Ingrown Hair vs. Herpes: Differences and Similarities

Medically reviewed on March 8, 2022 by Jordan Stachel, M.S., RDN, CPT. Last updated January 6, 2023. To give you technically accurate, evidence-based information, content published on the Everlywell blog is reviewed by credentialed professionals with expertise in medical and bioscience fields.

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Table of contents

• What are ingrown hairs?
• How do ingrown hairs develop?
• Can ingrown hairs spread an infection?
• Do ingrown hairs result in any long-term effects?
• What is herpes?
• How do people develop herpes infections?
• Is herpes contagious?
• Are there long-term effects of herpes?
• Ingrown hair vs. herpes: key differences
• Stay up-to-date on your sexual health with at-home testing
• Related content

If you recently noticed an inflamed bump in your genital area, you may be fearing the worst. Two common conditions—genital herpes and ingrown hairs—could be to blame, but how can you tell which one may be causing your symptoms?

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at ingrown hair vs. herpes infections. If you’ve never experienced the symptoms of either condition, understanding the causes, signs, and long-term effects of each may help you identify a current genital skin concern. We’ll also discuss some key differences to help you determine whether to consider taking an at-home STD test for women or STD test for men.

What are ingrown hairs?

Ingrown hairs usually present as tender pustules with a tiny, dark dot near the center [1]. While they sometimes resemble acne, they can grow much larger, become more painful, and sometimes require specialized tools to remove.

How do ingrown hairs develop?

Two groups are especially susceptible to developing ingrown hairs:

• People with coarse or curly hair – In people with curls, hair can often grow at an acute angle, even early in the growth process [2]. If a hair curls too sharply downward, the end of the strand can poke into the skin and begin to grow inward, causing an ingrown hair. Coarse hairs can behave the same way, especially if they’re subjected to friction from clothes, sexual activity, or shaving.
• People who shave – While ingrown hairs are especially common in the beard area, they can occur anywhere you shave, including the legs, genitals, back, and armpits. When a razor doesn’t completely cut off a hair, the strand can develop a sharp edge that grows back into the skin.

Once a hair begins to grow back into the skin, the likelihood of an infection developing can increase. Ingrown hair infections are usually distinguishable from acne, and you can identify an ingrown hair based on [3]:

• Diameter – Some ingrown hair bumps can grow up to the size of a quarter.
• Healing time – Ingrown hairs can sometimes take months to heal.
• Visible hair – Strands causing the infection are usually visible in the center of the bump.
• Hyperpigmentation – The bump and the skin around it may darken, resembling a bruise.

Can ingrown hairs spread an infection?

While they’re uncomfortable at best and painful at worst, ingrown hairs are not contagious.

You can develop ingrown hairs only through the physical process of hair growing inward instead of outward. While skipping shaving cream or using a dull razor can increase the risk, hair texture may also increase the likelihood even if you don’t shave.

While you can’t spread ingrown hairs to another person, you can increase the severity of your own infection. Touching ingrown hairs with unwashed hands could introduce additional bacteria to the wound, increasing healing times or worsening pain.

To help prevent this, be sure to:

• Wash your hands with warm, soapy water before examining an ingrown hair
• Sanitize tools with isopropyl alcohol before attempting to extract the hair
• Wash the wound with alcohol, iodine, or another disinfectant frequently

Taking care to maintain the wound can help prevent worsening infections and improve healing outcomes.

Do ingrown hairs result in any long-term effects?

While hair texture or shaving tools may increase the risk of getting an ingrown hair, you most likely won’t experience any long-term side effects after it heals [1].

Like acne and other skin infections, ingrown hairs can leave a scar, especially if you do the following:

• Frequently touch the wound with unwashed hands
• Unsuccessfully try to extract the hair
• Continue to shave the area while it’s trying to heal

If left alone, the swelling, hyperpigmentation, and the ingrown hair itself will usually heal on its own. While you can remove the affected hair with tools like blackhead extractors or tweezers, this is a job best managed by a healthcare provider—ideally, a dermatologist.

You can also use a variety of over-the-counter products to help prevent or reduce scarring, like Allantoin gel (frequently sold as Mederma). While scars may appear more noticeable early in the healing process, the skin often returns to its normal pigmentation over time.

When dealing with ingrown hairs, pack your patience. While you can take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or naproxen to manage minor pain, they won’t heal the infection any faster. As always, if your ingrown hair takes an inordinately long time to heal—more than two months—seek an examination from a healthcare provider.

What is herpes?

Now that we’ve explored ingrown hairs, let’s cover herpes. Genital herpes is a common skin condition caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2). It is spread through skin and saliva contact and can cause small, painful genital sores [4]. Let’s dig deeper to help distinguish this common sexually transmitted disease (STD) from an ingrown hair.

How do people develop herpes infections?

The two causes of genital herpes—HSV-1 and HSV-2—aren’t necessarily spread only through sexual activity, but the skin-to-skin and saliva contact involved in common sexual activities often results in infection.

While both HSV infections can cause genital herpes, they have some key differences [4]:

• HSV-1 is the most common cause of oral herpes, which usually presents as cold sores on or inside the mouth. But infected people can spread HSV-1 through oral sex, sometimes causing genital HSV-1 infection.
• HSV-2 is spread through skin-to-skin and/or fluid contact, most commonly during sex. But, like HSV-1, it can be spread through oral sex, resulting in an outbreak in the facial area.

You can contract either HSV type through:

(1) Body fluid exchange with an infected person, including —

• Saliva
• Ejaculate (from partners of any sex)
• Urine

(2) Skin-to-skin contact during —

• Kissing
• Penetrative sex
• Non-penetrative sex (like oral sex)

Contrary to popular belief, you cannot contract either HSV type from:

• Toilet seats
• Bedding
• Touching objects like silverware or soap

The key to understanding herpes transmission is that herpes spreads through person-to-person contact, not person-to-object contact.

Is herpes contagious?

Unlike ingrown hairs, genital herpes is highly contagious. As a result, HSV-1 and HSV-2 are among the most common STDs in the United States. In 2018, the CDC estimated that more than 18.6 million people had HSV-2 nationwide [5].

Preventing HSV infections can be difficult for a few reasons:

• During sex, condoms only protect the skin they cover. Infected people can still spread the virus through non-penetrative pubic friction since nearby areas may not be covered.
• While fluid exchange is most common during sex, saliva exchange can also happen in other settings. Many children, for instance, contract oral HSV-1 or HSV-2 through saliva exchange from drooling and sharing drinks or food.
• You can spread HSV infections even if you’re unaware that you’re infected. Even without visible symptoms, it’s still possible to infect another person through sexual contact or fluid exchange.

While abstinence from penetrative sex alone is not a realistic prevention method for herpes, seeking medical treatment for flare-ups and avoiding fluid exchange and sexual activity while visible symptoms are present can help reduce spread.

Are there long-term effects of herpes?

There isn’t currently a cure for HSV-1 or HSV-2 [4]. So you’re likely to experience the effects of genital herpes for the rest of your life. What does that look like for the average infected person?

Expect occasional flare-ups of genital or oral sores throughout life. Flare-ups may present as one or a few small, slightly tender sores. While you can still spread the infection even if you don’t have visible sores, you’re most contagious when experiencing symptoms.

For patients seeking aesthetic care or pain reduction, healthcare providers can help reduce or remove lesions using a range of treatment approaches. You can also take daily medication to help prevent flare-ups.

While you’ll remain contagious, you likely won’t experience constant pain. Symptoms are often limited to flare-ups, and life may feel normal most of the time. Pain management and taking steps to prevent spreading the infection are two important areas of focus after receiving a diagnosis.

Ingrown hair vs. herpes: key differences

Ingrown hairs and herpes blisters are often mistaken for one another because they can have a similar appearance. Both may look like small, fluid-filled bumps with inflamed edges. However, ingrown hairs typically produce a single bump with a visible hair in the center, whereas herpes blisters tend to appear in clusters and do not surround a hair follicle.

Other key differences between ingrown hair and herpes include:

• Ingrown hairs aren’t contagious, while HSV-1 and HSV-2 are highly transmissible through skin-to-skin contact and fluid exchange.
• Ingrown hairs can take a month or more to heal, while herpes sores may resolve within one to two weeks depending on the treatment method. However, herpes infections are likely to recur throughout life.
• An ingrown hair is not an STD, while HSV-1 and HSV-2 are classified as STDs despite their potential spread through non-sexual contact.

Now that you know some of the differences between ingrown hair bumps and herpes bumps, you may have a better sense of what you’re experiencing. If you notice symptoms that may be related to herpes, it’s a good idea to get tested and seek care.

Stay up-to-date on your sexual health with at-home testing

While both ingrown hairs and herpes can be frustrating, there’s only one way to confirm which condition you may have: seek care from a healthcare provider and consider routine STD testing. Understanding the difference between ingrown hair vs. herpes is helpful, but testing is an important step in caring for your sexual health.

At Everlywell, we know how stressful any medical symptoms can be. That’s why we provide affordable, comprehensive, at-home STD testing. You can screen for five STDs in the comfort of your own home.

You can also opt for sexual health testing year-round through the Everlywell+ STI testing membership, giving you easy access to a wide variety of STI test options.

Related content

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Understanding Acne: What Causes It, and Skincare Tips That Can Help

References

1. Crutchfield CE 3rd. The causes and treatment of pseudofolliculitis barbae. Cutis. 1998 Jun;61(6):351-6. PMID: 9640558.

2. Puhan MR, Sahu B. Pseudofolliculitis corporis: a new entity diagnosed by dermoscopy. Int J Trichology. 2015;7(1):30-32.

3. Ingrown Hair. Mayo Clinic. URL. Accessed March 8, 2022.

4. Genital Herpes – CDC Fact Sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. URL. Accessed March 8, 2022.

5. Sexually Transmitted Infections Prevalence, Incidence, and Cost Estimates in the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. URL. Accessed March 8, 2022.