The One Thing To Never Do If You Want To Prevent Razor Bumps
Feeling nice smooth skin after a clean shave is great, but not always possible. How you remove your hair affects your skin and how long your shave lasts. You can shave, wax, epilate, or use laser hair removal. With all these options, you must remember to follow the proper pre- and post-removal steps. If not, you could end up with the dreaded razor bumps.
Alberta explains that razor bumps are tiny ingrown hairs. These occur when, rather than growing out through your skin as they should, your hairs curl and grow beneath the skin's surface. In turn, these bumps can irritate your skin and can become infected, becoming pus-filled pimples. These bumps can even lead to scarring. They occur when you shave incorrectly and don't take care of your skin for the following days. This is most likely to happen to people with curly hair. But while the best way to avoid razor bumps is not to shave, not everyone wants to keep their body hair.
Never dry shave
If you never want to be covered in razor bumps, avoiding dry shaving is vital. Dry shaving means using a razor without any shaving cream or water. These are two essential ingredients in the shaving process. L'Oréal explains that the reason why you need shaving cream is to add slip to the razor. Then it can glide over your skin, cutting every hair it passes without catching onto your skin and causing irritation. When you dry shave, it also probably means you've skipped the process of exfoliating your skin with soap immediately beforehand. This means your razor will quickly become clogged with dead skin instead of the hair you're trying to remove. Therefore, your shave won't be as smooth, and you'll have to spend more time rinsing your razor in water.
Dry shaving will leave your skin stinging, burning, and looking red. Soon after, you will see razor bumps developing over the tender spots where you shaved. They'll most likely heal on your own if you don't pick at them, and should be gone in about one to two weeks. By that time, your hair will have grown, and you'll repeat the cycle. You must follow all the steps properly to see good results after shaving.
The right way to shave
The right way to shave is not any harder than dry shaving, but it does require more time. First, you should prep your skin by exfoliating it. This will remove any dead skin so your razor can get as close to the root of your hair as possible. You don't have to do this step, but it will give you the best shave. If you don't, ensure you're at least washing the skin you're going to shave. Then dermatologist Dr. Heather Rogers explained to Women's Wear Daily that you should wait until the end of your shower to shave. Doing this will soften your hair follicles, making removing the hair easier.
Now it's time to apply the shaving cream. You can also use oil or a creamy body wash. Its job is to make your skin slippery so the razor can glide over it. Dr. Rogers also recommends ensuring that your razor is no more than two weeks old. Once it hits that mark, it's time to replace it. It's best to go against the grain for a close shave. However, if you have sensitive skin, you should shave in the direction of your hair growth, so you don't cause irritation. Once you're done shaving, it's time to moisturize. This step should be done daily, so ingrown hairs don't occur and turn into razor bumps. You can use your usual moisturizer or body oil.