DEAR DOC: Worry not, it’s just hair growing

What happens is that after shaving, as the hair is growing back, it either re-enters the skin at the skin follicle or the sharp tip of the hair pierces the skin follicle before it even grows out of the skin to become visible. PHOTO| FILE| NATION MEDIA GROUP

Hi doc,

I hope you are well.

Kindly, I request for your advice on this issue. I have been having a hard time with these bump-like pimples: Whenever I shave, they emerge on my cheeks.

I can assume that some of the equipment used for shaving aren’t clean and sterilised, but is there a way I can prevent this from happening now and then?

Which method will I use to avoid being affected by these bumps?

Davy

 

Dr Flo,

I am a married man with a normal sex life with my wife. I keep having these mini boils, I would call them, which keep reccurring in the pubic area. 

A week barely passes before another boil crops up. They are tiny and are really painful; they at times swell exceedingly and produce pus, which at times I wipe off, before another comes up.

I am not really keen on regular shaving of the area but when I do it is really itchy and that’s when they come in their thousands. 

It’s really affecting me because, during the whole period one comes up, I am unable to attend to my wife because of the pain.

Could it be possible to get a lasting solution to this? 

Regards, Oduori

 

Dear Davy and Oduori,

What you are both suffering from is called pseudo-folliculitis.

What happens is that after shaving, as the hair is growing back, it either re-enters the skin at the skin follicle or the sharp tip of the hair pierces the skin follicle before it even grows out of the skin to become visible. This causes the area to become inflamed, causing itching, redness and even swelling.

Sometimes, it also gets infected, causing mores swelling and pain and production of pus. This can happen anywhere where the hair is shaved or plucked — including the face, the armpits, the groin and the legs.

It is more common in people with curly hair as compared to those with straight hair. It is more common in African males but it can also occur in women.

The simplest treatment for pseudo-folliculitis is to let the hair grow or only trim it and not shaving completely. The ingrown hair in the bumps can be removed gently with tweezers. Some creams can help to reduce the inflammation — steroid creams, acne medications, antibiotic creams in case of infection, and even antibiotic tablets.

To prevent these razor bumps in the future, suggestions include:

  •  Avoid shaving

  •  Don’t shave everyday; skip at least a day in between shaves

  •  Leave at least 0.5 to a millimetre of hair; don’t shave completely

  •  Use a single blade razor to avoid shaving too close

  •  Use an electric razor, which should be properly cleaned and sterilised after use

  •  Shave in the direction of the skin follicle, not against it, and don’t stretch the skin

  •  Soften the hair first with a hot, wet cloth or shave in a hot shower

  •  Exfoliate and moisturise the skin – for instance, with glycolic acid peel (a derivative of sugarcane)

  •  Chemical shaving — for example, using barium sulfide paste

  •  Permanent hair removal — such as with laser or electrolysis, Vaniqa cream (eflornithine hydrocholoride 13.9 per cent)

 

I am a woman aged 21. Two weeks before and after my menses, I have severe pain in my breasts and they grow bigger.

Could this be something serious and, if so, want can I do?

Ann

 

Dear Ann,

What you are experiencing is actually a normal response of your breasts to the hormone progesterone.

Progesterone levels rise after ovulation — that is, around two weeks after your periods — and stay until your next period. It is not an illness.

You could have a breast check-up and ultrasound scan to ensure that nothing else is wrong with your breasts. You can take painkillers to try and manage the pain and also use bras with good support.

 

Send your medical questions to [email protected] for absolutely free expert advice.