Ingrown hairs are common after shaving, waxing, plucking or threading. Instead of growing out through the skin, a hair curves back or becomes trapped, causing an itchy or tender bump. Some people experience an occasional spot; others develop repeated inflammation, dark marks or shaving-related pseudofolliculitis.
Laser hair removal may help some people by reducing the number and thickness of suitable hairs that can grow back into the skin. It is not a guaranteed cure, and an inflamed bump is not automatically an ingrown hair. A consultation should first establish what is happening and whether the skin is ready for treatment.
Why do ingrown hairs keep returning?
Coarse or curly hairs are more likely to curve into the skin. Close shaving can leave a sharp hair tip, while waxing, plucking and threading can also contribute as the hair regrows. Common sites include the face and neck, legs, underarms, chest, back and pubic area.
The NHS ingrown-hair guidance, reviewed on 1 September 2026, recommends practical measures such as shaving in the direction of growth, avoiding very close shaving and not picking or squeezing the bumps. It also lists laser treatment as a longer-term hair-removal option.
How could laser hair reduction help?
Laser hair removal uses light that is absorbed by pigment in the hair. Heat is delivered to the follicle to reduce future growth. When fewer coarse hairs return, there may be fewer opportunities for them to curve back into the skin. Hair can also regrow finer after a course, although individual responses vary.
At Defyne Aesthetics in Longridge, near Preston, laser hair removal is performed with the Cynosure Elite MPX. It provides 755 nm Alexandrite and 1064 nm Nd:YAG wavelengths. The practitioner selects the wavelength and settings after assessing skin tone, hair colour, hair thickness, the treatment area and relevant medical history.
The goal is long-term hair reduction, not a promise of complete or permanent removal. Several sessions are normally required because hairs are not all in the same growth phase, and maintenance may be needed.
What does current research say?
Most published research concerns pseudofolliculitis barbae: an inflammatory condition commonly associated with shaving the beard or neck. This is related to recurrent ingrowing hair, but it is not evidence that every type of bump on every body area will respond in the same way.
A September 2026 study of 50 military patients reported improvement following Alexandrite or Nd:YAG laser hair removal, but recurrence was common and some participants reported patchy regrowth. The study was retrospective and relied partly on a later telephone survey, so it should inform expectations rather than be treated as a guarantee.
Recent expert consensus also supports laser hair removal as one possible procedural option for pseudofolliculitis, alongside changes to hair-removal habits and appropriate topical or medical treatment. The right plan depends on the diagnosis and the individual.
When should laser treatment wait?
Laser should not be used simply to “zap” a painful or infected bump. Treatment may need to be postponed if the area is hot, very swollen, broken, weeping or infected. Seek GP advice if you have severe pain, pus, spreading redness, fever or feel unwell.
A clinician should also assess bumps that are deep, repeatedly drain, scar or occur in folds such as the armpits or groin, because conditions such as folliculitis or hidradenitis suppurativa may resemble ingrown hairs and require medical management.
Who may not respond well?
Dark, pigmented hair generally responds better because laser relies on melanin in the hair. Blonde, white, grey and some red hairs may respond poorly or be unsuitable. Hormonal hair growth can also continue to develop, so further sessions may be needed even after a good initial response.
Skin tone, recent tanning, medicines and active skin conditions affect treatment planning. Possible adverse effects include temporary redness and swelling, burns, blistering, changes in skin colour, infection and scarring. Rarely, increased hair growth can occur. A patch test helps assess response but cannot remove every risk.
Planning treatment near Preston or Longridge
A useful consultation should examine the area, review how you currently remove hair, check medicines and skin history, and discuss whether the bumps need medical assessment first. It should also explain the likely course, realistic degree of hair reduction, aftercare and possible maintenance.
If you live in Preston, Longridge or elsewhere in Lancashire and the Ribble Valley, you can read more about laser hair removal with the Cynosure Elite MPX at Defyne Aesthetics. Suitability can only be decided after an individual consultation and patch test.
Frequently asked questions
Will laser hair removal permanently stop ingrown hairs?
No result can be guaranteed. Reducing suitable hair may reduce one cause of recurrent ingrowing, but hair can regrow and other skin conditions can cause similar bumps.
Can laser be used over an infected ingrown hair?
Treatment may need to wait. A painful, hot, swollen or pus-filled area should be assessed, and fever or feeling unwell requires medical advice.
Should I wax or pluck between laser sessions?
Usually not, because these methods remove the target hair from the follicle. Follow the clinic’s preparation instructions; shaving may be advised instead when the skin is calm.
Sources checked 3 November 2026: NHS, Ingrown hairs (reviewed 1 September 2026); Kravitz et al., Evaluating the Short- and Long-Term Outcomes of Laser Hair Removal for the Management of Pseudofolliculitis Barbae in a Military Population (September 2026); and current ASA/CAP hair-removal advertising guidance. This article is general education and not personalised medical advice.
