Pseudofolliculitis barbae or razor bumps is a condition that occurs when you close-shave and get an ingrown hair. As the body fights the hair, which it considers a foreign body, the area becomes inflamed, states SkinSight. This causes a pimple-like lesion to form over the ingrown hair. The bump may hurt or itch. While the only 100 percent effective way to prevent razor bumps is to stop removing hair, it is possible to minimize the risk of getting these bumps by shaving carefully.
Step 1
Use a washcloth or soft toothbrush to gently exfoliate and tease hairs away from the skin before you shave. Exfoliating also removes dead skin cells that can block the pores and contribute to razor bumps.
Step 2
Soak the area you are shaving in a tub of warm water for at least five minutes to soften the skin. If you are shaving an area that you can't soak, apply a warm, wet washcloth to the area for five minutes.
Step 3
Lather the area with lubricating shaving gel, recommends MayoClinic.com. Shaving gel provides better lubrication than shaving cream and other shaving products.
Step 4
Shave the area using a new, single-blade razor. Razors with multiple blades pull the hair slightly out of the follicle before cutting it. While these razors provide a really close shave, cutting hair below the skin increases the risk of ingrown hairs.
Step 5
Move the razor in the direction of the hair growth. For example, hair on the face should be shaved from the forehead toward the jawline.
Step 6
Go over each area once. Multiple strokes over the same area increases the risk of razor bumps.
Step 7
Rinse the razor after each stroke. Hair in the blade of the razor can cause an uneven shave, which may tempt you to re-shave the area.
Step 8
Apply cool compresses or soak the area in cool water after you finish shaving to minimize the inflammation in the area.
Tips and Warnings
- When you shave, don't pull on your skin. Pulling your skin taut while shaving pushes the skin farther down the hair shaft, which means you cut the hair below the natural skin line when you shave. If you get razor bumps despite taking these precautions, try shaving with an electric razor or barber's clippers. The American Osteopathic College of Dermatology recommends shaving hair no closer to the skin than 1mm if you are prone to razor bumps.
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