Ingrown hairs can be a side effect of hair removal by waxing, shaving or depilatory creams. Ingrown hairs can often look red, bumpy and can become infected. With waxing, the hair grows back pointed and soft, making it harder for the hair to come through the skin’s surface. The hair can curl back inside the follicle and grow under the skin, resulting in an ingrown hair.
Ingrown hair can also develop from shaving. As the top layer of skin is scraped or cut while shaving, it can cause the skin to harden. As a result hairs become trapped under the thickened skin and become problematic.