Dr. Dee Anna Glaser discusses the nuances of haircare in personal areas to avoid ingrown hairs and promote healthy skin.
Dee Anna Glaser, MD, Professor, Department of Dermatology, St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
“At the Fall Clinical this year, I spoke to the audience about personal haircare and really focused on pubic hair care. It’s a topic that comes up with some frequency in the office, and many of us feel unprepared to have these discussions and to answer questions that our patients might have. And I think it’s really important for us to have the information to give to our patients, rather than them trying to find it someplace else and maybe not get the most accurate and healthy information,” said Dee Anna Glaser, MD, who presented “Personal Hair Care” at the 2022 Fall Clinical Conference®.
“So when we’re thinking about personal haircare, one thing to really remember is that the pubic hair is different than the hair in other parts of the body.”
It’s thicker in diameter, curly, and grows from the skin at different angles, which makes it difficult to shave, said Dr. Glaser.
“So the hair itself is different, but also the skin tends to be a little bit different.”
The stratum corneum and epidermis are typically thinner, drier, and more sensitive, and shaving in this area can create problematic skin irritations, she said.
“They might have ingrown hair because of the curly nature and almost like a pseudofolliculitis barbae that can occur in the pubic hair. And then if they’re not using the right razor and the right shaving gels and accompaniments, then they can really find that they’re getting themselves into trouble.”
Dermatologists tend to recommend razors with multiple blades to patients when shaving their legs or beard, for example, said Dr. Glaser.
“Three to five to seven blades is not uncommon, and that typically gives the smoothest shave.”
Each successive blade cuts closer to the skin, which is ideal for the legs or face, said Dr. Glaser.
“But when you’re talking about more personal care shaving, that actually becomes a problem because the closer you get, the more likely you are to have ingrown hairs, and those can cause inflammatory papules [and] post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, just like it can in other parts of the body. So what we really want is fewer blades, maybe one or two, and we want them to be less close to the skin.”
According to Dr. Glaser, some razors are specifically designed for shaving pubic hair. The blades are angled differently to reduce the risk of ingrown hairs and the razor head has more movement to accommodate the convexities, concavities, and grooves in the area, she said.
“So there are razors that are have been developed to really try to navigate those creases and grooves and valleys and peaks with ease.”
But personal hair care is not just about the razor and the blades, said Dr. Glaser. It’s also about using a hydrating gel prior to shaving.
“They do also have some specifically designed gels that allow the razors to sort of glide a little bit better and soothe the skin and then actually to moisturize and protect the skin afterwards.”
Notably, these shaving recommendations apply to both male and female patients, said Dr. Glaser.
“As physicians we oftentimes concentrate on the drugs and the topical drug therapies that we’re prescribing but we forget how important how important the over-the-counter products are as well.”
According to Dr. Glaser, these tools can help to prevent unwanted skin issues.
“…because, otherwise, we’re going to hear about inflammation, irritation, redness, dryness, and we really don’t want our patients then to rely on over-the-counter hydrocortisones and steroids on a chronic basis.”
