One of the most annoying skin experiences for men are the lumps and bumps caused by hair that gets trapped beneath the skin’s surface, as an un-sightly result of shaving and some natural conditions of hair growth. Ingrowns caused by shaving happen especially when we get a good close shave, creating sharp spears out of our beard hair. These bad boys are perfectly engineered to imbed in the skin as they continue growing. Unfortunately, some men also have the additional challenge of hair growing at an acute slant to the skin surface, making it double likely that imbedding will occur: this is especially true of curly hair! Once imbedded, the skin of our body will quickly react to what it considers a foreign body by becoming inflamed-aka razor burn.
It’s recommended to follow the essential steps of shaving (see related article), especially shaving with your growth pattern, not against it! Topical crèmes/lotions designed specifically to encourage healthy skin turnover and reduce inflammation will speed healing and reduce adverse reactions to shaving. A once a week ritual of exfoliation and a daily regime of appropriate to skin type moisturizer will ensure long-term satisfaction of your smooth look. Face it: the goal is suave look, not ‘barber of ceville’ gone amuck! A little care goes a long way: don’t skip it!
