Ingrown Hair on Scrotum—Causes, Treatment and How to Prevent

Think your man parts are immune to ingrown hairs? Think again. Ingrown hairs can occur anywhere you have pores, including your scrotum.

Although ingrown hairs on the scrotum aren’t usually serious, they can be incredibly painful. In this post, we’ll explain what causes ingrown hairs on the scrotum, how to treat them and prevention methods.

Here are three things you need to know about ingrown hairs on the scrotum:

• Improper hair removal techniques and genetics are the two biggest contributors to ingrown hairs on the scrotum
• Applying a warm compress to your groin a few times a day can reduce the pain
• Prevent ingrown hairs on the scrotum by exfoliating the skin and using an electric trimmer

Want to defeat ingrown hairs down below? Read on to learn the causes, treatment and prevention methods for ingrown hairs on the scrotum.

What Causes Ingrown Hairs on the Scrotum?

Ingrown hairs develop when the hair grows back into the skin rather than straight up, resulting in a painful, red bump. You probably get ingrown hairs on your scrotum for the same reason you get ingrown hairs on your face—a combination of genetics and improper shave technique.

Shaving

A lot of men secretly manscape their nether regions. According to a 2016 study published in the American Journal of Men’s Health, just over 50 percent of men report grooming their pubic hair regularly, and 66 percent of those men remove their hair specifically from the scrotum (see claim: “Of these men, 2,120 (50.5%) reported regular pubic hair grooming.”)

Shaving is harsh on the skin and can create an uneven tip on the hair. This uneven tip can then grow back into the skin, resulting in a painful, pimple-like bump on the scrotum.

Tweezing and Waxing

Although improper shaving technique is the biggest contributor to ingrown hairs, other body hair removal methods can increase your risk of these painful, red bumps as well. Waxing and tweezing the scrotum can also tug aggressively on the hair follicle, creating an uneven tip that curls back into the skin.

Genetics

Genetics can also play a role in the development of ingrown hairs—yes, including downstairs. If you have a coarse or curly hair type, you may be more likely to experience ingrown hairs because the hair naturally curls inwards.

If you get razor bumps no matter what you do, you may have something known as pseudofolliculitis barbae, a condition that predominantly affects African-American men and others with curly hair. This condition is tricky to treat, which is why the first line of treatment is usually to ditch the razor altogether and use an electric trimmer to manage unwanted body hair.

Treatment Options

The good news is that ingrown hairs typically resolve on their own. However, there are several things you can do to speed up the process.

Pluck the Ingrown Hair

You can try to pluck the hair if the ingrown hair is visible. We will warn you that this method is pretty painful, and you need to be extra careful to avoid unnecessary damage to the skin.

Apply a Warm Compress

Another treatment option is to apply a warm compress to your scrotum a few times a day. A warm compress will increase blood flow to your scrotum, which will help reduce the pain—especially if you’ve recently plucked the offending hair.

Exfoliate Your Skin

If the hair is trapped beneath a layer of skin, consider using a gentle loofah or a body scrub to remove the top-most layer of the skin. This will help create a clear path for your hair to grow.

How to Prevent

Fortunately, preventing ingrown hairs on the scrotum isn’t too difficult. Here are a few things you can do to avoid these painful bumps in the future:

Ditch Your Razor

One of the easiest ways to prevent ingrown hairs on the scrotum is to stop removing the hair in that area. If you prefer to keep things neat and tidy down there, just use an electric trimmer for sensitive skin to keep pubic hair to a manageable length.

Exfoliate Regularly

If you use a men’s face scrub as part of your regular routine, then you probably already know the vast benefits of exfoliation. Exfoliating your skin will help remove the buildup of dead skin cells and oil, which allows a better path for the hair to grow.

To prevent ingrown hairs on the scrotum, pick up a gentle body scrub and use it to exfoliate your groin a couple of times a week. You’ll likely see a significant decrease in the amount of ingrown hairs on your scrotum.

Talk to a Doctor

Retinoid and steroid creams can also potentially help reduce ingrown hairs on the scrotum. However, given the sensitive area that you’d be applying them to, these are best used under a doctor’s guidance.

The Takeaway

Ingrown hairs on the scrotum are about as much fun as a root canal. Luckily, they’re fairly easy to treat and can mostly be avoided by adjusting your grooming routine.

If you’re still struggling with ingrown hairs down below, don’t hesitate to see your doctor. As embarrassing as the problem may be, trust us—they’ve seen a lot worse.

References

Prevalence and Motivation: Pubic Hair Grooming Among Men in the United States - Thomas W. Gaither, Mohannad A. Awad, E. Charles Osterberg, Tami S. Rowen, Alan W. Shindel, Benjamin N. Breyer, 2017. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1557988316661315. Accessed 18 Nov. 2019.

Pseudofolliculitis Barbae - American Osteopathic College of Dermatology (AOCD). https://www.aocd.org/page/PseudofolliculitisB. Accessed 18 Nov. 2019.