Every time after I shave, I get more acne in those areas. I use a safety razor and an oat based cream. I always wash my face beforehand. Is there a way I can reduce the amount of acne I get after shaving?
Increase it before shaving your face
Have you considered an electric shaver? It doesn’t cut as close, but by the same token, it also doesn’t scrape across the skin. You’ll avoid catching the tops of any spots that you may have, and until your skin becomes happier with wet shaving, it’ll keep the whiskers away.
There’s a problem in answering this. We don’t know what the actual cause is, and we don’t know if it’s acne, a reaction to products, ingrown hairs, or just irritated skin that mimics one or multiple of those. So, be aware that you’re going to see responses that may not address the real problem but is still good in general, even if it doesn’t lead to a fix.
So, I used to be a nurse’s assistant. Shaving people is part of that job sometimes. Back in the day, one of my teachers was even the crazy type that pulls the whole “shave a balloon” thing. Which, while entertaining and slightly useful, doesn’t actually teach what it takes to shave a person.
Anyway, shaving is always a skin irritant. It’s a matter of degrees. Most of the time, if you follow the core principles, that irritation is going to be below the threshold where it’s noticeable for more than a few minutes at most.
Number one rule is that sharp razors cause the least irritation, and are less likely to result in nicks. Doesn’t matter what kind of razor you use, it has a limited range of uses before it needs sharpening or replacement. A straight razor, you strop every time you use it. Safety razors and most of the disposable head razors (no matter how many blades) expect to get three shaves at most before you start feeling the difference.
Yeah, that’s less than what most guides will say. That’s because you can definitely get more shaves in before it turns into a problem. But you’ll feel a change before it gets to the point where you’re losing the ability to slice smoothly and it turns into damaged skin. Most safety razors, assuming your facial hair isn’t absurdly thick and dense, expect to change the razor after five or six uses. Some of the multiblade heads can stretch a little more up to maybe ten shaves total, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to shave myself or anyone else with something for that long.
See, sharpness is only the first factor. Cleanliness is another. As you build up soap residue, microscopic cells, etc; the razor not only cuts more poorly, it’s likely growing bacteria for you. There’s ways to prevent that. Make sure the razor is as clean after use as possible, then dry it thoroughly. Some folks recommend rinsing them in something like barbicide, but I tend to see that as causing extra work for diminishing returns, so I don’t recommend it when this comes up.
If your razor is sharp and clean, you’ll minimize irritation as well as minimize and bacterial growth afterwards, which is what pimples are, and why ingrown hairs look like pimples. It’s bacteria that’s gotten part way into the skin and is being walled off and killed. The pus is dead microbes and your own immune cells (basically, this is the quick and dirty version because this is about shaving, not skin infections).
Next, you do your prep. The skin itself is going to respond best, overall, when it has been exfoliated gently, and is both warm and as hydrated as is reasonable. So wash your face first, with warm water. Not cold, that’s going to cause issues.
So, back to prep. You don’t need to scrub, just a warm washcloth gently washing. If you want, use a gentle facial cleanser like cetaphil. But the key is that freshly moisturized skin is less prone to irritation than dry, and it kinda plumps up the skin temporarily, making it less likely to pile up ahead of the razor, which increases irritation and the chance of nicks. There’s a reason you see barbers wrap the face in a hot towel sometimes before a shave.
I forgot to mention it before, but if you’re shaving sporadically, and the hairs are more than stubble, it is usually worth it to trim before shaving. Razors do better with shorter hairs, even straight razors.
From there, you apply your lubricant of choice. Some things are better than others. However, any soap will do in a pinch, and some lotions can as well. Even hair conditioner or shampoo will work okay.
My personal choice is aveeno shave gel. My skin is hyper sensitive to chemicals, and it’s one of the rare ones that doesn’t irritate me just by contact. I don’t shave any more, but it’s what I would use for myself, and when I had a choice for my patients, it was my number one pick.
If you’re feeling frisky though, picking up a shaving brush and using it to apply whatever you decide to use helps a tiny bit. It kinda lifts the hairs and gets the product of choice well lathered. Totally optional though, the difference really is tiny as long as you’re working the shave product onto the face (or other parts) well.
So you’re set up. You’ve got either running water or a basin with enough water to rinse the blade as you go. You’re lathered up, your blade is clean and no more than five or six uses deep.
Technique.
The first tip is to never start with a down stroke. By this, I mean coming into contact with the skin while moving the razor in the direction of the cutting edge (unless you’re using a straight razor, where you can do that). You place the razor against the skin with the head moving away from the direction of the edge. This reduces nicks, and partially lifts the hairs for the down stroke.
You move in small sections, smoothly. No back and forth scrubbing. Go at a steady, slow pace. You want to clear maybe an inch to an inch and a half with each stroke, then gently either restart as already described, or move the razor backwards slightly above the next section.
The key is that you don’t want to shave a given section more than absolutely necessary. Each pass over the same section is going to increase irritation. The reason you limit the size of each patch is that as you move the razor, your elbow, shoulder, and wrist are constantly shifting. Even with an adjustable/swivel head on a razor, this shifts the angle of attack, and where the most pressure is focused. You want the pressure even as possible, so doing smallish patches lets your body “reset” and keep the positioning right
So, that’s how you get started.
As you progress, the razor is going to load up. The shaved hairs and whatever lubricant you’re using will be pushed into the blade housing, or be building up on a straight razor. So you rinse the razor off every three to four strokes with safety or disposable head razors, and every stroke or every other with a straight razor.
The more clogged up razors get, the more likely they are to kinda skip over the hairs and skin. This increases nicks and irritation more significantly than we tend to realize. Thing is, you can’t rinse too much. So if you want to rinse every stroke, feel free. When I still shaved, I usually did it in the shower and rinsed the razor every stroke since running water does it easier and faster.
As you progress, keep an eye out for signs of irritation. If they start showing, reduce the pressure you’re using, and slow down. Let the razor do the work, not your arm.
We now look at hair orientation. You’ll hear about shaving with or against the grain. Hair can grow at an angle. Indeed, if you ever grow a beard, you’ll find that the angle your hair grows in may change according to where it gets “pulled”. The cheeks and neck tend to start out growing straight from the skin when we’re young, but the pressure on the skin as we sleep or move shifts them into angles, with the cheeks usually growing towards the neck, the throat growing variably as it nears the chin.
If you shave with the direction of growth, you minimize irritation, nick risk, and ingrown hairs or “shaving bumps”. But it won’t be as perfectly smooth, every time for every person you absolutely can get baby butt smooth going with the hair (almost universally, though there are exceptions), it just takes patience and control.
Against the hair gets a closer shave faster. And, because it tends to lift the hairs slightly, tugging them out from the skin, you can actually end up with the hair not sticking out at all. But, that’s how you get ingrown hairs. When the end of the hair is beneath the surface of the skin, you up the chances of the hair “burrowing”, and you give bacteria a chance to get beneath the surface as well. So I tend to advise not shaving against the grain at all. Maybe if you’ve got a job that is highly appearance dependent and requires being perfectly clean shaven. But you’ll have to invest in more products to control the inevitable bumps.
Post shave, never, ever use alcohol based aftershave. Yeah, they smell amazing usually. Yeah, it feels painfully good. But alcohol dries out the skin, and dry skin is prone to tiny little crevices and cracks where bacteria love to set up shop. So use good products that are hypoallergenic and designed for facial use. Moisturizers, in other words. You moisturize, the skin stays plumper. It also can serve to shift the way sebum accumulates in pores, which can increase pimples, bumps, acne, and other types of infection on irritated and abraded skin.
I don’t have any current recommendations in that regard. I used to use nivea products designed for shave care, but I’m damned if I can find the exact products beyond that. But that’s the basic thing to look for, shave care products. The big name companies that make acne friendly products are usually going to do a good job with shave care stuff too.
In the case of nicks, a styptic pencil is better than swatches of toilet paper. The TP isn’t really faster, and it has chemicals in it that make it break down when wet. So, not a great choice where you’re bleeding. Styptic pencils can be surprisingly hard to locate on the shelf, but pretty much every drug store carries them somewhere, often on the bottom shelf.
I’m out of character space here, and it’s essentially done anyway, but I’m open to questions if anyone has them :)
@countrypunk@slrpnk.net @spykee@lemm.ee
I haven’t been cleaning my razor and need to buy a new blade. This answer was very helpful, thank you.
You take as much time as you want, but come back for sure. My patchy beard has already declared a peace treaty seeing that I now know how to destroy it’s existence. I want my pubes too to feel the terror of my updated skill. Gonna flash my silky smooth crotch to my lady friends as foreplay, but that can only happen when you come back with the rest of the sacred texts. Counting on you, former nurse assistant.
For me a double edged safety razor as well as drawing a face map of the directions my hair grows so I could shave “with the grain” for the first pass.
Besides going to a dermatologist, here are a few things.
Change your pillowcases often. Sleeping on the oil creates more oil.
Take some steam baths and saunas. Open the pores and clear the skin.
I do change my pillowcases every couple of days. Unfortunately I don’t have a bath or sauna.
A barber will put a hot damp towel on someones face for a few minutes prior to shaving, can you microwave a wet facecloth?
I have the same problem and switched to an electric foil shaver. It’s not as close a shave so it does leave a bit of a stubble. That look might not work for everyone but it works for me
Foils are good, but the rotary style electric shavers create the least irritation. I use one, and would recommend it. It also comes with a little cleaner base that keeps the heads disinfected and clean of hair particles.
A Phillips One-Blade will give you a decently close shave, but not razor close, but it also doesn’t cause nearly the irritation and doesn’t cut hairs below the skin.
One trick is to prep your skin with cold water, not hot or warm, which will cause the hairs to stand up, making the shave easier.
I use that for my face too, super easy and I can’t cut myself with it lol
can’t say it leaves any stubble for me though
Get medication against acne from a doctor. That was the only thing that finally helped me get rid of it.
Feather blades, single blade, use foam and this brush to apply it. Then alcohol.
Alcohol will dry the fuck out of your skin & may cause further blemishes to form.
Another recommendation for Feather blades. There is a learning curve where you take the name literally when applying pressure, especially while learning. If you ever decide to try a safety razor, something like the Lord L6 safety on Amazon is inexpensive. A basic cream like Porasso or any canned cream will work (don’t invest in a brush yet, use hands to lather at fist) and don’t forget a styptic pencil for the war wounds.
Then consider investing in a brush and something like a Merkur 34C. A pack of 100 Feather razors lasts a couple years when changing the blade weekly and the shaving soap/cream lasts the better part of a year.
I shave after showering, soak brush in the sink with warm water and use a shaving soap. Shave short strokes one pass with the grain. Rinse with cool water and pat dry with a clean towel.
Good luck and don’t go down the straight razor rabbit hole.
Safety razor is prolly easier option for a rookie.
It is always cheaper than disposable long term
Good shaving cream and maybe pre shave if cream itself doesn’t work.
Its a bit pricey up front but it lasts as you need very small amount to get desired results. Then after shave. I just use cream and it is fine but when I started I used pre and after since I had similar issues to OP
My two cents are the following : avoid irritation as much as you can. This means doing as few passes as you can, if possible shaving somewhat less often, and/or shave less close to the skin, for exemple using an electric trimmer. You should wash beforehand using hot water, and afterwards using cold water, and then dry before moisturising. I personally use and beeswax and olive oil based cream but a lot of products will do the trick. Remember that every skin is different, and sometimes, you can do everything right and still have symptoms, so you should adjust your shaving habits to accommodate those
Using hot water beforehand was what caused my irritation. I had a dermatologist recommend using a tri-head electric razor before showering with a dry face. I bought one for $50 a few years back and it’s been a night and day difference for me. I used to get pretty bad skin irritation, despite doing all the suggested things. It’s not as close of a shave, but my skin is a lot healthier. I’ve seen some people say they’ve benefited from only using cold water when shaving, but dry shaving has been the best route for me.
Didn’t realize that hot water can cause irritation. I’ll try doing it cold.
See a dermatologist, there are multiple causes of acne and you may need to treat it with diet or medication.
This!
Many people’s hormones are out of balance due to a diet with lots of sugar and fructose. It never hurts to cut down and see if things improve
- Wash your face or any area you want to shave with gentle soap.
- Use a gentle shaving cream, no scent, no alcohol. If possible, spread it with a shaving brush gently.
- Shave in the direction of the hair, e.g. your moustache you probably go from nose to lips.
a. Change your blades often, with a safety razor you most likely want a new blade after each shave. Blades get dull, pull the hair and clog the pores, they will accumulate bacteria over time, causing infections, disposing them after each shave will reduce the chances of those happening.
b. Try to get good at passing the blade only once, avoid repeating on the same spots multiple times. If struggling, you might want to consider one of those razors that adjust to your face as you move, or an electric trimmer - avoid the ones that pull the hair before cutting. - Wash your face again, if possible, use a soap with ceramides and niacinamide (they will help with your skin recovery).
- Tap your face gently with a clean towel, do not rub it, don’t go hard. Leave some moisture.
- Use moisturizer (ceramides and niacinamide is a plus)
- SPF
A lot of the things that happen to your skin can be caused by bacteria, clogged pores by dead skin, dirty, hair, fabric… Those steps will help you minimize the chances and help your skin recover faster after shaving.
If possible, you should visit a dermatologist for a deeper understanding of your skin, and the care you need.
Also, on a special occasion, treat yourself to one of those old school barbers, with hot/cold towels and all the pampers.
I’ve always had pretty sensitive skin and trouble with razor burn and then ingrown hairs and acne after shaving. I’ve used everything from cheap single- and dual- blade generic, disposable razors to Mach 3 (and four- and five-blade razors with handles that you replace the cartridges on) to electric shavers (Norelco-style with the three round foils as well as the Braun-style straight foil) to eventually safety razors. I’ve actually had the best luck with safety razors and trying to find a routine and style of shaving that keeps my skin less angry, as well as using a blade that works for me.
A friend told me about Henson razors. They’re manufactured to really tight tolerances to keep the blade from slipping around while you’re pulling it across your face and I think the angle of the blade is different than most safety razors. It has been a night and day difference for me. I can actually shave faster and more haphazardly than before and I no longer cut myself shaving. And the best part is I no longer get razor burn, even when shaving against the grain. (Depending on the texture of your hair you may need the AL13-M model. I find that shaving pubic or body hair takes forever with their standard AL-13, but also it keeps you from cutting your balls off.)
Is it acne or in growing hairs causing the acne? Try not shaving against the direction of growth, do across or with the growth. I use a wet alum block sometimes, helps with small cuts and irritation after, however it stings like fuck. One block will last you a life time unless you drop it. Also a face scrub can help the day after, however the wife has an oil based soft one that makes my skin worse, I have to use a more aggressive non oily one
Are you sure that it’s the shaving and not the cream?
It would be easy enough to test, say by not shaving for a couple of days and applying the cream to one side of your face.
I had a reaction (not acne), only to some shaving lubes (it wasn’t the shaving, per se). I ended up noting the ingredients of the lubes and narrowed down what was triggering it. I now use oil or a really cheap, supermarket foam.
Good luck 👌🏼
A couple things for blade care to keep it clean and sharp: Set the blade in a dish of rice after use to soak away the moisture. If your blade begins to dull, rub the blade against denim with normal-use strokes to sharpen the blade and remove any microscopic rust development. I heard these tips on a radio show more than a decade ago and feel as though they made a noticeable difference for me.
Instructions unclear. Rice plants growing out of pores.
