Is Dry Skin Causing Your Shaving Rash?
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Many people, both men and women, develop a rash from shaving. The rashes usually consist of red bumps, sometimes involve ingrown hairs, and can even scar. Some shaving rashes disappear within an hour or so, and others seem perpetual. The effort to get a close shave is often the culprit, and is especially a problem for those with dry skin as the extra-thick layer of dead skin cells prevents close contact with the skin surface. One of the best solutions is a good shielding lotion to alleviate dry skin and give you a smoother shave, but here are few other tips that may also help.
1. Don’t stretch the skin. Shaving is supposed to remove the hair that is already above the surface. When you stretch the skin to get a closer shave, the hair pops out of the follicle - the part of the skin that grows hair - and then pops back in below the surface of the skin when you relax the face. The sharp tip of the freshly cut hair then curls into the skin beside the follicle as it grows, causing an ingrown hair and razor bumps.
2. Use a single blade razor. The effect of a double or triple-blade razor is similar to stretching the skin. The blades tend to pull the hair further out from the follicle and you wind up cutting the hair below the surface of the skin. When the hair retracts into the follicle, it is below the surface.
3. Lubricate the skin prior to shaving, but don’t use a chemical compound that will cause or exacerbate dry skin. Try a shielding lotion instead.
4. If you’re using disposable razors, don’t use them more than once. Dull blades don’t cut well so you tend to push down harder, pulling at the hair and irritating the skin. Other types of blades usually remain sharp through about five shaves.
5. Shave in the same direction as the hair is growing. If it grows up, shave up. Shaving in a different direction pulls the hair.
6. Don’t shave skin that already has razor bumps or ingrown hairs. Let the bumps heal, and try to remedy the ingrown hairs by pulling the tips out with tweezers so the hairs come out straight. Letting the hair grow for a while will also help ingrown hairs to grow out
Shaving rashes are not only unsightly, they can also get itchy and infected. For a comfortable shave that leaves your skin smooth and clean, follow the tips above. And don’t forget to use the shielding lotion every day to alleviate the dry skin!
About the author:
Author, Gloria MacTaggart, is a freelance writer who contributes articles on skin care for Gloves In A Bottle, Inc. For more information, visit www.glovesinabottle.com.