Preventing Razor Burn

How to prevent razor burn for men of all skin tones.  

Let’s learn how to prevent razor burn in men. Razor burn…the itchy, red rash on the skin that occurs after shaving. It’s unsightly, uncomfortable and painful! With a few simple steps, you can prevent razor burn.

There are several things that can cause razor burn and we will delve into the causes and remedies. Razor burn affects men of all skin types. It’s something that with just a little effort to create a routine makes all the difference between a pleasant shaving experience and one that tears your face apart!

Razor Burn affects every skin type

Razor burn affects ALL skin types of all ethnicities. We will cover every aspect of razor burn for every guy. Once you create your own skin care routine, you can eliminate razor burn forever! Different skin types need different shaving routines. Often razor burn is confused with razor bumps. While they are similar, the causes are different and the preparation and treatments are different. Let’s look at the causes of razor burn and razor bumps.

Difference between razor burn and razor bumps

While razor burn and razor bumps look similar, they are different, and they have different causes and treatments. Prepping the skin before hand is crucial for both razor burn and razor bumps. Men tend to neglect their skin. They correlate personal care with cosmetics, and nothing can be farther from the truth! Shaving is a harsh and traumatic experience for the skin, and it’s something men do daily. It makes sense to have a little routine that’s super easy to do and maintain. The results are a great shaving experience without the trauma of torn skin – razor burn.

What is Razor burn?

Razor burn otherwise known as razor rash, is a skin irritation that can be caused by dry shaving that’s a little too aggressive or shaving with a dull razor blade. It is also caused by the blade of razor going too deep into the skin, scraping away hair and causing micro tears in the skin.  It usually appears almost immediately. If razor burn is bad enough, the affected area can swell into welts. It shows up as a rash or patch of red bumps. If you have shaved aggressively, it can also bleed. Razor burn can affect any part of the body that is subject to shaving, including the face, pubic area, legs, and underarms. Signs and symptoms of razor burn include:

• rash
• redness
• itchiness
• swelling
• tenderness
• burning sensation
• small red bumps
• pain
• in some cases, bleeding

What are Razor Bumps?

Razor bumps are different than razor burn. Razor bumps are caused by ingrown hairs. Ingrown hair occurs when hair that has been removed grows back at an angle, causing them to turn back into the skin.  Shaving, waxing, and plucking can all cause ingrown hairs. In some cases, ingrown hairs can get infected and require removal by a medical professional. This is also known as folliculitis and requires a visit to your doctor. My husband had an ingrown beard hair that caused his chin to swell with infection. It required antibiotics to eliminate the infection, then surgical removal by a dermatologist. There is also pseudofolliculitis barbae, which is a version of razor bumps that affect up to 60 percent of African American men. Ethic hair that tends to be curly and coarse is not limited to African American men. Ingrown hairs can affect anyone at anytime.

People with thick coarse or curly hair tend to be more prone to ingrown hair, but any hair or skin type can be affected. Symptoms of ingrown hair include:

• swelling
• tenderness
• red bumps
• pimples with puss
• rash
• itchiness

How to prevent razor burn

There are many ways to prevent razor burn after shaving. Properly preparing your skin and using high quality shaving products like Man Shave are essential. Without these first two steps, your shaving experience is going to be less than perfect and may lead to painful razor burn. Try these steps to prepare your face and avoid razor burn:

• shave softened hair
• exfoliate
• Use a high-quality shaving cream
• Take your time!
• Finish with cold water
• Avoid tight clothing

Shower and Shave!

Always shave when your skin is warm and the stiff coarse beard hair is softened from the shower. This simple step is a crucial step to avoid many skin issues, like razor burn, ingrown hair and dry skin. By shaving when the hair is soft, it allows the razor to bend back the hair, slightly pulling it up for a close shave that lasts. No breakage and no pulling. 

Exfoliate

Exfoliating your skin before shaving or waxing to remove dead cells that clog pores and cause ingrown hairs. Ingrown hairs are hairs that have grown underneath the first layer of skin or have curled back and penetrated the first layer of skin. Either way…it’s painful! Exfoliating removes a layer of dead skin cells and makes it easier to get a close shave. Exfoliating also leaves your face cleaner and fresher. That means looking younger! Exfoliating everyday will not hurt your skin, just the opposite. It allows fresh new skin cells to the surface where the end result is a healthy glow and younger looking skin.

High Quality Shaving Cream

Using an emollient shaving cream, will help to prevent the rash, pain and itching of razor burn. Man Stuff created Man Shave with a thick cold cream base. Most shaving preparations contain alcohol, which is drying to the skin. Using a grooming regimen with alcohol free products are your best bet for avoiding razor burn and ingrown hairs. Having a thick layer of Man Shave will create less drag of the razor on bare skin. This friction is one of the main causes of razor burn. Using a gel or foam shaving cream can actually dry out skin! Most of them have alcohol and not much in the way of emollients. Man Shave is loaded with great ingredients that are perfect for keeping your face lubricated and soft.  The sweet almond Oil, coconut oil, shea butter and aloe vera in Man Shave creates a thick barrier the blade will glide through rather than drag against your skin.

Finish with cold water!

Using cold water at the end of your shaving routine will:

• Decrease inflammation
• Reduce puffiness
• Improve skin tone
• Minimize enlarged pores
• Tighten and refresh

Not only does it feel great to splash your freshly shaven face with cold water, it has it’s definite benefits!

Decreasing inflammation will reduce the appearance of raised, red razor bumps. It will help the reduce the pores and thereby reducing the chance of ingrown hairs; they are so painful! Rinsing with cold water will improve your overall skin tone and leave you feeling refreshed. Cold water also tightens. Follow up with a great moisturizer like Man Lotion for the final step in your skin care routine.

Take your time!

You’re not brushing line for the railroad with a machete! You are shaving your face, the most delicate skin on your body. Well almost! The best thing you can do it take your time. Like anything else, anything worth doing right is worth taking your time. Creating an extra 3 minutes for your shaving routine can be the difference between nicks, cuts, razor burn and ingrown hairs and a beautiful, freshly shaven face that looks good enough to touch. And let’s not forget the unsightly forgotten toilet paper Bandaid! Taking your time for yourself is not self indulgent, it’s crucial. not leaning too heavily on the blade, instead using light, short strokes, as well as only using as many strokes as necessary; over-shaving an area is a significant cause of razor burn. Avoid Tight clothing such as collars and neck ties will also help to keep swelling to a minimum.

Check back for more info about issues that affect men, which are issues that will eventually effect everyone!