Razor burns are quite unavoidable for young men, who frequently find the need to shave. Girls also shave their legs and arms, get hair removed or waxed to get their characteristic smooth skin. But the most annoying thing about this whole exercise is the razor burns, blemishes and bumps spoiling the entire look. What causes these dirty marks? How do we prevent razor burns?
Causes of Razor Burns
Razor burns are common in women. Sensitive skin is more susceptible and prone to damage and shaving can just feel rough and intense like your face or legs are going through a Wyoming car wash where the air the dry. Men with smoother, healthier skin also face the same difficulty. It may also be the by-product of improper shaving that irritates the skin. Improper shaving corrodes the outer layers of the skin, thereby, exposing the inner skin tissues to damage.
The body responds to skin damage as it would to any other wounds on the skin; it sends blood to the area to heal the portion. The blood vessels dilate at a spot developing a reddish rash, commonly termed as the razor burn.
Solutions for Razor Burns
Let’s discuss how one can prevent razor burns just before an important event, especially, when you were planning to look good.
- Most doctors advise the use of electric shavers; electric shavers don’t erode the skin too closely and neither do they give a clean shave either. This helps in keeping the skin intact while giving you a more delectable, rough and manly look.
- Always wash the blades with a mild cleanser and warm water before shaving. This would soften the hair allowing you to shave with minimal ease and comfort.
- Before shaving, try to massage the hair with a warm washcloth that can get the beard hair erect making it easier to remove.
- Avoid stretching the skin before shaving and shave in the direction of hair growth.
- Carefully choose the shaving agent or the gel. For sensitive skin, use gels with moisturizing lubricants and try using therapeutic shaving gels.
- Try shaving using a special razor designed for ingrown hair.
- Once you’re done with shaving, apply some Aloe Vera gel to the shaved area. The gel has therapeutic properties and pain relieving qualities that can help reduce swelling and irritation. The gel also forms a barrier to protect the skin from external infections and promotes faster healing of the irritated skin.
- Choose after shave lotions wisely. Those containing glycolic and salicylic acid would help relieve 60% of the lesions.
- It is better to open the skin pores with warm water. It also softens the skin and gets better results. Rinsing with warm water after shave also removes infections on the skin.
Treating Razor Burns
Despite all these precautions, if you still ended up bumping at razor burns, try these treatment strategies:
- Sprinkle some baby powder on the rashes to soothe the redness.
- Show yourself to a doctor so that he can prescribe some medicines to prevent the eruption of razor bumps in the future.
- You can apply calendula cream immediately after shaving to relieve irritation naturally.
- Aspirin and water can be mixed to form a paste in equal strengths and applied in the irritated area. The paste should be rinsed thoroughly after being left on for 30 seconds.
Kathleen White runs a home business that focuses on selling all natural skin care, make up, and fragrance products. Her ultimate goal is to be someone like William Lauder and become a head of a big personal care products company.
Aloe vera is a succulent plant species that probably native plant originated in northern Africa. The species does not have any naturally occurring populations, although closely related aloes do occur in northern Africa.