What Are Razor Bumps?

Razor bumps (pseudofolliculitis barbae), or razor burn, are small bumps in the skin that develop after shaving (think Nestle Crunch bar). As well as looking like pimples, which can completely spoil any clean-shaven look, razor bumps can also be sore. Over time, these seemingly minor shaving bumps can develop into permanent scar tissue.

CAUSES OF RAZOR BUMPS

Razor bumps are caused by shaving. Sometimes when a hair is cut off at the point where it exits the skin, it can curl back and start growing inwards, depending on your curl pattern. These ingrown hairs cause irritation to the hair follicle, which swells into a small red lump looking kind of like a pimple.

SHAVING SKIN THAT IS ALREADY IRRITATED BY RAZOR BURN IS A RECIPE FOR PAIN, AND YOU COULD EVEN END UP WITH SCARRING IF THE DAMAGE IS NEVER GIVEN A CHANCE TO HEAL.

By using proper shaving techniques, you can help to reduce shaving bumps and ingrown hairs.

• Wet the skin with hot water to open up the pores before shaving.
• Use a thick lather of shaving cream to protect the skin.
• Always use a high-quality, sharp, single-blade razor.
• Shave in the direction that the hair grows.
• Press a cold, damp cloth against your face after shaving to close the pores back up with a good after-shave.

If you already have razor bumps, then it might be a good idea to hold off on shaving for a few days while they heal up. Shaving skin that is already irritated by razor burn is a recipe for pain, and you could even end up with scarring if the damage is never given a chance to heal.

TYPES OF RAZOR BUMPS

There are actually two types of razor bumps: extrafollicular and transfollicular. In the former case, the hair turns around and grows inwards without exiting the skin at all. In transfollicular razor bumps, however, the hair exits the skin and reenters it, so you may be able to see a small amount of exposed hair. In this case, you might be able to tease the end of the hair out of the skin with a pair of tweezers, but resist the temptation to pluck the hair out completely: you’ll only end up with deeper ingrown hairs if you do.

IN FACT, A STUDY PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY FOUND THAT MEN WITH CURLY FACIAL HAIR WERE 50X MORE LIKELY TO SUFFER FROM RAZOR BUMPS THAN THEIR STRAIGHT-HAIRED COUNTERPARTS.