Razor Burns – How embarrassing is that?
We’ve all heard the term “razor burn”, but what is it? What causes it? Above all, how do we get rid of it if it happens to us? A razor burn can be as mild as a sunburn on the body where you’ve shaved, to severe skin irritation and even infection.
Razor burns are often not seen by others, but even if that is true, if you ever get a razor burn, you will definitely feel the burning sensation. Sometimes clip or trim the shaved area and it will look like a mild rash. Or you may be one of the people who as a result of shaving gets something known as a razor bump. This is a raised pustule or welt. If you are black in color or have frizzy hair … the follicles when shaving can become inflamed, this is called pseudofolliculitis.
Now we will see the reasons why the rash occurs, the symptoms of the rash and the solutions to prevent and cure it.
First, let’s list the reasons why shaving rash occurs:
- The razor blade is dull or dirty
- You are not using any lubricant or the wrong lubricant for your skin.
- You are shaving in the wrong direction. Yes, it is important to shave with hair growth and not the other way around.
- When you shave, you are pushing too hard, thinking that maybe you will get the hair shaft this way and have a cleaner, smoother shave.
- You shave too often. Young men and anxious women will shave up to 3-4 times a day.
- You are using disposable razors – they are more likely to cause problems.
- We have chosen a shaving product that has skin irritants like; dye, alcohol and fragrance
- After shaving, cover the area with cologne or thicken with aftershave lotions and creams.
Symptoms of a skin rash:
- Fire
- Itching
- Bread
- Swelling
- Redness of the skin
- bumps in the area where you shaved
- Irritable-looking appearance
- Sometimes sores or pustules
Prevention:
The goal of preventing shave burns is to make sure that when you shave, you do not shave anything other than your hair. Here are some steps to take that should decrease your chance of shaving burns:
- Make sure your skin is healthy – this means cleaning and caring for your skin
- Bathe the area to be shaved before shaving with a mild soap.
- Use a gentle scrub: You can use a loofah, shower cleanser, or even a mild chemical scrub that contains salicylic acid. This will remove oil, dead skin, and dirt and make your skin razor smooth.
- Put a warm, damp washcloth on your face for a few minutes or soften hair by applying lotion for a few minutes.
- The last thing that could be the cure is this. The tried and true shaving brush with shaving soap. This brushes the air, lubricates and allows for a great, close shave with little chance of razor burn.
- Don’t shave in the wrong direction, always with hair growth
- Don’t pull the skin too much
- Use new blades at least once a week and rinse the blade frequently while shaving.
- Try using an electric razor
- When you’re done shaving, close your pores by rubbing your skin with a piece of ice. If you have sensitive skin, you can try cold water or alcohol, but alcohol is very drying.
Home cures and solutions for shave burns:
- Stop shaving – give your skin time to heal and hair to grow back. Razor burn will go away on its own
- Use a mild aftershave balm
- Eat a diet rich in vitamin C, this can help heal shave burns.
If your skin burns, you can:
- Use Aloe Vera
- Use witch hazel
- Tree oil creams and sprays
- Use apple cider vinegar
- Use a paste of two plain aspirin made with water. Let it act for ten minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water.
- Make a mask with aloe vera or strawberries in plain yogurt or sour cream. Let it act for ten minutes and rinse with lukewarm water.
- Apply potato skins to burns.
- When you are at home, soothe the burn with petroleum jelly.
You have tried all of these cures and hundreds more and you still have the problem of razor burn. This is when you look for alternative ways to remove hair from your body. There are many products for hair removal, some are: powders, waxes, creams, sugar solutions, laser and simply getting a hairdresser to do it with a straight edge razor.
