Smooth faces, silky legs, unblemished bikini areas…when it comes to shaving, what’s the secret?
Knowing why we get razor bumps and how we can prevent them is the secret to smooth, clear skin.
When we shave, no matter what part of our body we’re shaving, we can wind up with razor bumps.
That’s because we furry creatures have hair almost everywhere. Our hair follicles, which are the special pores that hair grows from, are all over us. Except for the palms of our hands, the soles of our feet, and our mucous membranes (like our lips), we’ve got hair follicles pretty much everywhere else on our bodies. That’s the first problem.
The second reason is that our skin carries up to 200 different kinds of bacteria. Although they’re invisible to our human eyes, lots of germs make their home on our skin.
By shaving, we make lots of tiny cuts to our skin, and even to the surface part of the hair follicle. That means bacteria now have a way to get from the surface of our skin, where they’re supposed to live, to inside our hair follicles. Here come the razor bumps.
While razor bumps and ingrown hairs are alike in some ways, they’re really two different things.
When we shave, if the tip of the newly-shaved hair curls backwards instead of coming through the surface of the skin, we wind up with a problem. The hair begins growing into the hair follicle. When this happens, the hair follicle becomes irritated and reddened. This is called an ingrown hair, and we sometimes also call this a razor bump.
But there are other possibilities, too.
Don’t forget about all that bacteria living on our skin.
There are several ways bacteria can make its way past our skin. Shaving is one way–the tiny cuts from our razor leave an open door for bacteria to get inside our hair follicles. So now, our hair follicles are not only irritated, but they’re infected, too. The red, pimple-like rash that develops is sometimes called “hair bumps.” There’s a technical term for this:”folliculitis.” Folliculitis means inflammation of the hair follicle. Call it whatever you like; it’s still not sexy. Because we have hair follicles just about everywhere, we can wind up with folliculitis just about anywhere. Shaving is one of the main ways to cause it, but there other causes, too.
When you see a rash of red, pimple-like bumps instead of smooth, clear skin, there are several different things that may have caused the rash. But when the rash happens after shaving, it’s pretty safe to say it all started with the razor.
One way to avoid razor bumps: don’t shave! One of the best solutions is to instead use a cream or lotion specifically designed to gently remove unwanted hair. These products–called depilatories–can be real problem solvers…if you choose the right one. Waxing is another option, but waxing is painful and can be traumatic to the skin–enough so that you can wind up with both folliculitis and ingrown hairs as a result.
Because shaving is the method most of us use, let’s go over some tips for keeping our skin from bursting into a post-shaving bumpfest:
* Before you shave, gently exfoliate your skin. A loofah works very well for exfoliating. So does a new back brush–it’s best to choose one with natural bristles. Even a soft, clean washcloth can be used to exfoliate the dead skin from the area you want to shave.
* Apply warm water to your skin before shaving. Either soak in the bathtub or, for facial hair, apply a warm, wet washcloth to your face for several minutes prior to shaving.
* Soften your skin and your hair by applying a good shaving cream or shaving lotion. This will help to prevent injury to your skin and your hair follicles.
* Your best approach is to shave in the direction that your hair is growing. Shaving against the grain can lead to a closer shave, but it also can cause razor bumps and ingrown hairs.
* After shaving, rinse the freshly-shaved area with cool water, to help the pores tighten and close.
* Soothe your your skin and reduce irritation by applying an excellent after-shaving lotion or gel product.
Avoiding a razor is the best way to prevent razor bumps. But even if you choose to shave, there are some great products available that can help keep your skin bump-free. What’s most important is knowing what causes your razor bumps, and finding the solution–something that can keep your skin soft, smooth, and clear.
Maura DiRossi has worked in the healthcare profession for more than 20 years, and she is passionate about helping others to achieve great skin. For tips about how to get smooth, clear skin, visit her website at HairBumps.org