Shaving Acne and Preventing Razor Pimples and Bumps

Learn the secrets of shaving with acne and preventing shaving pimples.

Shaving with Acne

What is the connection between acne and shaving? There are two ways they are linked. For people without acne, sometimes shaving can cause pseudofolliculitis barbae, which we know as “shaving bumps”. And for people that already have acne, shaving can be a delicate process.

After I shave, it looks like I have acne

Why is it that sometimes after you shave, you get bumps or breakouts that occur on the areas you shaved? You are getting pseudofolliculitis barbae, or shaving bumps. During the process of shaving, the razor can damage the skin and the hair follicles in the skin, causing these razor pimples and zits. Waxing and plucking the hair can also cause this. When the hair begins to grow back, it gets trapped inside the follicle. This will result in swelling and irritation. It is this swelling that causes the bumps on your skin that look like pimples, and some mistake for a form of acne. Anyone can get shaving bumps, but they are more common with people who have curly hair.

Tips to prevent shaving bumps:

• Exfoliate your face. Between shaves, you can exfoliate your face to remove the dead skin cells.
• Use warm water. Before you start shaving, moisten the area up with warm to hot but not boiling water. The heat from the water will dilate your blood vessels, which will promote the flow of blood to the area. The water itself will hydrate your skin, making it more pliable. You can even make this easier by just shaving in the shower!
• Use the correct shaving cream. You can reduce your chances of shaving bumps by choosing and using the correct shaving cream. We have found that the filmy, thinner shaving creams work best to reduce the skin irritation. Put a layer of shaving cream on the area you are going to shave, rubbing it in with circular motions, and let it sit for a minute or two to soften the whiskers. Then put another light coating on and begin shaving.
• Use the correct razor. If it all possible, you should use an electric razor. An electric razor won’t give you the closest shave, but it will help prevent breakouts. If you can’t use an electric razor, the next best choice is a single blade razor. The reason for choosing a single blade razor over the multi-blade razors is that the multi-blade razors lift the hair out of the follicles before cutting. This process is great for getting a smooth shave because it actually cuts the hair below the epidermis, or surface, of the skin. This can create breakouts, because with the hair no longer sticking out through the epidermis, the skin’s natural healing process causes the skin to grow over the hair follicle where the hair used to be, sealing the follicle. As the hair grows, it has to fight its way through this sealed follicle, which irritates the skin and causes an inflammatory response, which leads to breakouts. Also be sure to use a new razor each time you shave, as bacteria may sit on the razor after use, and using it again will spread it to the skin.
• Learn to shave with the grain. It is best to shave with the grain, which typically means shaving down instead of up. This is true for both men and women. Not only is this effective in preventing breakouts, it helps with nicks and cuts as well. Most of us may have learned to shave against the grain for a closer shave, but this actually cuts the hair below the epidermis, having a similar effect that the multi-blade razors have.
• Don’t use too much pressure. If you are using a safety razor, just let the weight of the razor do its job. For light weight razors, apply just enough pressure to get the job done. This is a great way to prevent shaving bumps.
• Kill the bacteria. After shaving, apply a mild alcohol-free toner or antibacterial gel. Doing this will kill any bacteria before it gets into the hair follicles and causes an infection. Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid in gel forms are also great choices to use as an antibacterial gel.

With these tips, you should be able to prevent getting shaving pimples.

Shaving if you have Acne

If you have acne, shaving can be a bit tricky.

We will be talking specifically about shaving your face, as that is the most common area affected by acne that gets shaved. Obviously, this will be more for men. A lot of the information here can apply to other parts of the body that you might shave that are infected with acne. These tips can apply to women too when shaving an area affected by acne.

The first question people with acne ask about shaving is “should they shave”? They want to know if it is better to shave or just let the hair grow. The answer is simple. If you are trying to get rid of your acne, shaving is recommended. This is because bacteria can live on the hair, fueling the acne. It is best to keep hair off the face. However, shaving acne can present some difficulties.

How should someone with acne shave? The tips described above for avoiding razor bumps all apply here as well. Use warm water, the right shaving cream, an electric or new single blade razor, shave with the grain, and use an anti-bacterial cleanser on your face when finished. If you have a particularly active acne spot, consider shaving around it at first, and then make one or two passes at most very lightly over it with the grain. Also, don’t over shave. Shaving every 2-3 days is probably the ideal timeframe between shaves. And most importantly, never try to shave off the acne! It is not possible to shave away acne, and you are only going to make things a lot worse!

Between shaves, it is important to moisturize and exfoliate the skin. Hopefully you are already on a program to deal with the acne at the source. The system to get rid of acne that we recommend here is the Acne no More system. This system has helped countless people cure their acne, and we highly recommend it.

If after following these guidelines you are finding shaving to still make your acne breakouts worse, I would highly recommend using an electric razor or beard trimmer instead of a bladed razor.

So there you have it. It may be a pain at first to follow these guidelines, but your great looking, pimple free skin will thank you for the effort. And once you are acne free, you can let your facial hair grow. Just don’t be like most people and not have a plan. If you want the best looking facial hair that will get you noticed, check out the Grooming Secrets for Men eBook. It will make you a new man!