---
source_url: "https://dermatology.ca/public-patients/diseases-conditions/hair-conditions/ingrown-hair/?utm_source=openai"
title: Ingrown Hair - Canadian Dermatology Association
mirrored_at: 2026-08-09T01:02:33.202Z
host: dermatology.ca
cited_in_42a: true
mirror_canonical: "https://index.42a.ai/dermatology.ca/public-patients/diseases-conditions/hair-conditions/ingrown-hair/index__q__utm_source_openai"
---

> **Original source:** https://dermatology.ca/public-patients/diseases-conditions/hair-conditions/ingrown-hair/?utm_source=openai

![diagram showing various states of ingrown hair growth](https://dermatology.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/123rf-ingrown-hair-stock-image-edited-NS-01-1024x445-1-768x334-1.webp)Ingrown hair tends to happen in areas where you remove hair, such as the face, neck, armpits, legs, groin, and pubic areas.

Having tightly curled hair increases the chance of ingrown hairs because the curved hair follicle may orient hair to grow sideways, in the direction of the skin. People with coarse, curly, kinky, or afro-textured hair have a higher tendency to develop ingrown hairs. This particularly affects people with skin of colour.

Hair removal methods may also play a role in the formation of ingrown hair. Shaving typically cuts hair at an angle, which may lead the hair to curve into the skin. Waxing pulls hair out by the root. When hair re-grows, it can grow to the side and into the skin, rather than straight outwards past the skin’s surface.