How to Prevent Razor Bumps on Your Face

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When it comes to shaving, men have been doing it for a while. Some men prefer the look of their babyface. Others feel that it makes them look younger. Still, others will have to shave around a beard or mustache to look well-groomed. Whatever a man’s reason for shaving, it’s important to have the right gear. Making sure that you use the proper equipment will prevent you from looking shabby. It can also keep you from getting razor bumps on your face. There are things that you can do to make sure that you don’t get razor bumps. You can buy certain creams and use other treatments after you get them. In this article, we will detail exactly how you can avoid those unsightly razor bumps. While prevention is the best cure, there are also some details on how to heal the bumps quickly.

How to Prevent Razor Bumps on Your Face After Shaving

There are more ways to prevent razor bumps than you may be aware of. Some of us have fathers that teach us all the tricks of the trade. Other boys don’t have a dad to tell them how it’s done. Sometimes, their father is a real mountain man and never shaves at all. In the latter cases, boys can be confused about how to shave. Even if you have been shaving all your life, you might be doing it wrong. You could be getting bumps and confused about where you are going wrong. We will detail exactly what a good shave entails so that you can get the job done right the first time.

Prepare Your Skin Properly

Shaving is a process that requires you to prep your skin first. You don’t need to go through elaborate methods of steaming. In fact, hot water can soften your skin too much and even damage it. Just wash your face first with warm water or have a shower. This will make it so that the razor glides more easily over the skin. It will be a nice, light touch instead of a rough ride when you go to shave. If you have had a hot shower, wait for your skin to rest before shaving. You can make it more susceptible to damage if you make the skin too delicate.

Make Sure to Exfoliate

Another trick that you may be missing is exfoliation. You may not know it, but exfoliating will prevent razor bumps. You will get rid of ingrown hair in the exfoliation process as well. You can use a variety of methods to exfoliate. Some people use exfoliating creams that really go to town. Make sure though that these have beads and not harsh acids. You can save the facials for some other time other than when you are about to shave. You don’t want to take any layers of skin off when you save of course. You simply want to prep the skin to be in its best form. You can also use a device like a Clarisonic. Yes, a Clarisonic will perform just the right amount of exfoliating and clean action before you start your shave. You might have to even put this on your Christmas list. A lot of people love these spinning brushes because they give an even touch. If you are more of the rough and tumble type, you can just use a loofah or a washcloth. This can do the trick to exfoliate as well.

Use the Right Shaving Cream for Your Face

Next, you want to be paying attention to the type of shaving cream that you are using. You can be using something that is actually irritating your skin. If you are constantly feeling that your skin is irritated after you shave, this might be the reason. Try to get a shaving cream that is hypoallergenic if you have sensitive skin. You might want to pay attention to the natural plant additives that they add. Sometimes a manufacturer will add a lot of essential oils, but these are simply unnecessary. They may produce a nice scent, but they don’t do any favors to sensitive skin. In fact, they can actually irritate the skin. You don’t want to be worrying about extra fragrances and oils, so just look for minimal ingredients. You might even have to switch to a different brand or go through a few ones until you find something that isn’t annoying your face.

Switch out and Clean Your Razors

Did you know that you should be switching out your razor every other time you shave, or even once a shave? If you have thick hair, you really should go with once a shave. Additionally, if you’re shaving off an entire beard, then you definitely need to dispose of the razor after you use it. The exception, of course, is the double-edged safety razor. You will need to be switching out just the blade probably once a week. You might want to try the safety razor if you’re having problems with getting a clean enough shave.

Razors can really be breeding grounds for bacteria and germs. When you leave them in your bathroom after you shave, just think of what happens to them. To prevent them from really getting a build-up, you should wash them with alcohol afterward. Rubbing alcohol will clean your blade. You will be able to use it one more time without worrying that it is dirty. If you find you’re getting a lot of bumps, then clean the razor with alcohol again before you use it. Make sure you store it in a dry, clean container until your next use.

Technique, Technique

Finally, you will want to look at your technique. You should always go with the grain of the hair. You will get a better shave going against the grain, but it is just too risky. Don’t go over the same area again, even if you feel like you missed a hair. It’s better to miss one hair that you can cut later than to cut your skin. Always wash your skin with cool water to close your pores after you shave. Then you can put on a moisturizing cream to lock in some moisture.

Shaving Tips to Prevent Bumps on Face

Even if you follow all the steps that you’ve been taught to with shaving, you can still get those dreaded razor bumps. This might be because the person who taught you how to shave didn’t know all the tricks of the trade. After all, you will find that people in past generations didn’t have all the best creams and techniques that we know now. You may have been taught very well, but you’ve strayed from your methods. Your morning is a hodgepodge of slapped-together systems that you find save time, but not necessarily your skin. Whatever is going on with you, if you are getting razor bumps, then you will need to take a refresher course. It’s just like a driver that hasn’t been on the road for years. Sometimes they want to take a class before getting back behind the wheel. They may not need to go to driving school again, but you do need a defensive driving class or a similar refresh.

The Miracle of Pre-Shave Oil

Your refresh is here with a few extra tips for those of you that have fallen off the wagon. Maybe you don’t even have all the right tools in your tool kit. Have you ever considered a pre-shave oil? The oil not only protects the skin, but it will help those hairs stand up straighter. This means that you can more easily lift them away with a razor. When your hair curls up, it tends to be less easy to shave. Smoothing that hair out with a pre-shave oil really is the way to go. You can find pre-shave oils anywhere you turn nowadays. You may be able to purchase a salon formulation at a barber or a salon. Alternatively, you can go to a health food store where you can get oil. Most of these oils will have a good silicone base. This is just what is needed for the pre-shave oil to do its job.

Get a Good Lather

Also, you need to make sure that your shaving cream is giving you a good enough barrier between you and your skin. You have to lather up the cream really well and apply it liberally. If you are using soap, perhaps you are not getting enough of lather and you will need to switch to shaving foam. Most of these shaving creams will have a glycerin base. This base will be another good moisturizer and help with the shaving process. You will want to also look for the ingredients to avoid if you don’t want razor bumps. For example, menthol and benzocaine are two ingredients that you don’t want in a shaving cream. These two ingredients tend to be irritants and pore-cloggers. This is something you certainly want to avoid.

Take Care of Your Shaving Brush

If you use a shaving brush, then you will want to take extra care of it. It needs to be cleaned thoroughly after you use it. You should also hang it upside down to dry. When you hang it that way, you can really help it to dry properly. Get a stand for it if necessary. Also, try to tuck it away in a clean case after you use it. It can be unhygienic to just have it sitting there in the bathroom collecting bacteria. When you store it away, you will keep the germs at bay as well.

Purchase an Alum Block and Aftershave

Another tool that you should invest in is an alum block. The alum block is something you rub over the face after you splash it with cold water and dry it. It will help to further close the pores. Of course this is something specialized that you probably didn’t get when you were a young lad. You can invest in one now though and start to implement best practices. Also, if you cut yourself, you can use it as antiseptic. You simply wet the bar and put it where you cut yourself.

Aftershave is a trick that you probably did pick up from your grandpa. You can splash this on to make sure that your skin doesn’t get any bumps. It will give you that extra moisture that you need. Men like this especially because they can just splash and go. Make sure you get an alcohol free aftershave because alcohol just dries out the skin.

If after all this you still get bumps, then try to shave less often. You can also get a glycolic acid cream from the store to apply to your bumps. Try to avoid picking them because they will just get worse. You can try Aloe Vera or hydrocortisone cream if the acid doesn’t work.

Finally, you have found some ways to master shaving. We hope that after reading these tips, you will be less inclined to go back to poor habits. Perhaps you have even found some new ones to master. Your shaving technique could probably always use some improving. Not many of us were trained to shave from barbers. Even barbers don’t always know all the tricks of the trade since many of them use straight razors or just don’t offer shaving now. Some states have outlawed the straight razor so barbers have had to find other methods to keep their clients looking great. Also, make sure that you don’t share your razors with anyone. They often get blood on them from small nicks to the skin. You certainly don’t want to be sharing any blood borne illnesses with anyone else. Enjoy your new shave and think of it as an investment in your career.