How To Prevent Bumps After Shaving

Who doesn’t enjoy the sensation of smooth skin after shaving? One of the things that help us feel good about our bodies is shaving.

Shaving the underarm, (especially if you’re planning to wear tank tops or clothes that are sleeveless), shaving the bikini area, shaving the beard, or shaving any other part of the body makes us feel wonderful.

The bumps that appear after shaving, on the other hand, are not so pleasant. Irritation and ingrown hair are the causes of these bumps. When hair grows back into the skin instead of growing to the surface, it results in ingrown hair.

Bumps are skin conditions that cause inflammation on the skin. They are more common in men and usually occur on the face. Bumps are self-diagnosed. The symptoms are small red and dark bumps that are inflamed around the hair follicles.

Bumps can go away on their own (usually after two or three weeks) and can reoccur after every shave. Razor bumps can cause scarring in most cases after healing. Especially if you touch it often or even try to pop it forcefully.

They are swollen, painful spots in areas where you shave like the armpit, face, private parts, or legs. They look like pimples but they have a white pus-filled head at the tip.

Between 45-85% of African American males experience several skin conditions thus are more likely to have bumps. Hispanic men and people with curly hair are also have more likely to develop razor bumps too. 

A clean shave leaves your skin smooth and soft but if shaving gives you bumps and scars, it can affect your confidence. These are some ways to prevent bumps after shaving.

How To Prevent Bumps After Shaving

How to prevent bumps after shaving

Exfoliate

Exfoliating eliminates dead skin cells from the body, so do it before shaving to get rid of all the dead skin cells and toxins. This will give the razor a nice and clean area to work on when removing hair from your skin. Exfoliating after shaving is not recommended since your skin becomes extremely sensitive and you may experience cuts. It is therefore advisable to exfoliate before shaving.

Before shaving, exfoliating removes excess oil, dirt, and dead skin cells. It keeps the skin clean, unclogs the pores, and helps achieve a closer shave.

If you want to exfoliate after shaving, you should do so, a few days after shaving. After shaving, exfoliating can also remove dead skin and make it easier for the hair to grow thus making it less likely to get ingrown hairs.

Use heat

Your pores will open up as a result of the heat. Applying heat to the area before shaving will open up the pores, making it easier to pull the hair out when shaving. Pouring warm water on the region or soaking a towel or a washcloth with warm water and placing it on the area are some ways to apply heat.

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Use a clean razor

We all have a habit of using and reusing razors. If you’re going to repurpose an old razor, make sure it’s clean. Dirt and bacteria can become trapped in old razors. When put on the skin, this will irritate the skin. Make sure the blade isn’t dull as well. Because if it is, it will be unable to shave the region adequately, resulting in ingrown hair.

Also, avoid shaving closely. Shave in the direction of the hair growth rather than ‘against the grain’ and avoid pulling your skin when shaving.

Using an electric razor can prevent shaving bumps too, but if you don’t use an electric razor, then try to replace your razors as frequently as you can.

Use shaving cream

Shaving cream hydrates the skin and provides a protective covering for it during shaving. When shaving, this decreases friction. As a result, it reduces the appearance of redness, razor burn, and other skin irritations. Shaving cream also softens and nourishes the hair follicles, making them easier to pull during shaving. This aids in the prevention of ingrown hairs.

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Care for razor blade

  • Using a single-edge razor blade is better than a double-edge blade because a double-edge blade cuts the hair deeper point which is likely to cause ingrown hairs.
  • Clean the razor blade after each stroke.
  • Avoid using razor blades so many times as this can cause bacteria to get to your pores and cause an infection.
  • Rinse your blade with water and use alcohol-based cleaner to clean shaved area.
  • Keeping your facial hair moist and lubricated with shaving cream and water prevents dry brittle hair thus allowing you to shave with a single stroke to prevent bumps.
How to get rid of razor bumps

How to get rid of razor bumps

Razor bumps can be treated with prescribed antibacterial lotions and applying over-the-counter low concentration hydrocortisone creams.

You can also try some at-home remedies to get rid of razor bumps. These include; putting warm green tea bags on the bumps to compress them. You can also use aloe vera and tea tree oil

Tea tree oil has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic properties. Mix less than 15 drops of tea tree oil into a bowl of warm water, soak your face towel into the mixture and apply the face towel on affected areas for 20-30 minutes a day.

Tea tree opens up the pores, loosens the ingrown hairs, and soothes the inflamed razor bumps.

Aloe Vera has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. It can be used as a moisturizer and a soothing cream. Cut open a fresh aloe vera leaf and scoop the gel from it. Spread it on the affected area, leave it dry for 30 minutes and wash with warm water. The natural chemicals in aloe vera quicken the healing process. 

Though shaving makes you confident and presentable, bumps can be painful and give you scars. If you are unable to self-treat bumps due to shaving, laser hair removal can be the best option and lasts longer than shaving, and reduces the chance of ingrown hair.

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