Has your skin care ever been affected by facial rashes, hair bumps, razor burns or ingrown hairs since you first started shaving? Well, if you have, you’re not the only one! It’s said that 90 % of men suffer from these facial lesions right after shaving – which, by the way, don’t heal quickly and drastically hurt your skin care.

What causes Razor Burn, Razor Bumps and Ingrown Hairs?

Primarily razor burns are the first to appear; they are characterized by redness and dry skin; an inflammatory reaction to surrounding encircled ingrown hairs. These burns appear more frequently with people who have coarse or curly hair on sensitive areas, like the skin around the mouth and neck. Primarily created by excess pressure while shaving, like shaving with an obtuse blade. Dirty razors can also contribute in razor burns by triggering bacteria that will irritate briskly shaved skin.

Very similar to razor burns are razor bumps. This facial lesion mainly appears when shaving at an angle, producing a sharp point to form, which then pierces more hair follicles.

Ingrown hairs occur in an identical manner, except the hair re-enters the same follicle. This produces painful bumps, pimples and even pus-filled nodules.

Genetic factors can also trigger Ingrown hairs, razor bumps and burns

Individuals with African, Jewish, Nordic or Mediterranean descent have a higher risk of attaining these facial disorders after shaving due to their characteristic gruff or coarse curly hair – the face, neck and beard tend to trigger the greatest problems.

Simple Tips to Shave Away those Facial Blemishes

• Switch razor blades frequently, and make sure to disinfect it well after each use. Also use a sharp blade. A dull blade is responsible for many shaving cuts as it drags over your face and catches your skin along with the hairs of your beard.

• Dampen the areas you want to shave for a few minutes with warm water; this will soften the hairs.

• Always shave WITH the grain – shaving with the grain signifies shaving in the direction of how the hair grows on your face.

• Do not apply strong, bacterial killing antibiotics after shaving – in the long-run they’ll cause some pretty serious side effects and lose effectiveness.

• Clean shaved skin with a mild non-alcoholic antiseptic lotion.

• After shaving apply a mild moisturizer to soften the skin.

• It’s preferable to sidestep shaving first thing in the morning – If possible, let your skin leave its ‘dormant´ state. Fluids collected over night, while you sleep, must recede for you to get a closer shave.

• The “fresh” sensation caused by mentholated shaving products may feel great but, menthol contains alcohol, which can irritate the skin.

Shaving Away your Facial Blemishes is a post from: BioCutis Blog