Prevent ingrown hairs using black seed oil?

Nigella sativa oil to reduce the risk of ingrown hairs?

Ingrown hairs are a common problem, particularly after hair removal or shaving. They present as localized inflammation, redness, and small papules. It is often suggested that black seed oil (Nigella sativa oil) can prevent ingrown hairs. But what is the real situation? Let’s examine this question together.

Published on January 27, 2026, updated on January 27, 2026, by Pauline, Chemical Engineer — 4 min of reading

Black seed oil and ingrown hairs: what action?

The ingrown hairs appear when a hair, rather than correctly passing through the skin’s surface, grows beneath the epidermis or curves back into the hair follicle. This phenomenon is common after shaving or hair removal, especially in areas subject to repeated friction, such as the bikini area, underarms, and legs. Several factors can promote their development, including hyperkeratinization that blocks the follicular opening, dry skin, or naturally curly or coarse hair. The ingrown hairs present as small red papules, sometimes painful, which can progress to more pronounced inflammation or even a secondary infection in some cases. They may resemble small pimples, occasionally with a hair visible under the skin.

It is important to note that, to date, no study has evaluated the effectiveness of Nigella sativa oil in preventing or managing ingrown hairs.

The Nigella sativa oil is primarily recognized for its nourishing, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, notably related to its richness in fatty acids and thymoquinone. While these effects may help improve skin comfort and soothe irritated skin, they do not act on the central mechanisms responsible for ingrown hairs, in particular the excess keratin that causes follicular blockage. The anti-inflammatory potential of Nigella sativa oil could, hypothetically, help to calm the redness associated with an existing ingrown hair, but no data support a claim that it limits their occurrence or facilitates the emergence of the hair at the skin surface.

In practice, the prevention of ingrown hairs relies primarily on some simple measures. First, it is recommended to exfoliate the skin regularly with keratolytic agents to limit the accumulation of dead cells, maintain good skin hydration to preserve the suppleness of the stratum corneum, and adapt the techniques of shaving or epilation (clean blade, shaving with the grain, avoiding repeated passes). Wearing loose-fitting clothing after epilation and using soothing products can also help prevent local inflammation. These measures remain to date the most effective approaches for minimizing the risk of ingrown hairs, with black seed oil, at best, serving as a complementary comfort treatment, with no proven preventive effect.