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What Causes Tiny Black Granule Formation Of Legs And Thighs?
Question: I m a 28 yr female. mainly since the past three years I have been noticing in growth of hair on my skin. this occurs especially on the legs and thighs. the hair is unable to penetrate out through the skin. this results in a tiny black granule formed inside the skin. sometimes there is pus around it. sometimes I can pull it out with my bare hands. its in these last three years I have done waxing. from then I have started noticing this. what should I do to avoid these ingrowths. they are concentrated more on the upper thighs of both legs. I have by nature curly hair which is thick on hands and legs.
Brief Answer:
Ingrown hair
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to healthcaremagic
I am Dr. Kakkar. I have gone through your concern and I have understood it.
I would keep a possibility of Pseudofolliculitis barbae. Pseudofolliculitis barbae is prone to develop at sites such as the beard in males and pubic area in both males and females, where the hairs are curly.
Pseudofolliculitis barbae arises after shaving/waxing. As the hairs regrow they curl back onto itself and can re-enter skin thus causing razor bumps. The bumps can sometimes also get infected with bacteria.
Pseudofolliculitis barbae can further be divided into two types of ingrown hairs: transfollicular and extrafollicular. The extrafollicular hair is a hair that has exited the follicle and reentered the skin. The transfollicular hair never exits the follicle, but because of its naturally curly nature curls back into the follicle causing fluid build-up and irritation. The second type (transfollicular) is what happens after waxing and the first type (extrafollicular) happens after shaving.
Treatment is difficult: You can use a topical cream/ointment which contains a moderately potent topical steroid+antibiotic(e.g fluticasone+mupirocin combination cream/ointment) and apply it twice daily. Sometimes oral antibiotics may be required for large painful bumps which have got infected.
If possible, let the hair grow for 30 days to eliminate ingrown hairs.
At night, apply a lotion containing glycolic acid to the affected areas. This exfoliates the surface skin cells and reduces the likelihood of new inflamed spots.
Another treatment that may be considered is laser hair removal (LHR). In some cases, this is much more effective than any other measure.
I hope this answers your query.
regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
even after allowing 3 months or more for the hair to grow, this happens. can I use glyco 6 cream. if not pls tell the trade names of the cream I can use for this purpose?
Brief Answer:
Glyco-6 is Ok.
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Yes, you can use glyco-6 cream, it contains 6% glycolic acid. Another cream containing 12% glycolic acid, Glyco-A is also available but it may cause some irritation.
Laser Hair Reduction is the best remedy for Ingrown hair. You can explore that option.
regards
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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