While hair plucking can be harmless, if done in excess it can also cause permanent damage to your skin. If you notice dark spots on your chin due to plucking you might be wondering what they are and the best way to treat them.
What Are The Dark Spots On My Chin?
The best way to get rid of chin hair depends on your skin’s sensitivity. Plucking is quick and it will not put you out of pocket too much.
However, in certain individuals, it can lead to ingrown hairs, which are medically known as folliculitis. This is a skin condition where hair follicles become inflamed after getting infected with bacteria. It is a common side effect of plucking hairs also the reason for razor bumps that appear after shaving.
When you have folliculitis, inflammation, where the hair is attempting to grow back through the skin, can sometimes leave dark spots.
As ingrown hairs come with bacteria and inflammation in the follicle, this causes the skin to mobilize a protective response and increases melanin production. The dark spots then appear because of this and are known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Dark Spots On Chin Due To Hair Plucking
Plucking and shaving can sometimes cause ingrown hairs, which in turn can lead to dark spots on your chin. As part of the immune response, your skin produces extra melanin due to the inflammation that eventually lead to dark spots and discoloration.
The best treatment for dark spots on your chin would be to use a bakuchiol and niacinamide serum. Like this one from Paula’s Choice →.
How To Treat An Ingrown Hair
- Apply a warm compress to soothe and take down any inflammation.
- Once the hair emerges, use tweezers to lift it gently and release it from underneath the skin. Avoid plucking at this point as this can introduce bacteria, and inflame the bump even more, whilst also increasing the chances of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and those brown spots appearing.
- Keep the area cleansed and exfoliated. This will help keep bacteria away and keep the follicle open.
- Apply a benzoyl peroxide such as Vivant Skin Care BP 10% Gel Medication gel to flush the follicle and kill any remaining bacteria whilst also speeding up healing.
- To soothe redness and irritation, you can apply over-the-counter creams, moisturizers, and ointments such as Neutrogena Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Face Moisturizer.
If the ingrown hair becomes infected, you may need to see a dermatologist.
How To Avoid Ingrown Hairs
Exfoliate before shaving or plucking, using products with either mandelic acid, salicylic acid, or glycolic acid. These will keep the follicles clean.
Use a mandelic acid product or serum with Vitamin A to encourage cell turnover and prevent dead skin cells from clogging up your hair follicles, which can create impactions.
When shaving, follow the direction of the hair growth and do not shave too close to your skin. Avoid pulling the skin and don’t go over one part of the chin multiple times.
You should also use moisturizing shaving cream and use an electric razor when you can, as this can reduce the chance of you getting ingrown hair.
How To Treat Dark Spots On Chin
The cycle of plucking a hair out, growing it back, and plucking it again can darken the skin around the area, but once the hair is gone for good, that skin has a chance to lighten again.
Shaving will only cut the hair down to the surface of the skin. So, if you want to get rid of those hairs permanently, methods like plucking and threading pull hairs from the root, which traumatizes the follicle and stops any regrowth.
This means, although plucking can sometimes produce dark spots if you manage to get another ingrown hair, it’s also the secret to getting rid of them if you are prone to regular shaving.
Permanent results might sometimes require laser treatment, which is essentially bolts of light that hit the hair and eventually kill the root.
To get rid of the brown spots, you can also use creams, serums, and ointments that encourage cell turnover to help disperse pigment from the surface of the skin.
As I previously mentioned, when it comes to skincare, Vitamin A, mandelic acid, lactic acid, and glycolic acid are your best bets.
You should pair these products with brightening ingredients to help lessen the dark spots. These products should include niacinamide, vitamin C, hydroquinone, or kojic acid.
You should also use sunscreen every day and this should work to protect against UV rays, which not only can cause skin cancer but can worsen the dark marks.
If you are still experiencing dark spots after experimenting with these home treatments, consult a doctor or dermatologist.
Final Thoughts
I hope after reading this article you have learned a little more about what causes the dark spots on your chin after plucking and have noted down the ways of treating them.
They are usually caused by ingrown hairs so keeping your skin exfoliated, moisturized, and clean can be a simple fix to stopping them from appearing.
Take care of your skin and always pluck slowly and carefully!