicaLynn on May 28, 2017, 05:41:53 PM
Sometimes the ones that curl back into the skin will have a small piece that's visible, it will look like a spot I missed shaving, but then after a few passes, it will be clear that it's starting to curl back in, and hard to tell which end has the root.

If I don't catch them, the skin will start to grow over them, and eventually the hair will get long and I'll get the red bump.

That's good info. Maybe I need to start inspecting the areas a little closer, especially by the relatively small areas I shave. So far, the largest most painful ones have been in the places that never see a razor.

Quote from: ElizabethK on May 28, 2017, 06:08:33 PM
When you are shaving are you heating your face properly...use a good quality gel/foam and something my father suggested was to use a old fashioned soap and brush set up to provide the lubrication rather than the easier foam. There action of the shaving brush will help loosen some of those hairs that can't break through in the same way that exfoliating will. It will also massage the beard area encouraging better circulation and better growth... it may be an urban myth...but it was the way my grandfather taught my father to shave and they way I learnt. IMHO Unless your skin is tough a couple of times a week with the exfoliating will do....why not try the beard oil...do you tend to let you beard hair grow out? or shave as soon as there is any length.

I usually just let it grow, to be honest. I want a beard incredibly bad, and I know it currently looks terrible/weak, but I've waited so long for facial hair that I'm just working with what I've got.  I trim the chinstrap and under the chin, however, I shave the cheeks and tend to shave a clean line below the chinstrap to shape it up since the hair is coming in heavily down around the Adam's Apple area.
This is what I'm talking about (I haven't trimmed or shaved for two weeks in this picture due to the doctor telling me to refrain):

http://pixady.com/image/t01/

You can sort of see that the bigger spots are in the unshaved areas, while the smaller less invasive ones are in the spots the razor touches.
As far as the product I use to shave, I have a single-blade style razor and I use Cremo moisturizing shaving cream. I always shave after a shower, as well, and splash off with cool water when finished.
Though I'd like to eventually purchase and subsequently use a brush, I haven't yet for the same reason I haven't used beard oil. It feels... a little sad to call what I currently have a beard. It will definitely be a self-checkout situation when I go to buy those things, hahahah. If the brush action would help, I may just bite the bullet and go ahead and buy one along with some oil.

Quote from: Dayta on May 28, 2017, 07:48:57 PM
Twice a week is a good starting point.  Too irritating?  Try less.  Not effective?  Try more.  Lush makes a really nice facial scrub called Ocean Salt, if you're near one of their stores.  I'm sure there's a million other ones.   

Erin

Perfect, I'll swing by Target after work tonight and see what I can drudge up. Thank you a ton for the suggestion.

Quote from: Stone Magnum on May 28, 2017, 09:05:38 PM
That's good info. Maybe I need to start inspecting the areas a little closer, especially by the relatively small areas I shave. So far, the largest most painful ones have been in the places that never see a razor.


I usually just let it grow, to be honest. I want a beard incredibly bad, and I know it currently looks terrible/weak, but I've waited so long for facial hair that I'm just working with what I've got.  I trim the chinstrap and under the chin, however, I shave the cheeks and tend to shave a clean line below the chinstrap to shape it up since the hair is coming in heavily down around the Adam's Apple area.
This is what I'm talking about (I haven't trimmed or shaved for two weeks in this picture due to the doctor telling me to refrain):

You are being way too hard on yourself. It takes most cis-gender boys years of exposure to T to get a decent beard, many don't have one before they turn 18, having started puberty much earlier. You have way more facial hair than I did 1 1/2 years after starting male puberty...

There is also a possibility that some of those red spots aren't ingrown hairs and just pimples. If you get a pimple in an area that grows facial hair, it will stunt the growth of the hair somehow. Facial hair can trap oil, and make it difficult to keep clean. I used to sport a mustache and goatee, and thinking back, when I did, I had quite a number of zits in those areas. Those really hurt too. Not sure if those were hairs curling back in or not, didn't really notice that was the issue with my thighs until I started shaving them.

You are going to hate this suggestion from me ...I would shave off as much as you can tolerate and shave on a regular basis to give those hairs a chance to toughen up a bit, even if its just for a month or two and then once the ingrown stuff has healed have another go at letting it grow and hopefully now without the ingrown hairs being a problem ...give it time you are doing well...there is no way I could have grown as much as you after 1 and  1/2 hears through puberty. In fact it was 6 years before I could grow a moustache

The brush is just another way of bringing stimulation to the face, and can be used in conjunction with any soap foam or gel...did you say you use a moisturising oil afterwards. if not then it might be worthwhile...find a nice aftershave balm you like and use that. But proper shave oil will help.  Once the hairs get strong enough they will stick out a bit before curling in time for you to shave it. Instead of going for the long beard style you could try that three day grow look

Ah, thank both of you for saying that. The being self-critical thing is hard to dodge; I'm 29 and most of my friends have pretty well-established facial hair at this age (a couple of them just recently entered a beard competition) so I'm always stupidly pitting myself against them. It's a very strange thing essentially being a 16 year old at this age even though I knew it was coming.

Veronica, I'd say at least a couple of them are just pimples for sure. Honestly, until I had to take antibiotics for my swollen lymph node, I didn't give any of it too much thought whatsoever. As aesthetically annoying as it is, it's going to be even more annoying if that's a recurring issue. I just want to do as much as possible to prevent another similar episode.

Elizabeth, as dumb as this sounds, I don't know if I could bring myself to completely clean shave again. I'll give it some serious thought, though. The two times I did it previously I felt very lame and soft looking, hahah.
The hair doesn't seem to have fully entered the terminal state yet. It's very fast growing but it remains relatively soft (wirier than head hair but nothing like most beards I've seen).

Anyway, I picked up an exfoliating scrub, some stubble/beard moisturizer and a brush. Gave them a whirl last night along with a pretty close 1/2in trim and shave and it feels noticeably better. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.

Quote from: Stone Magnum on May 30, 2017, 01:12:35 AM
........Elizabeth, as dumb as this sounds, I don't know if I could bring myself to completely clean shave again.

Nothing dumb about it...try and get me to grow facial hair...no way don't care how good you say it will be for me...so I get you 100% 

The guys I know who have this problem, usually give up and just grow beards.
Though a few are actually just permanently removing their facial hair.