My bikini line looks like a dirt-bike track because it’s so bumpy with ingrown hairs that I can’t get rid of! I also get ingrowns on my legs.

An ingrown is a hair that gets trapped under the skin and curls back into itself. It can also pierce and enter the skin adjacent to the follicle, which can sometimes cause irritation and form a pimple. The culprit is dead skin. To help prevent ingrowns, regularly exfoliate in the shower. Otherwise, invest in an antibacterial body wash, such as Clearasil Complete Deep Cleansing Body Wash $9.95, to clean your skin.

Follow these tips from Ina Clow, owner of Ciao Bella Beauty Salon in Sydney to stop ingrowns:
1. Dry-brush the skin using a body brush. Brush in small strokes towards the heart and alternate by stroking with your other hand. This improves circulation and gets rid of dead cells.
2. Don’t shave the skin with the same blade for more than a week. And sanitise your razor using mouthwash to ensure there are no breeding bacteria, which can infect the follicle.
3. Shave daily to avoid re-curl.
4. Shower before you shave to soften the hair.
5. If waxing is more your thing, choose your therapist well. An inexperienced therapist might pull in the wrong direction, causing hair to snap, which leads to ingrowns. Use a good body lotion to keep your skin soft. Don’t pick!

For stubborn ingrown hairs try Ingrow Go, $24.95.