How to get rid of razor bumps
Need to know how to get rid of razor bumps? Pseudofolliculitis Barbae, as it’s called in the medical world, can be an unsightly and sometimes painful condition. Razor bumps have a way of appearing when you want them the least. So it’s a good idea to know how to treat them if you need to. Luckily, there are a few precautions and treatments that can help you get rid of razor bumps, or better yet, prevent them from happening in the first place. Prevention is the best form of treatment for razor bumps. We’ll cover all the different treatment and prevention methods, but first- a little bit of info about the condition
A razor bump is really just an ingrown hair. A hair that has grown back into the skin, and caused inflammation of the skin follicle. The bump that appears because of the inflammation, is a red, firm bump that sometimes resembles acne. African Americans, and other people with curly hair, are more prone to get razor bumps. They are most common around the neck for men, and the bikini area for women. These, of course, are both places that are shaved often. Improper shaving techniques are a common cause of most cases of razor bumps. Like I stated earlier, prevention is the best treatment, so the very first place to start when trying to get rid of razor bumps, is making sure your shaving technique isn’t the source of the problem.
It’s important to make sure to buy quality razors and shaving cream. You don’t have to tell me how expensive the better ones have gotten recently, I know all too well unfortunately. Some people can use the cheap disposable razors in a bag, and have no issues with razor bumps. But if your prone to razor bumps, using a quality razor will go along way in helping to eliminating your problem. Specifically, look into the regular style razor thant also vibrates. The Gillette Mach series is a good option. Replacement blades can be a bit pricey, but again, you get what you pay for.
Next it’s important to choose a shaving cream that works with your skin and not against it. Look for specialty brands that are fragrance, and dye free. Try to avoid products containing alcohol, as alcohol can sometimes make the problem worse. Make sure to try shaving cream and after shave designed specifically for sensitive skin, if you find they don’t help at all- keep trying until you find one that least irritates your skin, and further causes razor bumps. They’re all different formulas, and will all react with different skin types in multiple ways. Just try one out a t a time until you find the best fit for your skin type. What may work well for me, could cause you to break out. So don’t just pick one and continue to use it out of habit, like most people do.. It really could be as simple as one chemical that’s the cause of your problem.
Pro tip: In my own personal battle with razor bumps, I’ve found that the type of aftershave or moisturizer I used, was more important than the type of cleanser I used prior to shaving. So if you try to save a few bucks, do it on the cleanser, and invest in a quality moisturizer.
Now that you have the proper tools that you need, here are some tips to help you use them effectively and properly, shaving in a way that prevents razor bumps from ever happening in the first place.
First thing to remember is that it is best to shave after you shower. The warm steam and water, relaxes and hydrates your skin, making for an easier shave. If you shave without taking a shower beforehand, try soaking a towel in hot water, then placing it on the area to be shaved. Allow the towel to stay put for at least a minute, longer if you would like. This is far more effective than just dousing your face with warm water before you shave. All you accomplish by doing that, is rinsing the skin. What you really are trying to do is heat the skin. It may sound simple, but making sure area to be shaved was properly preheated, was a major factor in eliminating razor bumps.
Now, when you lathe the shaving lotion, make sure to use water that is almost too hot for you. The cream will cool fast, so try to offset that as much as possible. In fact, it would do you well to look into a heated shaving cream canister. They can be found online, and at most major department stores. You can usually find them in the $20-$40.00 range, which is well worth it if your serious about preventing razor bumps.
Razor technique is the final, and possibly most important aspect of the process. Always use a fresh blade. Some people will be able to get away with using a razor for a week or two, others will need a fresh blade, at least, every 3 or 4 shaves. And for persistent and extreme cases of razor bumps, a new blade may be needed for every shave. Lucky for you, that isn’t usually the case. Next, make sure to not apply too much pressure as you are shaving. Not only will this not help get rid of razor bumps, but it’s also unhealthy for the skin to constantly be stripped of its outer layer. A good cleansing scrub is all you need for exfoliation. This is probably the most important thing you can make sure to do: Always shave going in the direction of the growth of the hair follicle. This may seem like common sense, and you may think that you are already doing it, but there are a few things to watch out for. Growth patterns of hair follicles can be somewhat tricky, especially in the neck area. Many times, hair growth can occur in multiple directions, making it difficult to know exactly which direction to shave. There’s a good chance, that’s the case in the spot in which your razor bumps are occuring. If so, there is no definite answer hear. Just make sure to experiment with different techniques in those spots, until you find what works for you. The key is to experiment with all the different factors to come out with a solution.
Once you have razor bumps, they are difficult to get rid of. The first thing you want to see if you can “dig” the ingrown hair out. This can help speed up the healing of the razor bumps, but besides that the only other option is to use a concealer of some type. This is for men and women.. Make sure to use a product that is designed not to clog your pores to prevent any other skin conditions from arising.
If you take the guidelines given to you, odds are that you will eliminate most of your inflammation.. Like I said in the beginning, prevention is the name of the game when your wanting to know how to get rid of razor bumps.