What are razor bumps?

Razor bumps, also referred to as pseudo folliculitis barbae or razor burns, are painful bumps that can appear on the skin after shaving. These bumps can show up almost immediately or they can take a few days to develop.

Who gets razor bumps?

Men with course, curly or tightly coiled hair are more likely to suffer from razor bumps.  It is the effect of hair curling around and burrowing back into the skin or it can also be the direct result of poor hair removal techniques.

Not properly preparing the skin prior to shaving can also cause razor bumps.  These ingrown hairs cause irritation to the hair follicle, which swells into a small red lump that looks a bit like a pimple.

Shaving tips you can do for razor bumps.

• Never dry shave. This can tear the skin and make things worse.

• Use a wet hot towel or warm water on the face to open up the pores before shaving. Doing so helps your hair stand on end.  You can use a pre-shave oil to help moistens the skin too.

• Create a thick lather of shaving cream to protect the skin. The thicker the lather it helps creates a perfect surface for the blade to glide through.

• Make sure you’re using a sharp single blade high quality razor and replace often.  Bump Fighter by Personna is a preferred choice for this problem and men with this issue swear by this razor.  (Multi-blade razors may seem to be all the rage nowadays, they aren’t the best solution for razor bumps.)

• Don’t go against the grain.  Shave in the direction that the hair grows.

• Use cold water or damp cool cloth to close up those pores.  Moisturizer or use an after shave product to help reduce skin irritation.  Aloe and witch hazel-based products prove best to help heal your damaged skin.

Lastly, shaving skin that is already irritated is a recipe for pain, and you could even end up with scarring if the damage is never given chance to heal. It might be a good idea to hold off on shaving for a few days while your skin heals.

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