Ingrown hairs can be painful or just annoying. When they appear between your buttocks, you could be experiencing a complication called a pilonidal cyst. While not all ingrown hairs result in pilonidal disease, read on to learn how to treat them if you develop them.
Some people are more prone to ingrown hairs in the buttock region because their anatomy inhibits the natural drying in that area that lessens the likelihood of “cysts” forming. They may develop frequent infections, a problem called pilonidal disease. Sometimes, surgery to reshape the region is needed to prevent recurrence.
At Colorado Colon & Rectal Specialists, our proctologist, Dr. Lisa A. Perryman, specializes in the Bascom cleft lift procedure, the leading technique for treating pilonidal disease. Now, let’s examine how ingrown hairs can lead to pilonidal disease and the possible need for surgery.
An ingrown hair occurs when a body hair begins to grow back into the follicle from which it’s growing. This often results in the follicle rupturing and becoming clogged with skin oils and dead skin cells, leading to a pimple-like growth.
Typically, ingrown hairs form at places where there’s friction or pressure from clothing or skin rubbing against skin. If you have a deep cleft at the top of your buttocks, you might have both conditions working against you.
Ingrown hairs often resolve themselves without causing pain. If you notice them at all, they likely are a minor problem that heals on its own.
Other times, the hair follicle can rupture and can result in a skin infection or abscess, and you may feel pain and discomfort. This may happen once or often many times.
Chronic pilonidal disease often results from the depth of the gluteal cleft. In many cases, recurring “cysts” tend to cluster in the center of the cleft and often form visible pits.
The Bascom procedure uses techniques to shallow the gluteal cleft. This is the most reliable and most successful way to treat chronic pilonidal disease.
If you have problems with ingrown hairs between the buttocks, contact Colorado Colon & Rectal Specialists by phone or online to schedule a consultation with Dr. Perryman right away, before the problem gets worse. Book your visit at our Parker, Colorado, office today.
