Learn about ingrown hair diagnosis, including clinical documentation, ICD-10 codes (L73.9, L73.8, L73), pseudofolliculitis barbae, folliculitis, and treatment options. Find information on proper medical coding for ingrown hair for healthcare professionals and accurate clinical terminology for patient charting. Explore effective management strategies for ingrown hairs and understand related skin conditions.
Also known as
Cutaneous abscess, furuncle, and carbuncle
Infections of the hair follicle, often associated with ingrown hairs.
Trichostasis spinulosa
A condition where hair follicles are abnormally shaped, potentially leading to ingrown hairs.
Other disorders of hair
Encompasses various hair disorders, including those that may cause ingrown hairs.
Local infection of skin and subcutaneous tissue, unspecified
May be used for infected ingrown hairs when a more specific code doesn't fit.
Follow this step-by-step guide to choose the correct ICD-10 code.
Is the ingrown hair infected?
When to use each related code
| Description |
|---|
| Curled hair trapped under skin. |
| Boil: Skin infection around hair follicle. |
| Folliculitis: Inflamed hair follicles. |
Coding ingrown hair without specifying the anatomical location leads to inaccurate data and potential claim rejections. Use specific ICD-10 codes like L60.0 for scalp.
Incorrectly coding infected ingrown hair as simple inflammation can impact reimbursement. Distinguish between L02.41 for cutaneous abscess and L73.89 for other hair follicle disorders.
Miscoding pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) as a simple ingrown hair can lead to underreporting of this specific condition. Correctly use L73.9 for PFB.
Patient presents with signs and symptoms consistent with an ingrown hair, clinically diagnosed as pseudofolliculitis barbae. The affected area, located [Location - e.g., chin, neck, axilla], exhibits [Descriptive features - e.g., erythema, hyperpigmentation, papules, pustules]. Patient reports [Symptoms - e.g., tenderness, pain, itching, burning] at the site. On examination, a curled or coiled hair is observed beneath the skin surface. The surrounding skin may be inflamed, indicating folliculitis. Differential diagnoses considered include bacterial folliculitis, contact dermatitis, and furunculosis. The diagnosis of ingrown hair is based on visual inspection and patient history. No laboratory tests were deemed necessary at this time. Treatment plan includes [Treatment - e.g., warm compresses, topical antibiotics, manual extraction if appropriate]. Patient education provided regarding proper shaving techniques, including the use of sharp razors, shaving in the direction of hair growth, and avoiding close shaves, to prevent recurrence. Follow-up recommended if symptoms worsen or do not improve within [Timeframe - e.g., one to two weeks]. ICD-10 code L73.9 (Trichiasis) may be considered. This documentation supports medical necessity for the evaluation and management of this condition.