What Are Razor Bumps
and How to Treat and Avoid Them
Razor bumps are one of those annoying things that you can get from shaving, but fortunately they are easily avoided with the right technique and a nice sharp razor.
The technical medical term is Pseudofolliculitis barbae which is from pseudo (false), follicle (hair), itis (inflammation), barbae (of or relating to the beard). Of course only medical people would use this name, everyday names include shaving bumps, red bumps, beard bumps, or PFB.
This article is specifically focused towards men shaving their faces regularly.
What Are They?
When a hair is shaved it immediately begins to grow back – hence why most people have to shave every day. Luckily for women, this is almost certainly a problem that only men will have to deal with – on their faces at least.
In the normal instance the hair will grow back out through the skin to the outside world. But sometimes the hair may curl inwards underneath the skin, which is called an ingrown hair.
This can end up causing an inflamed reaction of the skin. If this inflamed area becomes infected, papules or pustules may form giving the unwanted appearance of acne.
How to Prevent Razor Bumps
With the proper shaving technique, avoiding or preventing razor bumps is fairly simple and with practise will just be part of your normal shave. You will be able to stop them from appearing fairly simply with the right razor, shaving supplies and technique.
A good way to avoid or reduce their occurrence is to use a good face exfoliating product. Or you could grow a beard but I don’t recommend that.
How to Get Rid of Razor Bumps
An effective way that I use to eliminate them which works very well for me but is rather a rough way to do it is I first let my facial hair grow out for 2 – 3 days. Then I take a long hot shower to loosen up the skin and while in the shower, I take a nail brush and scrub the razor bump area vigorously. It is a bit painful and uncomfortable, but I find that the scrubbing brings all the hairs out of the skin – since they are 2-3 days long it is quite easy.
All the bumps are popped and I then give myself a nice shave afterwards. The result is amazingly clear; you would have never known they were there. The skin can be slightly red from the scrubbing but this goes away fairly quickly.
If that doesn’t sound like something you would do, you can have a go with a pair of tweezers to get the hair out from under the skin. Or if you can’t see that closely you can get someone else to do it. It is recommended that you leave the root of the hair in place and once the hair has been pulled out from growing under the skin that you leave it be so you can shave it like normal. Do not pull the hair out of its follicle.
Unfortunately if they are severe you will need to see a dermatologist who might have to remove them surgically.
What Causes Razor Bumps
Since they are usually formed by a hair not being able to grow out through the skin, the most common cause is shaving against the grain of the hair. Now, I know that this gives a much smoother shave but it is a main cause.
Another cause is having a worn or blunt blade. You should always shave with a sharp razor.
How to Soothe Razor Bumps
Regular soothing gels like aloe vera are quite good for soothing these as well as some anti-bacterial creams.
What is the Best Shaving Cream for Razor Bumps?
A shaving gel is recommended rather than a cream, you can view a full list of Recommended Shaving Products here.
How Long After Shaving do they Develop?
There is not really a set answer – its totally down to your body. If your hair grows fast then they might become infected sooner than someone whose hair grows slower. Also certain ethnic groups that have naturally curly hair are more prone to get them than others. And also you immune system might prevent them from ever showing. Its all down to the individual.
How Long do they Last?
Usually they will clear up in about a week, depending on their severity and your immune system. If you exfoliate and let the hair grow out they can go quicker, but as a worst case scenario they can stay for much longer than a week and could even turn into keloid scars – this is definitely something that you do not want.
Where To Next?
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