Swobidu Health

Posts Tagged ‘razor bumps’

We always associate razor bumps with men especially men of color because they are most vulnerable. These are annoying dark pimples and bumps that are common in the areas where we regularly shave namely the chin, cheek and around the bikini area. their clinical term is pseudofolliculitis barbae and they are a result of hair which has been shaved re-growing, curling then re-entering the skin causing painful pimples. These can sometimes become infected and inflammed causing a considerable degree of discomfort. Women too have their share of challenges from these annoying pimples but there are ways in which they can be eradicated.

Sometimes, chemical imbalances in some women can result in hair growing in unusual places such as under the chin. this is more common than we realize. for some, this is just a matter of plucking the few unruly hairs with a pair of tweezers and they’re done. for others this is a much more serious problem because the hair regrows with a vengeance. It then curls and pierces the skin again causing redness and irritation. The reason this irritation occurs is because the body does not recognize this re-entry of its own hair as its own and fights the culprit the same way it would fight a foreign object. that results in the inflammation and painful pus that is usually characteristic of razor bumps in women.

There are a few steps a woman can take to tackle this problem:

Take a nice warm bath before shaving
This is recommended because it results in the hair becoming smooth and soft. The skin is also softer after a warm shower and it then responds better to shaving. this works well whether the area being shaved is under the chin or in the bikini area.

What type of razor are you using?
One of the reasons why razor bumps appear is because of reusing a razor. a good majority of women reuse their razor at least 6 times before they replace it. this is unhygienic and a major reason for painful bumps. this is because an old razor has already lost its edge and does not cut close therefore the hairs that have been chopped off still retain a sharp rugged edge which then regrows and re-enters the body. It is recommended that you purchase new razors and avoid reusing razors as much as possible.

Also, use stainless steel, tempered steel razors which have one blade. It is eroneously thought that double razors or triple razors do a better job. this is controversial and has never been adequately proven.

Gels and cremes
Use shaving and cremes when shaving. there are many excellent shaving cremes and gels at your local pharmacy store such as Walgreens and CVS. there are also others that are high end but the mid-prized brands can do just fine.

Laser treatment
If you have extra money to spare and you need hair permanently removed, there is no better way to do this than with laser treatment. While this costs more than shaving, it is nevertheless the best way if you want to get rid of unwanted hair permanently.

In today’s world of fitness and fashion, it’s becoming the mode (again) to have a clean and bald look at the pubic area. why the word ‘again’?

The ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Indians preferred this look, and perfected ways to accomplish it.

They also knew how to deal with ingrown pubic hair, so let’s look at some tried and trusted ways to take care of this problem.

What is an ingrown pubic hair?

An ingrown pubic hair is one that grows at an abnormal angle and turns back into the skin, causing the formation of a pustule or papule (A small, solid inflammatory elevation of the skin that may or may not contain pus.

Also commonly known as razor bumps). this is unsightly and an unwanted side-effect to the bald look.

How do you get it?

There are many ways, but the most common way is to shave with a razor in the opposite direction of the natural hair growth.

The pubic hair can also be trapped beneath the skin from blockages to the hair follicle (also caused by shaving in many cases). Also the other hair removal methods such as shaving, waxing, tweezing, electrolysis, often irritate the hair follicle, and the hair becomes trapped beneath the skin.

What do I do now?

There are many ways to treat it.

The best way, as in all medicine, is prevention. In part 2 of this series we explain how to prevent ingrown pubic hair, but now you need first aid.

So here are the proven methods, some taken from the ancient Greeks and Egyptians who had the same problem 3000 years ago.

oUnderstanding that the body will try to eliminate the ingrown pubic hair itself, help it along. go to a sauna, and when you have built up a good sweat, lightly scrub (meaning exfoliate, i.e. take off the dead skin) with a loofa.

A loofa is a marine plant that grows in the Nile, and resembles a coarse sponge. you can find it at any store that sells bath products.

oAfter the sauna, and scrubbing, the ingrown hair may be free (due also to the dilation of the pores while in a sauna), and have a sterilized tweezers ready (the ancient method).

Pluck them out one by one. you must stretch the skin tightly, grips the hair close to the root, and pull it out. Ouch but it works. after each pluck, dab on some antiseptic solution.

oIf the above is not suitable for you, then you can do a three times a day compress on the affected area with a wash cloth soaked hot water (not too hot), followed by the application of any product containing salicylic acid.

Salicylic acid is a strong exfoliating chemical that is useful to free such hair.

Ask your pharmacist to recommend such a product. There are many on the market.

oThe daily use of the compress will help the body fix the problem, but also, you can apply some baby oil mixed with Aloe Vera lotion (make it yourself).

This will keep the skin from becoming further irritated, and the Aloe Vera is a natural antiseptic which will help prevent infection at the affected site.

Of course, there are salon specialists, but their methods will be expensive, and no more effective than the above.

You can also see your doctor, as in everything of this nature, the ingrown hair may not be a simple problem.

As we said, the best cure is prevention, and part 2 of this article shows you how to prevent from ever getting an ingrown hair.

Have you noticed lately that a lot of people are getting back to basics? Granted, I love technology; I would HATE to not have my computer or my HDTV or my cell phone. however, there are certain things that I really feel are better when they’re simple and done the way we used to do them.

For instance, although I have a cell phone for when I’m on the go, I still have a landline at home and have no intention of ever getting rid of it; it’s just too reliable. also, my wife and I shun the microwave; we have one, we just think that food cooked in a regular oven tastes better.

The one thing I’ve really gone back in time for, though, is a nice, comfortable, luxury shave using a straight razor. Cartridge blades, disposables, and electric razors either just don’t shave close enough or do so at the expense of your skin. how many of you HATE shaving?

It irritates your skin, leaving you itchy for hours. For some of us, it leaves you with razor bumps or severe razor burn, and that foamy stuff in a can has way too many manmade chemicals in it; it can’t be good for you.

Razor bumps occur when a hair attempts to grow into the skin, usually because it is cut below the skin line and then gets caught underneath the skin when it tries to grow.

Straight razors, like those made by Dovo, can’t cut your hair below the skin line, whereas multi-bladed razor commercials actually brag about that, claiming that’s how they give you the closest shave. What a crock A straight razor will get your beard to skin level, so all you feel is skin; a close shave and no bumps

Razor burn happens because too much of your skin has been removed during your shave and makes it raw; add chemicals from your foam shaving cream and you might as well be throwing salt on your wounds. The problem here is twofold. First, most people press too hard when they shave. with anything, whether it’s a straight razor, or a cartridge razor, or even an electric razor, always, always, always let the weight of the blade (or device) do the work. The more you push, the more skin you’ll remove. Secondly, again it goes back to the number of blades you’re working with; each pass from a Gillette Fusion is like 5 passes from a straight or double-edged razor. That means 5 times as much skin removed per swipe.

A Dovo straight razor, along with a good, old-fashioned shave soap (or cream), a shave brush, and lots of water will give you the closest, smoothest, most comfortable shave you’ve had in a long time. Plus, there’s practically no chance for razor bumps and little chance for razor burn (if you take your time and don’t press down).

I am a big baby and cannot deal with the pain of waxing at all. I usually keep my bikini line trimmed, but my hubby asked me to shave all of the hair off. the razor has caused me to have red bumpy skin and it looks really bad. Is there any good electric razors out there that can reduce this effect?

I think you should try using a men's razor. the Gillette fusion razor is incredible and it wont irritate your skin and give you razor bumps. I usually shave with dove soap and that does the trick.

You do not need an electric razor. Trim the hair with scissors and then shave the rest with shaving cream and a razor. Just take your time and it will come out smooth and sexy. Good luck

I know now there exists intimate shavers that are battery operated and they reduce the length just like an electric shaver would do. they are a bit smaller in width and they help out a lot. these are specifically for women and can be used for the bikini area. I have used it and they sell them in the shaving area of Wal-Mart or Walgreens, which are the places I remember that sell them. With this thing u can go little by little reducing the length till you take the comb off and it can shave and it helps a lot if you are lazy like me. I usually just reduce the whole length and then I shave with a regular razor or whichever you prefer to leave it extra smooth!

i need a new razor, and the norelco coolskin (the one that spits out lotion) claims it will help with the problem. i cant use a manual razor, even the battery powered ones, because the razor bumps are unbearable, and the beard trimmers dont cut nearly close enough. im a black male and have problems with this. thanks!

The Coolskin models haven't had great reviews, though Norelco/Philishave models in general are the least irritating method of shaving.

Try the 9195 or one of the other top of the range models.

Any suggestions? I get razor bumps around my neck area, currently using a blade (mach 3), will changing to an electric razor cause more problems or help?