Razor bumps prevention - how to never get them in the first place

When it comes to razor bumps, prevention is better than cure. In my first post in the razor bumps series, I covered what they are and what causes them. In this post I will go through some of the best ways to ensure you don’t ever get razor bumps, or if you already have them, to stop more from popping up.

Avoid razor bumps all together

There is a reason why pseudofolliculitis barbae is referred to as shaving bumps or razor bumps. It is of course because they show up after shaving. Originally, before technology brought us clippers, shaving was done using razors. The term barber’s itch is also applicable here.

I can imagine that pre-historic man never had to worry about shaving bumps because he almost definitely didn’t shave. Which alludes to the first prevention method here - avoiding ever shaving in the first place. If you don’t shave your beard, then you don’t get bumps right?

Many men in the world don't shave at all. Some Rastafarians, Muslims, Amish, and ‘Hipsters’ grow their beards out as part of their culture, religion, belief system or fashion statement. Growing your beard out does not mean you must never touch it. In fact many of these men do groom their beards with scissors and blades. They do so by trimming and shaping their beards without taking the hair down to skin level. This is virtually a 100% guaranteed way to prevent razor bumps.

If you hit puberty and you are in a part of the world where it is culturally acceptable to grow a beard, then why not let the beard grow out. You can shape it, trim it and limit the length. You’d be bump free forever and you can keep that smooth baby-face all the way into old age.

Pick the correct shaving tool for you

Sadly, not everyone can or is allowed to grow a beard. For example, there are many parts of the world where a beard is considered unkempt. There are also social settings where a beard is strictly forbidden. For instance, if a teenager’s beard starts to grow while still in high school, some schools would require the young man to shave. Also in the army in most countries, soldiers are expected to be very cleanly shaven.

In the US military for example, African American soldiers are still expected to be clean shaven even though it is extremely likely to result in a severe case of psuedofolliculitis barbae. In recent times there have been legal challenges to this extremely strict military rule so now African American soldiers [ or anyone for that matter] can get a medical profile and be granted “no shave chit” waivers.

If you must shave, it is important to select the best shaving technique for your skin and hair type in order to prevent shaving bumps. Some people have sensitive skin and are not able to use depilatories for example, while some people have tighter curled hair types than others. Some black men can get away with shaving with a razor if their hair is on the straighter end of the curl spectrum.

The various ‘shaving’ techniques to consider depending on your skin and hair type include;

Razor

This is the most common form of shaving in the world. Even in ancient times in Africa, Europe and Asia, people shaved with razors. I am not aware of any record of razor bumps from pre-historic times, but to be sure, where there’s a razor, there’s a bump. Having said that, shaving practices back then were probably not the same as now. In another post I mentioned how the exfoliating effect of the African sponge helps keep razor bumps at bay.

When picking a razor, the rule of thumb is not to go for a dirt-cheap razor. It is advisable to invest in a good sharp razor. It has also been shown that razors with multiple blades are more effective in preventing extrafollicular ingrown hairs, which cause pseudofolliculitis barbae. This may however achieve an extremely close shave, which many increase the incident of transfollicular ingrown hairs.

Black men and those with curly hair may want to consider using the new single blade system produced by the startup company called 'Bevel'. This is shaving targeting mainly at African American men, and other men that struggle with shaving bumps exacerbated by using other types of razor that were not designed with curly hair in mind.

Electric Shavers and Clippers

Many black men and men with curly hair that suffer from ingrown hairs and pseudofolliculitis barbae result to ‘shaving’ with electric clippers instead of razors. I usually shave with a clipper which I have found to be extremely effective in preventing bumps. The caveat is that I always have a slight stubble, and am never ‘cleanly’ shaven. I am lucky that neither my occupation, culture or social habitat mandate a very clean shave like they do in the army.

There are many electric clippers out there that cut the hair in a different way. Some have blades that move transversely while some, especially electric shavers, have blades that move in a circular motion.

Usually electric shavers achieve a closer shave than clippers, especially the ones with the circular motion that you can also use as a 'wet shaver’. I don’t use electric shavers that achieve a shave that close to the skin as I have the deadly combination of very tight curly hair and sensitive skin. I find those shavers give me bumps and skin irritation because of the level of contact they have with the skin. This is not the same for everyone - some people achieve a perfectly good result with electric wet shavers.

A very popular and effective electric clipper target at and used by many black men is the Wahl Shaver - Oh what a shaver!. I used this clipper for many, many years and have reviewed it on this blog in the past.

The clipper that I am currently using is, which I am extremely happy with and is the best one I have ever used is reviewed here --> [Please note, the review is still being written and the link will appear here once complete]

Depilatory creams

This is a popular method of ‘shaving’ amongst African men, especially those in my father’s generation. My impression of it is that it works perfectly as I have grown up seeing my father using it and never once did I notice him having any bumps whatsoever. Unfortunately, I also grew up with the smell of the thing - disgusting!

The specific brand my dad uses is the Magic Original Powder, which you mix with water into a paste to produce the cream. I have reviewed this product on this blog.

This is a chemical process that dissolves the hair above the skin to achieve the shave. When done properly, it leaves no hair at all and achieves the cleanest possible shave known to man. This is why it is so effective. Other people may see different results of course. An anecdotal comment I hear from many African men is that depilatory cream tends to encourage the growth of grey hairs in your beard. Perhaps this chemically does something to your hair follicles to speed up the ageing process, but I cannot confirm this as there is no scientific study to verify this.

It all comes down to your skin type. I have sensitive skin so I am sure it will irritate my skin - even the ‘sensitive skin’ versions of these products. In general I try to steer clear of chemicals in my hair or skin.

Plucking and Waxing

Plucking the hair is removing each hair one at a time with an instrument such as a tweezer. This pulls the hair out from the root, unless the hair breaks in the process. Waxing is a technique where hair is removed by covering the beard area with wax and then pulling off the wax very quickly. The effect is plucking large areas of the beard at the same time. Waxing is obviously extremely painful, but plucking takes a very long period of time. Both aim to remove the hair completely from the root so the resulting shave is extremely clean, and long lasting.

This method of ‘shaving' can promote transfollicular ingrown hairs because the new hairs may have a weak tip that can’t break through a blocked follicle passage, or may curl inside the skin and grown sideways into the body. It is however very effective in preventing pseudofolliculitis barbae caused by extrafollicular ingrown hairs.

Waxing the beard is very rare amongst men. Some women that grow hair in the beard and moustache area result to waxing and plucking as they don’t usually have an entire beard area to deal with, and the hairs are often softer and sparser than male facial hair.

Laser hair removal

This is an option usually used as a last resort and in extremely severe cases of pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB). Some men have such a severe case of PFB that it is worth them getting rid of the hair that causes this in the first place.

Laser is used to zap the root from which the hair grows, preventing the hair from ever growing from there again. In essence, you can achieve a once and for all shave using laser. The down side is that this is irreversible and you are not able to change your mind later in life if you want to grow a beard for whatever reason. There is also a risk of burning and scarring the skin if you find yourself in the hands of an unskilled surgeon.

There is a less permanent method called laser hair ‘suppression’, which is a long term suppression of hair follicles using laser. The hair does grow back eventually, but after a long period of time.

As a prevention method, I suppose you could have the hair suppressed by laser before they start growing at all following puberty.

Routine and Technique

When it comes to razor bump prevention, a good and consistent routine is a must. You must shave frequently and in the correct way. The reason why you have to shave frequently is to avoid extrafollicular ingrown hairs by making sure they don’t have time to grown long enough to curl back into the skin. Developing a good shaving routine or habit therefore, will ensure you do this regularly enough to prevent bumps. It is advised to shave everyday or at least every other day.

One of the most important things to consider when shaving is to ensure to shave in the direction of hair growth [along the grain], and not in the opposite direction. Each person is an individual and has a different pattern of hair growth, so it is advised to analyse your own hair growth pattern. Shaving 'against the grain' will increase the chances of both types of ingrown hairs and may also cause skin irritation. Mastering this technique, especially when using a razor, is key to preventing bumps.

Even with a clipper, I ensure to shave in the direction of beard growth. I do get tempted at times to shave against the grain with a clipper because you can achieve a closer shave that way, but I always manage to resist the urge.

Another routine worth developing is exfoliation of the face and beard area. There are many exfoliation products available for men from sea salt to the African sponge. The benefit of regular exfoliation is it removes the layers of dead skin that form over time that may block the hair passage, causing ingrown hairs and sometimes infection. It also gives a smother, healthier look to the skin. I will do a detailed post on exfoliation very soon.

Hygiene

Keeping the beard area clean, and the skin clean generally is key to preventing razor bumps. The bacterium that infects razor bumps Staphylococcus aureus is commonly found on the skin. Washing the skin regularly, either during a shower or at different points during the day keeps the population of Staphylococcus aureus down and reduces the chances of pseudofolliculitis barbae.

Personally, I don’t use any special medicated facial wash or soap on my face. I use any standard PH neutral soap and warm water after shaving. I find this is good enough. However some other men may want to use a medicated bacteria-killing soap and some warm water to wash their faces or during a shower.

Other considerations

There are a number of other considerations that I have in mind but for the sake of not making this blog post longer than it already is, I have not mentioned them. For instance, the habits of picking bumps and tweezing ingrown hairs may worsen razor bump conditions and damage the skin, leading to more razor bumps and irritations.

There are also general health and dietary considerations like drinking water, sleep and the amount of sugar in your diet that have an effect on the format of pseudofolliculitis barbae, but those are beyond the the scope of this post.

Conclusion

For many people that suffer from razor bumps, or more appropriately pseufofolliculiits barbae (PFB), having more knowledge about it in the first place could have prevented it originally. I know it would have helped me. However learning as much as possible about the condition, and ways to prevent it, can greatly reduce the suffering and improve quality of life.

This post is based on my real life experiences, those of my friends and family and a lot of research over the years. It is not exhaustive, but it is enough for a blog post. I hope it has been helpful to you as it has been to me. I used to have a lot of bumps both in my beard area and at the back of my neck, but now, I’m virtually bump free and have been for years now.

Any addition and advise you may have are welcome and appreciated. Please leave them in the comments.

Thanks for reading,

Josh.

PS: The ultimate post is finally up - Razor Bumps Cure. Get rid of your razor bumps, PFB, Scalp bumps, Folliculitis of any kind on your back, face, body e.t.c, permanently.

You may also be interested in this post: How to get rid of razor bumps