Ingrown Hairs on the Butt: Why They Happen and How to Fix Them

If you've ever had an angry red bump on your butt that turned out to have a hair coiled inside, you've had an ingrown. They're extremely common, fully treatable, and almost entirely preventable once you know what you're doing.

What an ingrown hair actually is

An ingrown hair is a hair that grows back into the skin instead of out of it, usually because the follicle is blocked by dead skin or oil. Your immune system treats the trapped hair as an invader and inflames the area — giving you the classic red bump, sometimes with a visible hair coiled underneath.

On the butt, ingrowns happen because:

• Friction from clothing, sitting, and athletic gear blocks follicles
• Shaving and waxing create blunt-edged hairs that re-enter the skin more easily
• Dead skin buildup on butt skin (which doesn't shed as fast as face skin) clogs the follicle opening
• Coarse or curly hair is more prone to curl back into the skin (genetic)

Ingrown vs. folliculitis vs. acne

These often get confused. The key differences:

• Ingrown: Usually has a visible hair inside the bump if you look closely. Often singular or in small clusters near hair-removal areas.
• Folliculitis: Inflamed follicles, often clustered, no visible coiled hair, sometimes with white/yellow pus heads. Friction-zone bumps.
• Acne: Whiteheads, blackheads, or deeper cystic bumps. Less common on butt.

The treatments overlap but the prevention strategies differ — ingrowns are about how the hair grows back, folliculitis is about bacteria, acne is about hormones and oil.

The protocol to clear active ingrowns

Don't pick or tweeze (we mean it)

The temptation is real — the hair is right there. But digging at it causes:

• Scarring
• Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation that lasts months
• Infection if your tweezers aren't sterile
• The hair to actually grow back deeper

Let the routine do the work.

Step 1: Warm compress

If the ingrown is inflamed and tender, apply a warm (not hot) wet washcloth to the area for 10 minutes, 2–3 times a day. This softens the skin around the follicle and often lets the hair surface on its own.

Step 2: Exfoliate gently

Use Becky's Booty Scrub 2–3x weekly on damp skin in the shower. The walnut shell physically lifts the dead skin covering the follicle, giving the trapped hair a path out. Rosehip oil and B5 calm the inflammation and start fading the dark spot that's forming.

Don't: scrub directly on a visibly raised, angry ingrown — work around it until the inflammation calms.

Step 3: Antimicrobial care

If the ingrown is large, painful, or has pus, treat it like a minor infection:

• Wash the area with a 2% salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide body wash
• Apply a small amount of bacitracin or Neosporin if broken skin
• Avoid tight or synthetic clothing over the area while it heals

Step 4: Patience

Most ingrowns resolve in 5–10 days with this protocol. If yours is still painful, growing, or hot to the touch after a week, see a dermatologist — it may be an infected ingrown or a deeper folliculitis that needs antibiotics.

Long-term prevention (the actual answer)

Once you've cleared the current ones, the goal is never having to deal with them again. The prevention strategy:

Exfoliate before hair removal, not after

The biggest single move you can make. Scrubbing before shaving or waxing clears the dead skin that traps emerging hairs. Then wait 24–48 hours after hair removal before scrubbing again — freshly de-haired skin is sensitive.

The right cadence: scrub Monday, shave/wax Tuesday, no scrub until Thursday or Friday.

Shave smart

• Use a fresh, sharp blade every time — dull blades cut hair at angles that promote ingrowing
• Shave in the direction of hair growth on the butt (not against)
• Use a gel or oil, not dry razor
• Rinse the blade after every stroke
• Replace your razor every 5–7 shaves

Consider waxing or sugaring over shaving

Waxing and sugaring remove hair from the root, which means hairs grow back with their natural tapered end — less prone to ingrowing than the blunt-cut hairs from shaving. The trade-off: it hurts, it's more expensive, and you need 3–5 cycles before hairs slow down.

Tend Skin or PFB Vanish

For chronically ingrown-prone skin, a leave-on toner with salicylic acid + isopropyl alcohol (Tend Skin) or willow bark + AHAs (PFB Vanish) applied after hair removal keeps follicles clear. Use 2–3x weekly.

Cotton, not synthetic

Synthetic underwear and tight athletic wear trap heat and friction against hair follicles. Cotton breathes, reduces friction, and noticeably reduces ingrown frequency.

The bikini line specifically

The bikini line and butt crack are the highest-friction zones with the coarsest hair — ingrown ground zero. The protocol's the same but extra-gentle:

• Pre-hair-removal exfoliation with Becky 24–48 hours before
• Hot shower or warm bath before shaving (softens hair)
• Sharp blade, with-the-grain
• Apply a calming oil (rosehip, jojoba, or tea tree) after — not perfumed lotion
• Loose cotton underwear for the next 24 hours

FAQ

Should I tweeze ingrown hairs out?

No. Tweezing causes scarring and infection risk. Let the routine bring the hair out on its own. If you absolutely must, do it with sterilized tweezers only on a hair that's visible at the surface, never dig.

Are ingrown hairs dangerous?

Usually not — they resolve on their own in 1–2 weeks. Watch for: rapidly growing, hot, draining, or accompanied by fever (signs of infection). Recurring in the exact same spot can be a sign of hidradenitis suppurativa, which needs a dermatologist.

Can I shave the butt crack?

Yes — just very, very carefully. Use a hand mirror, a fresh blade, plenty of gel, and shave in the direction of hair growth. Waxing is often safer here because you can't see what you're doing.

Why do ingrowns leave dark spots?

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. The skin pigments melanocytes around inflamed follicles produce extra melanin as a protective response. The dark spots fade with the routine — see our PIH guide.

Does Becky's scrub help with ingrowns?

Yes — directly. The walnut shell physical exfoliation lifts the dead skin that traps emerging hairs, which is the root cause. The rosehip + B5 helps fade the dark spots ingrowns leave. Use 2–3x weekly, exfoliate before hair removal, and you'll have meaningfully fewer ingrowns within 4–6 weeks.

The bottom line

Ingrowns are an annoying but solved problem. Exfoliate before hair removal, use a sharp blade with-the-grain, wait 24–48 hours before scrubbing again, wear cotton. Most chronic-ingrown-getters see the frequency drop by 70–80% within a month of running the protocol.

Start with the Becky Booty Scrub →

Read next: The complete butt skincare routine · Why is my butt darker