Razor Bumps, Causes and Treatments

Razor Bumps, Causes and Treatments
By PositiveMed-Team
Edited By: Stephanie dawson
When shaved hair becomes trapped inside
the follicle or curls and grows back into the
skin razor bumps occur. Irritation and
development of pimples is caused by razor
bumps. In extreme cases scarring may
happen.
To prevent razor bumps:
1. Before shaving take a shower to soften
the hair and open pores, not a long one.
Wrinkling occurs when you stay in the water
for too long which makes it difficult to get a
proper shave.
2. Shaving should always be done in the
direction your hairs grow, otherwise you’re
pulling and cutting the hair follicle in an
unnatural direction which will make it
susceptible to growing into your skin and
cause irritation.
3. The right shaving technique should be
used to prevent razor bumps. Shave in slow
small strokes rinsing the razor under water
to clean it between each stroke, it won’t sit
flush against the skin if the blade is clogged.
4. Use a product designed to treat razor
bumps, one that contains salicylic acid,
glycolic acid, witch hazel, aloe, or any
combination of these ingredients is good.
Some products may require you to put the
solution on a cotton ball and dab it on your
skin while others might come in a roller
bottle that’s designed to go directly on your
skin.
5. Before shaving let the hairs grow out a
bit. It will only irritate or tear it open by
shaving over razor bumps, leaving them
vulnerable to infection(and probably not
removing much hair in the process). See if
the hair breaks out of the bumps on its own.
6. Try not to go over the same area twice.
Less irritation is caused by shaving with the
grain but not as close a shave. If you are
going back over an area you have already
shaved you should try to use this technique.
7. Cold water should be used for rinsing.
Using a cold washcloth on the area or
ending your shower with a blast of cold
water will close your pores, leaving them less
vulnerable to irritants and infection.
8. One should keep changing their blades of
the razors as the unused razors are often
breeding grounds for bacteria.
9. You can use a mixture of cooled and
pureed cucumber with one cup milk on razor
bumps and rinse it off after 10-20 minutes.
This helps prevent razor bumps.