Razor bumps are an annoying, painful part of many people’s daily lives. So can you really prevent them? Actually, yes. For most people, razor bumps are preventable. You just need to make a few changes to your shaving routine.
What causes razor bumps?
Razor bumps happen when shaved hair curls backward and grows back into your skin. This causes inflammation and small bumps that are red or flesh-colored.
Anyone who shaves can develop razor bumps, but men with coarse or curly facial hair are at the highest risk.
Fortunately, we have the answers.
Razor bumps are not the same as razor burn.
Razor burn is the skin irritation and redness that develops after shaving. It’s caused by shaving without cream, shaving too quickly, or using a dull blade. Razor burn usually lasts from a few hours to a few days, and while it’s not pleasant, it’s less painful than razor bumps and carries less risk of lasting damage.
Sometimes razor burn causes small red bumps on your skin, but these technically aren’t the same as razor bumps.
Follow The Classic’s routine to prevent razor bumps.
Our barbers have between five and twenty years of experience with straight razors, and if you watch them work, you’ll notice most of the work is in the preparation. Preparation is the best way to prevent razor bumps.
Our five-step process looks like this:
- Prep your skin with heat and moisture, and wrap a hot towel around your face.
- Use high-quality shaving cream.
- Shave in the direction of growth.
- Replace your blades.
- Rinse cold.
1. Prep your skin with heat.
Heat opens your pores and softens your facial hair, making bumps and irritation less likely.
How to get heat? We recommend washing your face with warm water, which also removes dirt and oil. You can also soak a towel in hot water, wring it out, and let it rest on your face for a few minutes right before you shave.
2. Use high-quality shaving cream.
Build a nice lather before you apply it to your face. A nice hydrating shaving cream gives you a protective lubricant between the blade and your skin. That way, the razor can glide over your face instead of pulling at the hair follicles.
Try to avoid a canned aerosol cream. Finding the right product can be a personal journey, but to get you started, we recommend Proraso for Sensitive Skin or Nivea Sensitive Calm.
3. Shave in the direction of growth.
You don’t get as close a shave, but going with the grain will prevent razor bumps.
Shaving against the grain pulls hair back and cuts it below the skin surface, causing it to become trapped underneath as it regrows.
4. Replace your blades.
Never shave with a dull blade. It causes tugging, jagged edges, and skin irritation. We suggest you swap out disposable cartridges every five to seven shaves.
5. Rinse cold.
Finish your shave with a splash of cold water to soothe the skin and close your pores.
You can follow that up with an alcohol-free splash or balm with ingredients like aloe vera to moisturize your face and neck and reduce inflammation.
You can also try a beard.
Ultimately, if you shave, you may get razor bumps. If you have the option, you can stop shaving and grow out your beard.
It doesn’t have to be a big beard, either: A 5 o’clock shadow is usually enough to eliminate your razor bumps.
On the other end, shave more often.
You might think that shaving more would make the problem worse, but hear me out: It’s not the shaving that causes bumps; it’s when the cut hair grows back into your skin.
Shaving every two to three days gives hair less time to grow and curve. Note that this only works if you’re using a single-blade or straight razor.
Straight razor shaves help, too.
Not everyone has time to give themselves a straight razor shave, but they do help.
With a straight razor, you’re working with a single, very sharp blade. Because razors cut precisely, you don’t need as many passes over the skin. That means less pulling and tugging at the hair shafts, less irritation, and fewer ingrown hairs.
Safety razor shaves are good, too.
Same idea as the straight razor shave: Fewer blade passes, fewer chances to aggravate your skin. They don’t work quite as well as a straight razor, though.
Get a professional shave at The Classic.
If you want a flawless straight razor shave that won’t leave you with bumps, book an appointment online at The Classic.
