Whether you are a man or a woman, you may shave on a regular basis. Men shave their faces while women shave their legs, armpits, and maybe even other parts of their bodies. While there are some who do not mind body hair, there are plenty who want as little of it as possible. This leads to the daily or weekly shaving.
While shaving is not that big of a deal, sometimes it can cause little bumps to appear on the skin. These can be quite unappealing, but you may have thought for years that there was really nothing you can do about them. It is just a consequence of shaving. This is not the case. In fact, there are things that you can do to get rid of those razor bumps. Here are some tips that can assist you.
What Are Razor Bumps?
Before diving into what can be done about razor bumps, it is probably important to explain to you what these are exactly. You may wonder how they appear on your legs or face is as a red area with little bumps. These bumps are referred to as folliculitis. These generally appear directly after you finished shaving and will normally disappear after a very short period of time. However, they can be visible up to several hours after shaving.
What happens while you are shaving is that the razor causes friction against your skin. This is the redness part. As you cut the hair, the remaining follicle can grow into your skin instead of out. This causes little pimple like bumps to appear on the skin. As amazing as it sounds, it can take just a few short minutes for this hair to start growing into your skin. No matter how careful you try to be, there is really nothing you can do to deter this from happening.
So, when they do occur, what can you do about it?
Use a Moisturizer?
A razor burn causes the same type of irritation you would have if your skin was sunburned or damaged in some other way. What this means is that your skin needs to be moisturized, and this would help to reduce redness quickly.
You can start by using a moisturizer. Take a towel and apply the moisturizer to the towel. Then gently rub it into your skin. This will not only remove the redness but alleviate any itching you may be feeling as well. This should help to soothe the skin so the redness will quickly disappear.
As a quick note, make sure you choose a moisturizer that is alcohol free. Alcohol can actually wind up irritating the skin even more.
Exfoliate Your Skin
If you are finding that you are having a serious issue with ingrown hairs caused from shaving, then you need to create some space so that those hairs can get back out like they are supposed to. The best way to solve that is through exfoliating your skin prior to shaving.
A lot of times the reason that the hair follicles are unable to properly align is because dead skin cells are blocking your pores. If you remove the skin cells it will create an opening where the hairs are able to get back out and pimples will not develop.
One of the best home remedies you can use to exfoliate your skin is to mix some aspirin and water and rub it across your skin. You can be gentle. There is no need to grind the aspirin into your skin. Salicylic acid is contained inside the aspirin and will help to remove those dead skin cells. You just wipe away with a towel afterward and you are ready to shave.
There is another important note for you. Do not use tweezers or a needle to try to push these hairs back to the surface. What you may do is cause a bacterial infection which could lead to scarring.
The All-Purpose Remedy
If you have any kind of problem with your skin, one of the first things you are always going to here as a remedy is aloe vera. This seems to be the catchall for all skin problems.
The thing about it is that aloe vera is an incredibly useful product that has a multitude of uses in regards to your skin. Because of the qualities and compounds contained in aloe vera, it is ideal for soothing, repairing, and cleaning your skin.
What is so good about aloe vera in relation to razor bumps is that it does two things. First, it soothes and moisturizes the skin. This will reduce redness, make your skin feel less inflamed, and reduce inflammation. It will also cleanse the skin of any bacteria, oil, or other debris that could cause an issue. This helps to ensure that bacteria does not penetrate these bumps.
Apply the aloe vera directly to your skin after shaving. Gently rub it in and leave it.
Give It Some Time
Speaking of leaving it. One of the best things that you can do for razor bumps is to simply leave them alone. Unless you are in an emergency situation that requires you to have these bumps removed as quickly as possible, you are likely going to find that after 30 or 40 minutes they are going to disappear.
These are not a permanent scar on your legs or face. They will go away after a short period of time.
Use a Fresh Razor
One last note we wanted to mention to you. Sometimes razor bumps can be caused by using a dull razor or one that has been used too many times. What often happens is that the razor is unable to evenly cut the hairs on your legs or face, which causes one of two things to occur. Either you are forced to continually rub the razor across your face, irritating your skin, or you do not get the hairs cut properly, allowing for bumps to develop. To see if this is a cause, use a brand-new razor and see if there is a difference. You are likely going to find that using a clean blade solves a lot of your problems.