Hydroquinone is super safe..but it takes a while and you have to be consistent..but it definitely works. I would see a dermatologist to get it..and also so they can look at your old stains to make sure that is what you need.. I would also keep those "stains" out of the sun so they dont darken further..i forgot to tell you that.

Whatever you do don't tweeze! Don't perform surgery on yourself and if you MUST, sanitize your tweezers, area to be tweezed, your hands, and keep some antiseptic nearby because it usually bleeds after you break the skin to take the hairs out. Use a tea tree oil type of wash, you can usually find one next to the athletes foot stuff in the grocery store. Also, TendSkin works AWESOME! worth the price. I go through this every day with my bikini line and my legs (the little hairs on my breasts too! what a nightmare!) My derm says though the only way to completley relieve yorself of it is to have the laser hair removal on your bikini line. And I'm STILL looking for that health insurance loophole. WE SHALL OVERCOME !!!!!

PS! if you use bikini zone and it works for you.....all it is is Neosporin. Buy the neosporin cream with pain reliever. It can work wonders if it's a bacterial infection, but fungi can be the culprit in that area. If the bikin zone/neosporin isn't woking for you, try some athletes foot cream (yes I'm serious)

WOW thanks. It just looks so awful even though I shave. It's just tons of bumps on each side of my bikini line and there elevated which makes me think it's hair trapped underneath. Tweezing is just impossible. I can barely grasp the bump and it's too many. Also in the places where there's no bumps I see darkened scars so it still looks bumpy, it's just smooth. I'll get the tend skin and skin lightener, I just don't understand why this has happening to me. Woman shave everyday and don't have this much trouble. :-(

I actually just came back from Mexico. I was like, "here we go again with my nasty bikini line". When I shave or wax I get the same bumps, deep, red, gross, painful if provoked. But I used the new Veet product with the little plastic tool. IT WORKED! No bumps, no ingrowns nothing! I actually have a smooth bikini line, it's SOFT(something thats NEVER happenned even with waxing). I have really coarse sicilian hair and I've only had to use it again once since I got back almost 2 weeks ago. It could work for you too.

I definetely won't be shaving the area anymore, so I'll try the veet, Thanks.

The problem with me is the old bumps or ingrowns never go away. I know this sounds gross, but I haven't shaved my bikini area in weeks (I just trim the hair with scissors) and the old bumps are still there, why won't they loosen up?

I'm not sure, it's got something to do with the hair follicle. I have the same exact thing that you're talking about. Have you seen a derm? I'm trying to find someone that specializes in follicle disorders. All I know is it's definatley a "type" of KP. I'm putting you in my address book to inform you of all new developments in my treatment. Whatever this is, I have it too, and I've lived with it for years, and it's made my life miserable at times. It just gets worse as I get older and I'm pretty much out of options at this point. The only thing you can do is destroy the hair follice, I think. The only proven way to do this is with laser surgery. There isn't really anything topical that you can put on it. It's not a "topical problem", I don't think its systemic (in your blood stream), but I do think that it is very clocely related to KP.

When you pull the hairs out, is there a large bulb head on the root and then above that is there like a transparent/white covering that goes just a little above the root?

take a hot bath before you shave. works every time for me. also, soaking in a hot bath can help your KP i've heard.

I have the same problem on my bikini area and underarms because I suffer from KP on my thighs and upper arms. I have looked into Laser and that looks like the way to go. I am here in Canada and for 4 treatments on my underarms and bikini area the cost is around $275 and that will take care of all of the hair. If you can afford it it is the way to go!

WOW! Thanks. That's an incredible price. It looks like I may have to take a trip to Canada (I've been meaning to see friends in Alberta for awhile) Thanks!!!!!

My hair has those same characteristics, and I also get the ingrown hairs and bumps and spots, specially on the bikini line. I don't shave, I use an epilating machine that pulls the hair up from the root

I have a epliation machine that I use also for my lower legs. If you talk to an estecian they will tell you that the worst ingrown hairs, bumps, come from these little epilation machines. It's more cost effective and convienent than waxing, and it certianly hurts less than saving for me, but there is some truth to the whole making it worse thing. If you check out the tend skin website, they have some great insight on what causes and how to maintain ingrowns. Be careful though, KP can look like an ingrown, but it's not. So treating it as such may or may not work. You should see a dermitologist if this is a serious issue for you.

I have to use three different hair removal systems on my body. I use like Nair or Veet for my bikini line and my upper legs. I use an epilation machine on my lower legs, or I wax when I can afford it. I shave my armpits, and I wax my own upper lip, eyebrows, and brazil. Hair removal is a huge part of my life. I can't wait to have laser hair removal.

Check out the www.tendskin.com web site. I know a girl who waxes for a living and swears by it.

Ahh, I have a similar problem! It's so horrible..
I wax my own bikini line.. but only do this twice in the same area before removing the rest of the hair from that area with tweezers..
When it grows back.. I get bumpy, red ingrown hairs..
I use a product called Legole. It isn't alcohol or cream based. I apply it to the skin twice a day.. It seems to dry out the skin slightly but gently.
The problem is.. I know I should resist removing them.. but sometimes I get so frustrated by the ugliness of them, that I give in, and pluck. Sometimes this works out well, but if I get carried away.. without realising it and in no time at all, I have got about 15-20 spots on my bikini line that have been made worse! This is because I've torn the skin or found one particularly difficult to remove. It looks disgusting. I was wondering if anyone had any solutions to the after-bumps such as these? Spots/marks/wounds that are a result of removing them? What can I do to calm down and fade the redness of the skin and bumps?

Help would be much appreciated!! Thanks..

I agree that to prevent future ingrowns, an electric shaver is the answer. Part of the problem with wet shaving is that when hair gets wet it swells and actually becomes longer. It's only a tiny bit but when you shave it off at skin level and then the hair dries, it is now actually below the skin's surface. I had terrible bumps, razor burn and ingrowns until I purchased a Lady Remington. It has two spring loaded heads and a trimmer along one edge. The key to getting a close smooth shave with an electric is making sure the skin is completely dry and tack free before shaving. Dust the area with talc or cornstarch and use a dry washcloth to wisk the excess away before shaving. It works well for me if I do it before showering.

Also, I hear so many people complain that they tried an electric and it just doesn't work for them. You need to give it at least 3 weeks. It takes that long for the skin to adjust it's "conditioning", lol.

BTW? I hyperpigment too and I use a hydroquinone cream, however, my skin is very fair. If your skin is dark to begin with, it will fade the "background" pigment too and you'll have lighter "patches" where you apply it. The thing that worked best for me was Retin-A. It accelerates the growth and sloughing process so the hyperpigmenting goes away sooner.

SkincareRx.com http://skincarerx.com/age-spots.html

"For persons with dark skin, hydroquinone alternatives are recommended, such as kojic acid. Other topical treatments include the use of vitamin C products and mandelic acid products. These may help speed up the process of fading the spots, and the use of mandelic acid or kojic acid can do it with little or no irritation."

"Bleaching solutions such as hydroquinone can be useful for people with fair skin, though hydroquinone can sometimes irritate and temporarily redden the skin. This possibility of irritation with hydroquinone makes it unsuitable for people with darker skin tones. It is possible that the irritation associated with hydroquinone can overstimulate the higher concentration of melanocytes found in dark skin types."

Hi...yeah i have the same exact problem. I tried a trimmer, it left stubble. I tried Bikini zone, it didn't work. i tried some other stuff too. I tried depilatories. there's this thing called Bump Stopper i think it's mostly for african american males shaving their face haha at least that's what the picture is of..but it has really worked for me it's only like 3.50. It worked a lot better than bikini zone. THey used to have it at wal-mart. Maybe they still do at some. Walgreens has it and some other places probably do too. I use a venus razor. They're expensive, but i try not to shave too too often. Also, exfoliate with a loofa before you shave. Just try this...my ingrown hairs were noticeably different within a couple weeks. I still get some, but not nearly as bad. And when i do i just take them out with tweezers and put the bump stopper on. ( i know you aren't supposed to but i can't help it.) It's a cheaper way to fix it instead of buying a bunch of expensive things that don't work. Let me know if you try it!