How to get rid of bumps after waxing or shaving

A bump after hair removal is one of three things: an ingrown hair, an infected follicle, or skin that is simply irritated. The fixes the AAD and the NHS publish are mostly about stopping, waiting and not picking. What changes is the method and the cream, and that part depends on whether you are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to conceive or managing PCOS.

By The Truva teamPublished

Answers for 6 life stages19 sources, all linked13 min read

What are the bumps after waxing or shaving?

Bumps after hair removal are usually one of three things, and they need different handling. An ingrown hair is a hair that has grown back into the skin. Folliculitis is an infected hair follicle. And plain irritation is skin that is red after being waxed, which the AAD says can last a short while.

The ingrown hair is the one people call a razor bump. The AAD explains it in three sentences: razor bumps develop when the razor cuts hairs short, coarse or curly hairs cut short can curve into the skin, and the skin reacts to them. The medical name is pseudofolliculitis barbae, and the NHS adds that waxing, plucking and threading hair can also lead to ingrown hairs, so it is not only a shaving problem.

Folliculitis is an infection rather than a trapped hair. The AAD describes it as a common infection that usually looks like a sudden acne breakout, each spot with a red ring around it. It starts when a follicle is damaged and germs already living on the skin, commonly Staph aureus, get inside. Shaving, plucking and waxing are on the AAD’s list of common causes, alongside tight clothing and badly kept hot tubs.

A normal hair follicle, an ingrown hair and folliculitisThree cross sections through skin, one above the other, each with the same hair follicle and oil gland. In the first, the hair grows straight up through the opening and out above the skin. A note reads: shaving, waxing and tweezing remove the strand of hair and leave the follicle in place, so a new hair grows from it. In the second, the hair leaves the skin, arcs over and grows back down into the skin beside the follicle, where the surface is raised into a small bump inside a reddened patch. Two notes read: the cut end curves back in, because a hair cut short can curve back into the skin, more often when it is coarse or curly; and the skin reacts to it, which is the bump, called a razor bump, with the medical name pseudofolliculitis barbae. In the third, there is no hair. The follicle holds small dots standing for germs, its opening is capped by a raised spot of pus, and a reddened ring surrounds it. Two notes read: germs get into a damaged follicle, since shaving, plucking and waxing can damage follicles and germs already on the skin, such as Staph aureus, can then infect them; and a red ring around each spot, because it looks like a sudden acne breakout and the red ring is a sign of the infection.A normal follicleThe hair grows up and outShaving, waxing and tweezing remove thestrand and leave the follicle in place, so anew hair grows from it.An ingrown hairThe cut end curves back inA hair cut short can curve back into theskin as it grows, more often when it iscoarse or curly.The skin reacts to itThat reaction is the bump. The AAD callsit a razor bump, and its medical name ispseudofolliculitis barbae.FolliculitisGerms get into a damaged follicleShaving, plucking and waxing can damagefollicles, and germs already on your skin,such as Staph aureus, can then infect them.A red ring around each spotIt looks like a sudden acne breakout, andthe red ring is a sign of the infection.
Three things that all get called a bump after hair removal. A normal follicle, with the hair growing up and out. An ingrown hair, where a hair cut short curves back into the skin and the skin reacts to it. And folliculitis, where a follicle damaged by shaving, plucking or waxing has been infected. Each is described in the words of the body cited beside it in the text.This diagram is wider than the screen. Drag it sideways to see the rest.

None of this is the same as keratosis pilaris, which is a plug of dead skin cells in the follicle opening rather than a hair growing the wrong way, and the fixes are different. Our post on keratosis pilaris draws the plugged follicle beside a normal one, so you can tell which you are looking at.

Why do waxing and shaving cause different bumps?

Waxing and shaving cause different bumps because they remove the hair at different depths, and the depth decides what grows back. A razor cuts the hair at the skin’s surface. Wax pulls the whole strand out. Neither touches the follicle, which Cleveland Clinic makes explicit: shaving, waxing and tweezing only remove hair strands, and the next hair grows from the same place.

Where shaving, waxing and laser each remove a hairA tall cross section of one hair follicle running from the skin surface down into the deeper layer, with the hair inside it. A short bar crosses the hair just above the skin surface. A note reads: shaving cuts it at the surface. A razor cuts hairs at the surface of the skin, and coarse, curly hair cut short can curve back in, which is the razor bump. An arrow runs up beside the follicle from its base. A note reads: waxing pulls the whole hair out. The NHS says waxing, plucking and threading can all lead to ingrown hairs, and the follicle is left in place. The base of the follicle is shaded. A note reads: laser and electrolysis target the follicle. Both aim to destroy the follicle itself so no hair regrows from it, and the AAD puts laser at about 6 treatments to do so.Where each method removes the hairShaving cuts it at the surfaceA razor cuts hairs at the surface of the skin.Coarse, curly hair cut short can curve backin, which is the razor bump.Waxing pulls the whole hair outThe NHS says waxing, plucking and threadingcan all lead to ingrown hairs, and thefollicle is left in place.Laser and electrolysis target the follicleBoth aim to destroy the follicle itself, so nohair regrows from it. The AAD puts laser atabout 6 treatments to do so.
Where each method of hair removal works. A razor cuts the hair at the surface. Waxing, plucking and threading pull the whole strand out and leave the follicle behind. Laser and electrolysis aim at the follicle itself. Depilatory creams are not placed on the drawing, because the sources say they dissolve hair without saying how deep.This diagram is wider than the screen. Drag it sideways to see the rest.

The AAD’s guide to 6 ways to remove unwanted hair lists what each one tends to cost. Shaving is painless but frequent and some people who shave develop ingrown hairs. Waxing leaves skin red and irritated for a short while, and is not recommended while you are taking an antibiotic or isotretinoin or applying tretinoin, because those thin the skin and it can tear as the wax comes off. Depilatory creams dissolve the hair, and the AAD’s instruction is to test each one on a small patch first and wait 24 hours, because they can irritate skin even after months of trouble free use. Threading causes little irritation but can cause ingrown hairs in inexperienced hands.

Laser and electrolysis are the two methods that go after the follicle, and they are the only ones that remove the cause of an ingrown hair rather than managing it. The AAD says people with constant razor burn or ingrown hairs from shaving can end both with laser hair removal, because once you’re no longer shaving, you won’t be bothered by razor burn or ingrown hairs. It takes about 6 treatments, does not work on blonde, white, grey or red hair, and is permanent everywhere except, the AAD notes, on a woman’s face. That exception matters in the PCOS section below.

How do you get rid of bumps after hair removal?

Getting rid of bumps after hair removal mostly means stopping the removal for a while, using warmth, and leaving the bumps alone. That is less satisfying than a product, and it is what the AAD, the NHS and Cleveland Clinic all publish. Most ingrown hairs, Cleveland Clinic says, heal themselves within one to two weeks.

Stop removing hair from that area

For folliculitis the AAD’s instruction is direct: when shaving, plucking, or waxing causes the infection, you’ll want to stop doing these things for 30 days. For razor bumps the answer is to grow the hair. Once you stop, the AAD says you should see fewer razor bumps within one month and they should be gone after three, with a few new ones in the meantime as the hairs from your last shave grow long enough to curve back.

Warm compresses, several times a day

Warmth is the one active step every source agrees on. The AAD’s routine for folliculitis is a warm compress at least 3 to 4 times a day, left on for 15 to 20 minutes each time. Cleveland Clinic suggests 10 to 15 minutes to help an ingrown hair release. It needs nothing but a clean cloth and warm water, which also makes it the one step that raises no question in any of the profiles below.

Do not pick, pluck or squeeze

Picking turns an ingrown hair into an infected one. The NHS asks you not to scratch, pick or squeeze ingrown hairs as this can damage your skin and lead to infection, and the AAD adds that you should never pluck a hair inside a razor bump, because that causes new ones. Removing a trapped hair is a job the NHS lists for a GP, with a sterile needle or blade.

Exfoliate gently, and ask a pharmacist

The NHS suggests an exfoliating scrub to help release trapped hairs, and says a pharmacist can advise on creams for itching, exfoliating products and a mild antiseptic. The published sources stop there: none of them names a specific over the counter ingredient for ingrown hairs. If you reach for a salicylic or glycolic acid product anyway, our comparison of glycolic and salicylic acid sets out how the two differ. Nothing cited here recommends either one for ingrown hairs specifically.

The disagreement about how often to shave

If you keep shaving, two bodies give opposite instructions on frequency. The AAD says to shave daily, or at least every 2 to 3 days, so hair has less time to grow long enough to curve. The NHS says do not shave every day, if possible, and to leave at least 1mm of stubble. Both agree on shaving with the grain, on wet, softened hair, rinsing the blade after each stroke. The AAD’s version is written from its razor bump pages, much of it for men with coarse, curly beard hair; the NHS page is general. Neither acknowledges the other, and this post will not pretend they agree.

After a wax

The AAD’s aftercare for waxing is cold packs for pain, no hot baths or showers, loose clothing, and a moisturiser labelled oil free or non comedogenic. It also asks you to stop retinoid creams 2 to 5 days before waxing your face, so the wax does not take skin with the hair. If redness or swelling after waxing lasts more than two days, that is the AAD’s point for seeing a dermatologist.

Which hair removal and bump treatments are safe in pregnancy, breastfeeding or PCOS?

Shaving, waxing and tweezing are cleared in pregnancy by ACOG, and the routine above needs nothing that raises a question. The disagreements are over three things: depilatory creams, laser, and the creams a doctor might add for a bump that will not settle. Those depend on whether you are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to conceive or managing PCOS.

If you are pregnant

Pregnancy can make the job bigger. ACOG says hormone changes may make body hair thicker and bring it to areas where they do not normally have hair, such as the face, chest, abdomen, and arms, and that it is safe to use tweezing, waxing and shaving to remove it. ACOG’s page does not mention depilatory creams or laser in either direction.

Depilatory creams. MotherSafe, the medicines in pregnancy service at the Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney, says the thioglycolic acid in these creams is used at low concentration for a short time and concludes that hair removal creams are safe to use in pregnancy, while admitting there is no specific data on how much is absorbed. The review in Canadian Family Physician it relies on says the same thing about the data: human studies on systemic absorption of thioglycolic acid have not been conducted. The American Pregnancy Association puts it the other way round: there is no evidence that they are harmful during pregnancy, but there have been no studies that prove they are safe either. Both are describing the same gap. The AAD’s patch test applies either way.

Laser. This is the real disagreement, and the drawing below shows what each side is talking about. MotherSafe says the laser does not penetrate beyond the skin and thus poses no risk to an unborn baby during pregnancy. The American Pregnancy Association says there are no studies that evaluate the safety of laser hair removal during pregnancy, and that many providers recommend avoiding it for that reason. The AAD’s own laser hair removal pages do not mention pregnancy. Where the AAD does discuss lasers in pregnancy, for acne, it calls them relatively safe and points at a different risk: some need a numbing solution or medicine, which could affect your baby.

What a hair removal laser reaches, and two positions on it in pregnancyA laser handpiece above a cross section of skin sends a narrowing beam down through the surface to the base of a hair follicle, where it stops. A thin layer of cream sits on the skin surface to one side. The lower edge of the skin is marked, and the space below it is labelled below the skin, with nothing drawn in it. Four notes lead off the drawing. First, a beam the hair absorbs: the pigment in the hair absorbs the light, and over time that can destroy the follicle so the hair cannot grow back. Second, the numbing cream is a separate question: writing about lasers for acne in pregnancy, the AAD says some need a numbing solution or medicine that could affect your baby. Third, MotherSafe says it stops in the skin: the laser heats the skin and does not penetrate beyond it, which is why this service says it poses no risk in pregnancy. Fourth, the American Pregnancy Association says there are no studies: no study has looked at laser hair removal in pregnancy, and many providers recommend avoiding it because of that gap.What a hair removal laser reachesBelow the skinA beam the hair absorbsThe pigment in the hair absorbs the light,and over time that can destroy the follicleso the hair cannot grow back.The numbing cream is a separate questionWriting about lasers for acne in pregnancy,the AAD says some need a numbing solutionor medicine that could affect your baby.MotherSafe: it stops in the skinThe laser heats the skin and does notpenetrate beyond it, which is why this servicesays it poses no risk in pregnancy.American Pregnancy Association: no studiesNo study has looked at laser hair removal inpregnancy, and many providers recommendavoiding it because of that gap.
What a hair removal laser reaches, and what two bodies conclude from it in pregnancy. MotherSafe says the light heats the skin and goes no further, so it poses no risk. The American Pregnancy Association says no study has checked, and that many providers recommend avoiding it. The AAD's own flag, written about lasers for acne, is the numbing product rather than the light.This diagram is wider than the screen. Drag it sideways to see the rest.

MotherSafe adds a line worth keeping even where it clears something: cosmetic treatments are not medically necessary, and if safety is uncertain it is worth asking whether the treatment is needed now. For laser there is a practical reason to wait as well, which is in the postpartum section.

Electrolysis. The American Pregnancy Association says galvanic current is NOT recommended for electrolysis during pregnancy, because amniotic fluid conducts electricity, while thermolysis has not been found harmful. It also records that no studies exist, and that many electrologists want a letter from your provider first.

Creams for a bump that will not settle. ACOG lists topical benzoyl peroxide, azelaic acid, topical salicylic acid and glycolic acid among the over the counter ingredients that can be used during pregnancy, and MotherSafe considers benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and glycolic acid safe too. The AAD is more cautious: its pregnancy skin care page puts benzoyl peroxide, and salicylic acid above 2 per cent, on its list to use sparingly and discuss with a dermatologist. Our post on salicylic acid in pregnancy carries that disagreement in full. For an infected bump, the AAD says applying clindamycin during pregnancy is thought to be safe, to be checked with your obstetrician or dermatologist first, and MotherToBaby says it is unlikely that using topical clindamycin would increase the chance of birth defects. Retinoids, which Cleveland Clinic lists among prescription options for ingrown hairs, are the one clear no: ACOG says use of topical retinoids should generally be avoided in pregnancy. For the steroid cream the NHS says a GP may give, none of the sources this post cites says anything about pregnancy, and that is a question for whoever prescribes it.

If you are breastfeeding

Breastfeeding clears more than pregnancy does. MotherSafe says hair removal or bleaching creams are generally considered safe to use while breastfeeding and that laser treatment is considered safe while breastfeeding. The NIH’s Drugs and Lactation Database considers topical benzoyl peroxide a low risk to the nursing infant, as long as your baby’s skin does not touch the treated area, and considers salicylic acid safe on the same condition. For topical clindamycin, MotherToBaby says so little is absorbed that it is unlikely to reach breast milk in amounts that could affect a nursing baby. The condition that runs through all of these is placement: keep any cream off skin your baby will touch, which is easy for a bikini line and harder for the chest.

If you are trying to conceive

Trying to conceive has no hair removal rule of its own, and the post will not invent one. Two instructions from NICHD do reach this stage directly. On eflornithine, the prescription cream that slows facial hair, it says to talk to your health care provider about risks, benefits, and your fertility goals before using the cream. On retinoids, it says those who are or wish to become pregnant should not use them. Everything else in this post is written about pregnancy itself, and the window in which somebody is pregnant before they know it is the reason Truva treats salicylic acid as Caution Advised on a trying to conceive profile. That is a judgement about timing, labelled as one, and not a published finding.

If you are postpartum and not breastfeeding

Postpartum without breastfeeding returns you to the general routine, with every method and cream above available as the AAD describes them. One line from ACOG is worth reading before booking a course of laser: the extra hair of pregnancy should return to normal within 6 months after giving birth. Paying to permanently remove hair that is expected to go on its own is a choice worth making after those six months rather than before. That is this post’s inference from ACOG’s timeline, not advice ACOG gives.

If you have PCOS

PCOS changes how often this happens rather than what is allowed. NICHD’s page on PCOS treatments gives unwanted hair a section of its own, and removing it constantly makes the bumps a standing problem rather than an occasional one. It says some of the everyday methods, such as shaving and plucking, are associated with skin irritation and the development of ingrown hairs, and that some depilatories cause irritation and rashes. The long term options it names are electrolysis, laser and intense pulsed light, and the 2023 international guideline recommends mechanical laser and light therapies for reducing facial hirsutism, with two caveats: more sessions may be needed in PCOS, and there is no evidence that home IPL kits work. Add the AAD’s note that laser is permanent except on a woman’s face, and a course of laser for facial hair in PCOS is maintenance rather than a cure.

Eflornithine cream slows facial hair growth, has not been studied specifically in PCOS, and pregnant women should not use this cream because it can cause harm to a fetus. While breastfeeding, LactMed says topical eflornithine is poorly absorbed so it is not likely to reach the bloodstream of the infant. PCOS very often overlaps with trying to conceive, which is where the eflornithine instruction above comes in. Our post on PCOS skincare sets out the other three skin signs and what has been published about each.

If none of these apply

The routine in the middle of this post is the whole answer: stop, use warmth, do not pick, and switch methods if the same bumps keep coming back. If you are choosing a new method, the AAD’s view is that laser is the one that ends ingrown hairs rather than managing them, with the caveats about hair colour and the number of sessions. This split by life stage is what Truva was built to make, and the comparison pages explain why a scanner that never asks your situation cannot make it.

When should bumps after hair removal go to a doctor?

Bumps after hair removal need a doctor when they look infected, last, or keep coming back. The NHS says to see a GP if an ingrown hair or area around it is very painful, hot or swollen, or if you have a high temperature or feel very unwell. A GP may give a steroid cream for swelling or an antibiotic cream or tablets for infection, and the AAD says some folliculitis needs an antibiotic to clear. Redness or swelling lasting more than two days after a wax is the AAD’s threshold. Razor bumps that persist despite a change of technique are worth a dermatologist, because the AAD warns they can leave permanent deep grooves and raised scars. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take the name of any cream to your obstetrician or midwife before using it, and if unwanted hair arrives suddenly, the AAD says a dermatologist can explain what is happening.

Key takeaways

Where this came from

Every health claim on this page links to the body that published it. Nothing here comes from another blog.

Show all 19 sources
  • American Academy of DermatologyAcne-like breakouts could be folliculitisThat folliculitis is an infection of hair follicles that follows damage to them, that it looks like a sudden acne breakout with a red ring around each spot, that Staph aureus on the skin is a common source, that shaving, plucking or waxing is a common cause, the warm compress routine of 15 to 20 minutes at least 3 to 4 times a day, stopping the hair removal that caused it for 30 days, and that some people need an antibiotic.
  • American Academy of DermatologyRazor bump remedies for men with darker skin tonesWhy razor bumps form, that shortened coarse or curly hairs curve into the skin and the skin reacts to them, the medical name pseudofolliculitis barbae, fewer bumps within a month and none after three months of not shaving, never plucking a hair inside a razor bump, and that bumps which persist can leave permanent grooves and raised scars.
  • American Academy of Dermatology6 razor bump prevention tips from dermatologistsThat shaving causes razor bumps and growing the hair out removes the cause, shaving when the hair is soft and with the grain, and shaving daily or at least every 2 to 3 days so hair has less time to curve.
  • American Academy of Dermatology6 ways to remove unwanted hairHow each method works: a razor cuts hair at the surface, waxing pulls hairs out, a depilatory dissolves hair and can irritate so should be tested first, laser is absorbed by pigment and takes about 6 treatments to destroy a follicle and is permanent except on a woman's face, and electrolysis damages the follicle. Also that waxing is not recommended while taking an antibiotic or isotretinoin or applying tretinoin, and that laser can end razor burn and ingrown hairs for people who shave.
  • American Academy of DermatologyHair removal: How to waxAvoiding retinoid creams for 2 to 5 days before waxing the face, the aftercare of cold packs, loose clothing and a moisturiser that will not clog pores, and seeing a dermatologist if redness or swelling after waxing lasts more than two days.
  • NHSIngrown hairsThat the best way to prevent ingrown hairs is not shaving, that waxing, plucking and threading can also cause them, not shaving every day and leaving at least 1mm of stubble, not scratching or squeezing, what a pharmacist can offer, when to see a GP, and that a GP may give a steroid cream or an antibiotic cream or tablets.
  • Cleveland ClinicIngrown Hair: What It Looks Like, Causes, Treatment & PreventionThat shaving, waxing and tweezing remove the hair strand and not the follicle, that most ingrown hairs heal themselves within one to two weeks, and that prescription options include antibiotics, steroids and retinoids.
  • American College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsSkin Conditions During PregnancyThat pregnancy can make hair grow thicker and in new places including the face, chest, abdomen and arms, that tweezing, waxing and shaving are safe during pregnancy, that hair should return to normal within 6 months after birth, the over the counter list that includes topical benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and glycolic acid, and that topical retinoids should generally be avoided.
  • MotherSafe, Royal Hospital for Women, NSW HealthSkin Care, Hair Care and Cosmetic Treatments in Pregnancy and BreastfeedingThat hair removal creams are safe to use in pregnancy despite no specific data on thioglycolic acid absorption, that laser heats the skin only and poses no risk to an unborn baby, that benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and glycolic acid are considered safe in pregnancy, that cosmetic treatments are discretionary, and that hair removal creams and laser are considered safe while breastfeeding.
  • American Pregnancy AssociationLaser Hair Removal During PregnancyThat there are no studies of laser hair removal or electrolysis in pregnancy and many providers recommend avoiding both, that galvanic electrolysis is not recommended in pregnancy, and that depilatories have no evidence of harm and no studies proving safety.
  • Canadian Family Physician, via PubMed CentralSafety of skin care products during pregnancyThat human studies on how much thioglycolic acid, the active ingredient in most hair removal creams, is absorbed through skin have not been conducted. It is the review MotherSafe cites for its own position.
  • American Academy of DermatologyDermatologist-approved pregnancy skin careThat benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid above 2 per cent are on the list to use sparingly and discuss with a dermatologist during pregnancy, and that retinoids are on the list to avoid.
  • American Academy of DermatologyIs any acne treatment safe to use during pregnancy?That applying clindamycin during pregnancy is thought to be safe, to be checked with an obstetrician or dermatologist first, and, writing about lasers for acne, that some laser treatments need a numbing solution or medicine that could affect the baby.
  • MotherToBaby, Organization of Teratology Information SpecialistsClindamycinThat topical clindamycin is unlikely to increase the chance of birth defects, and that so little clindamycin applied to skin is absorbed that it is unlikely to reach breast milk in amounts that could affect a nursing baby.
  • Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), NIHBenzoyl PeroxideTopical benzoyl peroxide while breastfeeding: considered a low risk to the nursing infant, with the infant's skin kept off treated areas.
  • Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), NIHSalicylic AcidTopical salicylic acid while breastfeeding: considered safe to use, avoiding areas that might touch the infant's skin or be ingested.
  • Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), NIHEflornithineThat topical eflornithine is poorly absorbed and not likely to reach the breastfed infant's bloodstream.
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentWhat are the treatments for PCOS?That shaving and plucking are associated with skin irritation and ingrown hairs in PCOS hair removal, that eflornithine cream slows facial hair but pregnant women should not use it and fertility goals should be discussed first, that it has not been studied specifically in PCOS, and that those who are or wish to become pregnant should not use retinoids.
  • The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, via PubMed CentralRecommendations From the 2023 International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary SyndromeThat mechanical laser and light therapies should be considered for facial hirsutism, that more laser sessions may be needed in PCOS, and that there is no evidence to support home based IPL kits.

Every link above was fetched and confirmed to resolve on .

Truva summarises published guidance from bodies including ACOG, the FDA, the EU SCCS and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review. It has no access to your medical history and it is not a substitute for your doctor, dermatologist or midwife. This post was written by the Truva team from the sources listed above. It has not been reviewed by a clinician, and nothing in it is a diagnosis or a prescription. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or being treated for PCOS, take the ingredient list to the person looking after you.

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